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Place(Ment), Ashley Lynn Byers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout her time at the University of Arkansas Master of Fine Arts program, Ashley Byers has been creating work about the folklore, landscape, and people of the Ozarks. Though she continues to create work with the Ozarks in mind, it became a motif used for a broader conversation about the ad hoc, holiness, painting, landscape, the figure, and intimacy.

In many ways, the concepts within her work are born out of the Ozarks.

When can remnants come together to become more than the sum of their parts? Derelict, easily dismissed objects, when set in the right context or viewed through …

Working For Food Stamps: Economic Citizenship And The Post-Fordist Welfare State In New York City, Maggie Dickinson

Publications and Research

In the United States, the number of people receiving state-subsidized food aid has risen dramatically since 2001. This increase complicates the well-worn story that the post-Fordist welfare state has been continuously cut back in the neoliberal era, indicating instead that it is expanding to subsidize poor workers’ participation in the formal labor market. In New York City, welfare office workers operationalize policies that ease access to food assistance for poor workers who can demonstrate that they are formally employed. Meanwhile, workfare programs punish the unemployed and marginal workers by making them work for food stamps. This conservative, paternalistic welfare regime …

A Light In The Dark: Luminescence Dating Intermountain Ware Ceramics From Four Archaeological Sites In Northwestern Wyoming, Carlie J. Ideker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The chronology of high-altitude archaeological sites in northwestern Wyoming is poorly understood due to limited reliable age constraints. While temporally diagnostic artifacts provide relative age control, fluctuations in atmospheric radiocarbon produce radiocarbon age results with multiple calibrated age-range intercepts that prove difficult to interpret. Age overestimates associated with the 'old wood' problem can be especially prominent at high-altitude sites where cold and semi-arid environments promote the presence of long-living trees and prolong the preservation of organic material. Moreover, regional droughts coupled with a pine beetle epidemic have resulted in increasing wildfire frequency and intensities that serve both as a benefit …

The Association Between Shared Values And Well-Being Among Married Couples, Travis G. Parry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this research study was to examine the shared values and marital well-being of married couples and to see if there was a relationship between these variables. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the marital well-being variables (financial stability, marital happiness, individual well-being) and see if there were relationships between these variables when analyzed simultaneously.

This study found a positive relationship between several shared values and the marital happiness and individual well-being variables of material well-being. However, no shared values were related to financial stability. The study did find positive relationships between all martial …

La Minga As A Model Of Food Justice? : A Thesis On The Motivations And Practices Of Immigrant And Native-Citizen Growers At La Minga Cooperative Farm In Prospect, Ky., Tyler Austin Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Progressive and radical stakeholders in the local food system call for forms of agricultural production and distribution that dialectically oppose the dominant paradigm of corporate-controlled agribusiness. This ethnographic research engages with the question of whether La Minga is a model of food justice. I collected ethnographic data from May 2015 to March 2016 via informal conversations and semi-structured interviews with members of the farm as well as secondary data gleaned from literature on anarchism, political economy, and food and agriculture. La Minga serves as a small-scale example of immigrants and native-citizens exercising their human right to produce healthy, culturally-appropriate food …

Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (Tapas) Program: A High School Study Abroad Program For District 128, Michaela Kendzior

Capstone Collection

As colleges begin to internationalize campuses and global competencies continue to become a demand in the workforce, secondary schools should also aim to internationalize the curriculum and offer international education opportunities to their students. In an effort to do this, I have created the Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (TAPAS) Program for Community High School District 128 in Illinois. The TAPAS program is a 20-day summer intensive cultural and language immersion program created to maximize learning potential in D128 students. While the program’s focus is on Spanish language and culture education, the orientation and instructional activities have been designed …

Setting The Table In 19th Century St. Louis: The Utility Of Glass Tableware Analysis In The Archaeology Of Domesticity And Consumerism, Grace Lynn Gronniger

