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The "Many Mouths" Of Community Gossip And Social Interaction Among The Kelabit Of Borneo, Matthew H. Amster

Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper considers the role of gossip and social interaction among the Kelabit of Sarawak, Malaysia Focusing on gossip in everyday life, the paper explores the tension between desires for individual privacy, concerns for group cohesion and, more broadly, desires to adopt a more modern style of living and social interaction. These tensions are vividly manifested in discourses about the problematic nature of gossip in the Kelabit community. Critical to this is a discussion of Kelabit styles of interpersonal interaction and conflict management, including the role of meditation. Offering a range of examples illustrating the social contexts of Kelabit gossip, …

Folklore In Utah: A History And Guide To Resources, David Stanley

All USU Press Publications

Over thirty scholars examine the development of folklore studies through the lens of over one hundred years of significant activity in a state that has provided grist for the mills of many prominent folklorists. In the past the Folklore Society of Utah has examined the work of such scholars in biographical and other essays published in its newsletters. This book incorporates those essays and goes well beyond them to include many other topices, offering a thorough history of folklore studies and a guide to resources for those pursuing research in Utah now and in the future. The essays survey the …

Listening For A Life, Patricia Sawin

All USU Press Publications

In one sense a folklorist's portrayal of a notable folk artist's life and art, Listening for a Life is equally a rethinking of the processes involved in such work, not only in how the folklorist conveys her subject but in how her subject constitutes and performs herself into being through dialogue with others: those present, those once present, those imagined and anticipated.

Drawing on Bahktinian and feminist theory, Sawin pushes forward our understanding of the interactive roles of ethnographer and subject and in the process gives us a deeper understanding of folk singer and storyteller Bessie Eldreth and her greatest …

Discovering Santa Clara University's Prehistoric Past: Ca-Sci-755, Heather Bratt, Margaret A. Graham, Frederika Kaestle, Gerald Mckevitt, Nikki Martin, Randall Milliken, Karen Oeh, Lorna C. Pierce, Kevin Richlin, Russell K. Skowronek

Research Manuscript Series

The following report , brought together with great skill and insight by editors Russell K. Skowronek and Margaret A. Graham , provides a rich trovel of valuable information about what has been found there archaeologically and what it means. Some of this meaning reflects the kinds of lives people were leading in ancient times where students now cross over the Alameda Mall, and the very different kinds of activities people were conducting in those ancient times. Part reflects how these discoveries have already affected present-day consciousness, and what some of the changes have been in regard to public appreciation of …

Solving Meno's Puzzle, Defeating Merlin's Subterfuge: Bodies Of Reference Knowledge And Archaeological Inference, Luann Wandsnider

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

THE MIND OF Lewis Binford is nimble and constantly evolving. In part, one can map Binford's prodigious intellectual growth by looking at the research trajectories of his students, who often continue on paths they began under his tutelage. In my case, certainly, this is very true. When I arrived at the University of New Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Binford was exploring the nature of the archaeological record: how to understand past human organization at a supra-ethnographic scale, what we might learn from bones and site structure, and how to reliably give meaning to the archaeological record. …

A Tri-Cultural Look At Legitimacy And Illegitimacy Using An Evolutionary Model, Mara D. Giles

Nebraska Anthropologist

The rules for legitimacy and illegitimacy are not universal, yet every culture classifies its children into valid and invalid A review of the literature, including Teichman, Hendrix, and Davis, has indicated that legitimacy is a status of marriage. This status is determined by several factors including race, class, inheritance patterns, lineage systems, the role of fathers, and the position of women. European and subSaharan African cultures use these factors differently to validate the boundaries separating the legitimate from the illegitimate. Until as recently as thirty years ago, English culture asserted that a man had to be proven to be the …

Comparison Of The Traditional And Contemporary Extended Family Units Of The Hopi And Lakota (Sioux): A Study Of The Deterioration Of Kinship Structures And Functions, Benjamin Grant Purzycki