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The historical archaeology of domesticity and consumption relies heavily on the analysis of ceramic tableware artifacts. Few archaeologists have seriously incorporated analyses of glass tableware into this body of research, even though glass tableware was intensively marketed and is a common and durable domestic artifact class. My research addresses this problem through a study of glass tableware from Victorian Age (1830s – 1900s) residential sites in St. Louis, Missouri. This is done, in part, by adapting methods of historic ceramic artifact analysis to the analysis of historic glassware. Applying it in a historical archaeological study of household consumption in relation …

Impromptu Domesticity: Housing Adaptations By The Marshallese In Springdale, Ar, Kera Lathan

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study analyzes the relationship between people and their spatial environment through the lens of cultural practices and experiences. By using theories of cultural identity and activity patterns to compare spatial usage in two differing circumstances, this study will help to better understand the spatial needs of Marshallese living in Springdale, Arkansas.

The analysis uses two in-depth interviews to establish a base of qualitative data to understand the unique needs of this specific population. Through constructs such as spatial fluidity, sharing culture, and ability to adapt to new spatial practices, the two cases are compared to one another in order …

Basketmaker Ii Warfare And Fending Sticks In The North American Southwest, Phil R. Geib

Anthropology ETDs

Direct physical evidence and rock art, including head skin trophies, indicate that violence linked to warfare was prevalent among the preceramic farmers of the North American Southwest known as Basketmakers. The degree of intergroup conflict indicates that Basketmakers may have needed defense against atlatl darts. In the early 1900s archaeologists suggested that distinctive wooden artifacts served this purpose. Despite resembling Puebloan rabbit sticks, the first to report these S-shaped and flattened sticks with longitudinal facial grooves thought that hunting was not their purpose. Yet the sticks appear singularly inadequate for the task of atlatl dart defense. I evaluate the suggested …

Estimating Ancestry And Genetic Diversity In Admixed Populations, Anthony Joseph Koehl

Anthropology ETDs

Admixture is a form of gene flow that occurs when long separated populations come into contact and exchange mates. Admixture has been a primary mechanism in the formation of many modern human populations. The genetic characteristics of an admixed population are intermediate to, yet distinct from, those of its ancestors. In this dissertation, I investigate biological and statistical factors that enter into the analysis of admixed populations using genetic marker data. In chapters one and two, I use genotype data from published sources that contain 618 microsatellite loci. In chapter three, I simulate genotypes of 500 microsatellite loci. In chapter …

Regionalizing Institutional Food At Uri, Lauren A. Breene

Senior Honors Projects

In recent years a demand for locally sourced food has arisen among students, faculty, and staff at the University of Rhode Island. Having now recognized this demand the hour is upon us to organize and create a movement that is as enlightened as it is revolutionary. Published material regarding regionalizing institutional food, however, is fragmented and difficult to apply to URI. The aim of this project is to collect and analyze the existing research in order to produce a cohesive text written in the context of URI. The paper details the motivation behind this movement in the form of a …

Prevalence Of Sexual Harassment And Assault In Uri Stem Graduate Students, Ivy Burns, Holly Dunsworth

Senior Honors Projects

There are many barriers for women in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and math); one, often untalked about, barrier is the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. In the summer of 2014 the paper “Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE): Trainees Report Harassment and Assault” by Clancy, et. al. was released and shed light on an issue facing many young women and men in science. According to the SAFE survey, a shocking amount of sexual harassment and assault was experienced by the, primarily female, researchers and very few knew how to report an incidence of assault. With this project I …

Roman Britain In The Northeast: The Excavation And Interpretation Of Arbeia, South Shields, Eleanor Shotton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The research goal of this project was to understand the impact that the Roman Empire had upon the indigenous ‘traditional society’ of the northeastern British peoples at Arbeia, located in modern day South Shields. Within that broad goal, the focus was to determine if the influence of the Roman Empire cultivated a unique homogenization of Romano-British culture, or if both societies maintained their own cultures and lived side-by-side with little cultural interaction or meshing with one another, other than trading goods, etc. To seek out the answer to this research question, I conducted literary research on Roman fort practices and …

Sourcing The Sherds: An Analysis Of The Coarse Earthenware Ceramics From Trents Plantation In Barbados, Sara Mcnamara

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Trents, originally known as Fort Plantation, was one of the five initial plantations established by the English in 1627. Since 2012, three different loci at Trents have been excavated: an outbuilding to the main house (Locus 1), enslaved laborers’ living quarters (Locus 2), and a cave site (Locus 3). Locus 1 is well stratified with clear divides between material dating to the pre-sugar era in the early 17th century and the following period from mid-17th to early 18th century. 18th and 19th century deposits cap this locus. Locus 2 dates from the mid-17th to early 19th century. Distinct floor areas …

In Pursuit Of My Eye: A Book Of Photographs, Amanda Piela

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This book progresses chronologically through photos that represent pivotal moments in my life. I carefully selected the photos I have included in the book from thousands of photographs that I had never so much as even looked at after I shot them and dumped them onto hard drives. The book functions as a way to organize my journey through photography and extrapolate on what I have learned over the years. I refer to teachers, professors, peers and advisors that have influenced me in countless ways as well as friends that have modeled for me and supported me over the years. …

The Poppy: Contextualising A Seemingly Timeless Symbol In History, Materials And Practice, Emily Barrett

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

the poppy, a blood red flower, is the British nation’s symbol of remembrance. For over one hundred years, the poppy has been worn on the lapels of numerous generations as an act of respect for the military men and women that lost their lives serving the nation during times of war. The tradition ultimately began with World War I and since that time the poppy, its meaning and its use, is often viewed in a timeless manner; it transcends time to unite the past and the present. However, the poppy is not an unchanging, static and bounded symbol. This research …

Collective And Individual Identities Of Soldiers At The Florence American Cemetery And Memorial, Christiana Chmielewski

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, located outside of Florence, Italy, is the final resting place of 4,402 American soldiers who died during World War II while fighting in the Tuscan region after the liberation of Rome in June 1944. In addition to those buried, 1,409 soldiers are commemorated on the Wall of the Missing. By joining the military, these men (and women) became a part of the larger military family. Such a process ensured that their individual identities would become intertwined with that of a collective military identity. However, it was their biological kin, the family that remained in …

Into The Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Of Acculturation, Stress, And Refugee Family Functioning, Kieu Anh T. Do

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and …

Community Viability And Marine Conservation: Hybrid Resource Management And The Role Of The Coral Triangle Center On Pulau Ay, Indonesia, Jerica Rossi

Capstone Collection

This qualitative research explores the traditional marine resource management system of sasi on Pulau Ay, Maluku, Indonesia and how it has been adapted under modern circumstances to promote conservation. The study was based on interviews with staff of the marine conservation NGO Coral Triangle Center (CTC) and the local Conservation Team, narratives of traditional leader elders, and focus groups with local fisherman. The first section of the findings articulates their perspectives on the historic and current situation regarding sasi and conservation on Pulau Ay. The study then utilizes The Interdependence of Ecosystem and Community Viability: A Theoretical Framework to Guide …

The Western Diet's Negative Impact On The Health Of The Pacific Islands., Jessica Ruikka

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In an already challenging environment, the Western diet has introduced noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease to the Pacific Islands (PIC). Without modern medicine, many of these regions, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia are ill equipped to handle the long-term effects of these noncommunicable diseases. A high percentage of the Pacific Island population is obese and overweight; and the Islands are struggling to combat the epidemic. Many programs and proposals have been implemented, such as changes in trade policy, local activism, and government modifications, but there has been no evidence of a decline in noncommunicable diseases. There …