Nebraska Anthropologist

Drawing on a body of classical and contemporary ethnographic resources, one finds a number of coriflicting conclusions and assumptions in not only the evolutionary role of the extended family and its functions, but also-in a post-colonial context-how these units as well as their roles and functions change. When comparing a number of sources, we find that extended families are explained in diametrically opposed terms (e.g. some say extended families result from hunter-gatherer societies while others attribute it to agricultural groups), creating conflicting theory obviously not considered together as often enoughhence the necessity of comparative study between traditionally agricultural Hopi and …

Solving Meno’S Puzzle, Defeating Merlin’S Subterfuge: Bodies Of Reference Knowledge And Archaeological Inference, Luann Wandsnider

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

THE MIND OF Lewis Binford is nimble and constantly evolving. In part, one can map Binford's prodigious intellectual growth by looking at the research trajectories of his students, who often continue on paths they began under his tutelage. In my case, certainly, this is very true. When I arrived at the University of New Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Binford was exploring the nature of the archaeological record: how to understand past human organization at a supra-ethnographic scale, what we might learn from bones and site structure, and how to reliably give meaning to the archaeological record. …

Poison Hunting Strategies And The Organization Of Technology In The Circumpolar Region, Alan J. Osborn

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

INUPIAT ESKIMO WHALERS are allowed to kill up to 50 bowhead whales every year in the arctic waters off Barrow, Alaska. Some of the older bowheads are more than 20 m in length and weigh more than 50 tons. Since 1981 the Inupiat have found at least six lance and harpoon end blades embedded within the thick blubber that insulates these magnificent mammals (Raloff 2(00). These archaeological weapon points included projectiles fashioned from chipped stone, ground slate, ivory, and iron. Wildlife biologists have suspected that whales may live to be quite old. One can only imagine their surprise, however, once …

Systemic Nesting Among The Anasazi: Ad 900-1140, Carl G. Drexler

Nebraska Anthropologist

Over the past 150 years, archaeologists have proposed a number of models and hypotheses to explain the growth andfluorescence of the Anasazi system based in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. This paper gives an overview of some of those models, then explores how World System Theory (WSJ) might be used to understand the social and economic processes at work during the pinnacle of settlement in Chaco Canyon.

Department Of Anthropology And Geography Self-Study Report To The Academic Planning Committee, Department Of Anthropology And Geography

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

In January of 2001 the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Geography became the Department of Anthropology and Geography. This merger was not requested by members of either unit: it was imposed administratively. Under ideal circumstance, such mergers evolve organically through a history of collaborations from the bottom up. Nevertheless, faculty of each unit had collaborated in a variety of contexts so there was some basis for integration. As one may imagine, one of the first things we set out to accomplish as a newly formed unit was the establishment of a common set of by-laws. After about six …

The Social Effects Of Psychism: Spiritual Experience And The Construction Of Privatized Religion, Marty Laubach

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Research

What is the relationship between spiritual experiences and privatized religion? This study defines spiritual experiences in terms of “psychism,” or psychic intrusions in the stream of consciousness that are not perceived by the actor as originating within the “self.” Intrusions interpreted as psychism are regarded by the actor as having the same facticity as empirical experience and are regarded as “proof” of an esoteric belief system. Psychism originated beliefs are therefore resistant to refutation or change, and support spiritual autonomy. Psychism theory is tested using 1988 GSS data on religious beliefs, where psychism is measured using GSS questions on “paranormal” …

To Stand On Their Own: Women’S Higher Education In Contemporary Kerala, India, Alcira Forero-Pena

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This is a study of the significance for women of college education as it occurs in colleges administered by Christian nuns in Kerala, India. Particularly, it looks at the paradoxical effects of the dramatic social changes Kerala underwent during the twentieth century that guaranteed, among other things, formal education, including post-secondary, to a large proportion of women. On the other hand, it shows not only the persistence of blatant social inequalities fed by class, caste, and gender distinctions but also the increase in inequality due to the forces of globalization. On close examination, there is little correlation between the vast …