Participation And Perception: Early Exposure, Environmental Attitudes, And Off-Highway Vehicle (Ohv) Recreation In The Boise Metropolitan Area, Michelle Lee Kinney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Off-highway vehicle use has and is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation in the Boise Metropolitan region. However, it also has the potential to impact the flora and fauna present on public lands. As OHV use increases, so does the likelihood of impacts on the environments where recreation takes place. In order to effectively manage the resources provided by the landscape, more must be known about the user population. This study sought to determine which elements affect the continued use of OHVs and how OHV recreationists differed in their environmental attitudes by categorizing them into groups according to their …

Evaluating The Environmental Effectiveness Of Grassroots Environmental Stewardship Organizations In Maryland, Sarah Close, Dana R. Fisher, William Yagatich, Anya Galli Robertson

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Small organizations that conduct environmental stewardship projects often lack access to the research capacity, funding, or tools needed to evaluate scientifically the environmental effectiveness of the measures they undertake. Still, evaluation of environmental effectiveness, defined here as the implementation of specific local goals, is prudent where projects are carried out with environmental stewardship goals in mind. We propose and test a process for evaluating environmental effectiveness of stewardship programs in a rigorous, yet feasible, approach through analysis of archived documents, program materials, and project inventories, as well as a survey of program participants. Using three franchises of the Watershed Stewards …

Names As A Means Of Inclusion And Transformation: Naming And Transcultural Kinship Among The Wampar, Papua New Guinea, Doris Bacalzo

Pacific Studies

This study examines how naming practices function as strategic tools for identity negotiation and social positioning among children of interethnic marriages in Dzifasing, a Wampar village in Papua New Guinea. Through analysis of transcultural kinship networks, the research investigates how names serve as resources in negotiating belonging, rights, and identities within an increasingly multiethnic environment.

Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 39, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2016 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Naming Relationship And Constructing Hierarchy: Names, Value, And Hierarchy Among The Austronesian Paiwan, Taiwan, Kun-Hui Ku

Pacific Studies

This paper explores the relationship between naming practices and social hierarchy among the Paiwan people of Piuma. It argues that names and the act of naming are central to the reproduction and negotiation of hierarchical relationships, functioning alongside heirlooms and other valuables. The study demonstrates how names serve as dynamic symbols of identity, rank, and political alliance. It underscores the importance of symbolic capital in shaping long-term social and historical trajectories within Paiwan society.

Names Redux: Person, Structure, Change, Lamont Lindstrom, Kun-Hui Ku

Pacific Studies

This study examines the anthropological significance of naming systems, focusing on their dual function in both individuating persons and connecting them to broader social structures.

Totemic Names On Aneityum, Vanuatu, Latham T. Wood

Pacific Studies

This study approaches the understanding of Aneityum social reproduction through acts of nomination. The research analyzes how totemic names function as dual mechanisms for social placement, simultaneously establishing relationships between individuals and physical locations (totemic districts) while embedding them within social groups and relationships.

Naming In Kanak Groups: Names, Relations, And Personal Identity Among The Paicî Kanak (Ponerihouen, New Caledonia), Isabelle Leblic

Pacific Studies

This study examines naming practices, particularly in Kanak groups. Understanding naming systems is important to understanding personal identity, social relations, and local history within a community.

Naming And Name Changing In Postcolonial Madagascar, Denis Regnier

Pacific Studies

This paper examines the cultural significance of name changing among the Betsileo of Madagascar, highlighting its dual role in shaping individual identity and reinforcing collective continuity. This practice fosters a dynamic interplay between memory and legacy, as names circulate between honoring ancestors and acknowledging descendants. Despite the fluidity of personal names over time, the group maintains a visible sense of continuity through this ritualized naming system. The study argues that name changing is a vital mechanism for the ongoing construction of personhood and the temporal cohesion of the descent group.

Nomination And Social Reproduction, Lamont Lindstrom

Pacific Studies

This study challenges traditional anthropological focus on kinship and descent as primary mechanisms for corporate group formation in Pacific Island societies. The research how mechanisms such as nomination, adoption, and name-sharing function as non-descent based methods for group membership, comparing these to corporate shareholding systems.