Kimberley Women : Their Experiences Of Making A Remote Locality Home, Elaine Rabbitt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In previous histories of Western Australia, pre-dominantly written from a male Eurocentric viewpoint, scant attention has been drawn to the everyday lives of country women. The study described in this dissertation explores the responses of women to the challenges of relocation and settlement within a remote locality in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The Church As Embodiment And Expression Of Community On Ujelang And Enewetak, Marshall Islands, Laurence Marshall Carucci

Pacific Studies

The church as a culturally constructed location is constantly "unmade and remade" on Ujelang and Enewetak Atolls (Marshall Islands) with semantic values tied to wider social and historical changes. Stories about the original church represent it as a sacred site forming the physical, moral, and cosmogenic center of the Enewetak community. During World War II, Japanese military rule transformed the church into a location of resistance. During postwar exile to Ujelang Atoll, the village-centered church became a site where solidarity-enhancing practices allowed the community to confront isolation and suffering. A new church, built in 1978 as a symbol of reinvigorated …

The Anunnaki, The Vampire, And The Structure Of Dissent, Marcus Librizzi

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The latest incarnation of the vampire - in the conspiracy theories of David Icke - reveals the critical, revolutionary heart of the vampire legend. Discourse on the vampire appears above all to provide a structure of dissent, a metaphorical means of representing and soliciting critiques of the social order. The Anunnaki form of the vampire - in its immersion in the constellation of contemporary conspiracy theories, in its reflection on global capitalism, and in its blurring of historical and fictional narratives - has moved this structure of dissent from the cloak of darkness to the light of day.

Kula And The Trobriand Islands: The Meaning And Power Of Objects, Becky Tomlinson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Just as a word in a foreign language must be interpreted for one who does not speak the language, a cultural artifact alone holds no significance or meaning for an outsider. Thus, for an object to be understood it cannot stand alone, but must be placed in context though time and space, and various layers of cultural meaning must be expounded. The word lagim, from the Kiriwina language, may be roughly translated as meaning "the splashboard of a Kula canoe". This translation may give the proper words from English that denote the object, but it still leaves much to …

Young Childrens' Understanding Of Superstitions, Kara Yeckering

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The aim of this study was to examine young children's understanding of superstitions—specifically bad luck superstitions. Children between the ages of 4 and 9 received a set of interview questions concerning their experiences with superstitions, their beliefs about the efficacy of superstitions, and their knowledge of the mental and physical components of superstitions. Participants also completed a belief task designed to assess the relative importance of belief and action in superstitions. The findings indicate developmental patterns in children's awareness of superstitions and beliefs in efficacy of superstitions. With age, children demonstrated a significantly greater awareness of superstitions. In contrast, children …

Narratives Of Cancer Survivors In Religious Life, Andrea Kitta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Narratives of Cancer Survivors in Religions Life is a careful consideration of the narratives of cancer survivors, specifically those in Catholic religious life. Through the use of interviews and secondary sources, the author addresses such issues as relationship with God, stigmatization, community life, Parson's Sick Role, and labeling theories. This thesis also considers the perceived audience during the performance of narratives, specifically, if cancer survivors in religious life perceive God to be a part of their audience and looks at the structure of narratives concerning cancer survivorship.

Rolling On The River, Jonathan Leader, Christopher F. Amer

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Elite Faunal Utilization In Moundville, Alabama, H. Edwin Jackson, Susan L. Scott

Faculty Publications

In recent years, zooarchaeological research has begun to examine the roles of animals as part of the suite of symbols employed at the ongoing social, ceremonial, and political dynamics of prehistoric cultural systems. In the southeastern United States, studies of late prehistoric Mississippian chiefdoms have documented differences in species composition and meat cuts associated with particular social contexts of consumption-for instance, ceremonial feasting vs. private meals-and also with gross distinctions in social rank-elite vs. commoner. Differences in the latter reflect elite control of procurement as well as cultural rides that assign meanings to certain species, which in so doing regulates …

Islam : A Guide For The Perplexed - Study & Evaluation Of An Attempt Of Application: Alleviating Poverty In Tafahna Alashraf, Nancy Fathy Emara

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Megalithic Architecture At The Site Of Victoria, Quintana Roo, Jennifer P. Mathews

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research

Megalithische Architektur in der archäologischen Stätte Victoria in Quintana Roo, Mexiko. Das "Yalahau Regional Human Ecology Project" der University of California, Riverside und der Trinity University, San Antonio erforscht seit 1993 die archäologischen Stätten in der Region von Tumben-Naranjal im nördlichen Quintana Roo. Im Jahr 1997 wurde der zuvor nicht bekannte Fundort Victoria im Munizip von Leona Vicario dokumentiert und vermessen. Neben einer kolonialzeitlichen Kirche ließen sich verschiedene Strukturen nachweisen, deren Architektur im megalithischen Stil ausgeführt ist. Die megalithische Bauweise ist charakteristisch für die Zeit der späten Präklassik und frühen Klassik auf der Halbinsel Yukatan.

Arquitectura megalítica en el sitio …

Animism, Cannibalism, And Pet-Keeping Among The Guajá Of Eastern Amazonia, Loretta A. Cormier

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Recent work in Amazonian religion, sociality, and ecological adaptation have addressed the interrelationships among animism, cannibalism, and pet-keeping.  In this article, I attempt to reconcile these works with the beliefs and behaviors of the Guajá of eastern Amazonia.  I argue that the specific configuration of animism, cannibalism, and pet-keeping among the Guajá relates to their social organization and mode of production as hunter-gatherers.

Obras recentes tratando da religião, socialidade, e adaptação ecológica na Amazonia têm demonstrado as relações entre o animismo, o canibalismo, e a prática de criar animais de estimação.  Neste trabalho, eu tento reconciliar estas obras com as …

Indians, Markets, And Rainforests: Theory, Methods, Analysis, William H. Fisher

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Book review of Indians, Markets, & Rainforests: Theory, Methods, Analysis. Ricardo A. Godoy.  New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.  xviii + 256 pp., appendix, references, index. ISBN 0-231-11784-1. ISBN 0-231-11785-X.

Barbarous Magnificence: The Decline And Continuity Of Akan Traditional Religious Practices, Kwasi Bempong

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses archaeological, anthropological, and historical evidence along with indigenous texts as the determining factors to address two major problems in the literature: the widely held belief that Akan culture developed in the forests of modem Ghana and that their supreme deity, Onyame, is a 'withdrawn deity', with whom they did not share an intimate relationship. Although these problems may seem unrelated the former is used to support the latter by ignoring the historical antecedents of Northern Akan culture that blossomed in the savanna-forest transition zone and the subsequent movement of well-developed religious practices and beliefs from the north …

The Miraculous And Coptic Orthodox Christianity: Empowerment, Embodiment And The Living Tradition, MarkéTa Sebelová

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Women, Power And Position Within The Household Economy, Mamdouh Kamal Hakim

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Charity, Development And The Global Market: The Pursuit Of An Alternative Through Fair Trade, Christy L Ferguson

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Social Stratification And Health In Dynastic Egypt: The Differential Effect Of Disease Among The Elite And Working Classes, Jerilyn Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Social stratification in Dynastic Egypt between the elite and working class is suspected to have created differential health conditions for these two social classes. It is hypothesized that due to differing living conditions, resulting in varying levels of exposure to infectious pathogens, workloads, and quality of diet, the elite and working class will have dissimilar health conditions. Specifically, it is expected that the working class of Dynastic Egypt suffered ill health more often, and more severely, than the elite. The health conditions of the elite and working class were measured by the prevalence of the density-dependent disease tuberculosis, the workload-related …