Digital Commons Network^™

Does Our Being There Change What We Come To Study?, Lindsey King

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

While documenting an ex-voto tradition in a small Roman Catholic shrine town in Northeast Brazil where pilgrims craft mimetic offerings in payment for a spiritual healing, I began to see subtle changes in the manufacture of and interest shown in these offerings. Was this just a coincidence or did my traveling from the United States with expensive cameras and recording equipment spark this change? In this discussion, I examine the “art” of anthropology, delving into the question of how our gaze may be changing the material traditions that we travel to study and what linking changes this may bring to …

A World Of Difference: Unity And Differentiation Among Ceramicists In Quinua, Ayacucho, Peru, Jennifer A. Vogt

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

This chapter analyzes local notions of authenticity drawing on ethnographic data collected during thirteen months of fieldwork in the rural village of Quinua, Peru. The author highlights how local ceramic artisans conceived of authenticity, which, it is argued, is encapsulated by local terms and material practices surrounding the concept of artesano verdadero. Artisans in Quinua share, borrow, and even “steal” designs from others. Within this context, artisans persistently evaluated each other based on these practices. Ultimately, the narratives artisans tell themselves and others about who they are, and are not, as artisans, thereby put forth claims about who counts and …

Pocahontas And Rebecca: Two Tales Of A Captive, Margaret Williamson Huber

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

The Jamestown colonists’ accounts of their capture of Pocahontas, her reactions to life among them, and the consequences for the success of the colony differ radically from the Mattaponi Indian oral history of the same events, published in 2007. Both versions present themselves as “true” — that is, objective reporting of real events; but the fact that each inverts the other raises questions of validity and, ultimately, of historiography in general. This paper argues that the question of veracity is irrelevant to our interpretation of these accounts. Instead, we must take them as representations of a culturally conceived reality—that is, …

Art As Distraction: Rocking The Farm, Daniel W. Ingersoll, Kathleen Butler Ingersoll

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

Monumental architecture, massive statuary, and other art forms fascinate Westerners and tend to inspire positive judgments about past cultural virtuosity and sophistication. Like the pyramids of Egypt or the stone masonry of Machu Picchu, the moai (the statues) and ahu (stone platforms supporting moai) of Rapa Nui (a.k.a. Easter Island) have impressed, mystified, and preoccupied the Western cultural imagination since their encounter by Europeans. Explorers, archaeologists, anthropologists, and tourists are drawn to the monumental like moths to light—which is understandable—but that light also blinds. Here a case is made that for Rapa Nui the obsession for the monumental has led …

Contributors, Journal Editors

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Teaching Anthropology Through Food, David M. Johnson

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Traditional Foodways In The Arkansas Delta, C. Laine Gates, Justin M. Nolan, Mary Jo Schneider

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Searching For The Spirit: Researching Spirit-Filled Religion In Guatemala, C. Mathews Samson

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

“I Didn’T Evolve From No Monkey”: Religious Narratives About Human Evolution In The U.S. Southeast, H. Lyn White Miles, Christopher Marinello

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Traversing The Great Divide: The Embodiment Of Discourse Between You And Me, Miles Richardson, Jane Hanebrink

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Contributors, Journal Editors

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Memory Within A University Landscape, Laura J. Galke, Bernard K. Means

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Forget Culture, Remember Memory? (Keynote Address), Eric Gable, Richard Handler

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Mississippi Institute Of Arts And Letters Honors Um Alumni, Faculty, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

Blog Posts

Six with UM ties among 2022 award winners The Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters honored several University of Mississippi alumni and faculty members as part of its annual awards to accomplished individuals in various creative fields. UM alumni and faculty receiving 2022 awards from the MIAL are William Dunlap and Kenneth Holditch, recipients of the Noel Polk Lifetime Achievement Award; W. Ralph Eubanks, winner of the Nonfiction award for "A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape"; Scott Barretta, Citation of Merit for hosting Mississippi Public Broadcasting's "Highway 61"; Bill Ellison, Citation of Merit …

Mississippi Institute Of Arts And Letters Honors Um Alumni, Faculty, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

Six with Ole Miss ties among 2022 award winners

Beyond Religiosity: Examining The Relative Effects Of Religiosity And Religious Ideation On Climate Skepticism (A Research Note), Kristin Haltinner, Dilshani Sarathchandra

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Much of the existing scholarship on climate change uses religiosity to measure the effects of religion on climate skepticism and results in inconsistent findings. Drawing on insights from the study of religion and environmentalism more broadly, we suggest that scholars should seek a deeper understanding of religion’s impacts by considering the influence of specific religious beliefs on perceptions of climate change. We further contend that researchers should consider how these factors shape attitudes within and between segments of the public who hold varying positions on climate change. We test these contentions using a novel sample of 1,000 self-declared “climate skeptics” …

Through A Glass Darkly, Kathleen B. Ingersoll, Daniel Ingersoll

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

The Many Guises Of Ethnocentrism, Marjorie M. Snipes

Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society

No abstract provided.

Grisham Fellows Program Brings South Delta Students To Campus, J. B. Clark

University of Mississippi News

Program aims to give rural high schoolers an in-person college experience

Inaugural Faculty Development Grant Recipients Announced, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

No abstract provided.

Russia's Agenda For Ukraine: An Examination Of Putin's Media Propaganda Narratives, Gillian Grace Littleton

Honors Theses

This thesis explores Russian discourse about Ukraine as reflected in Russian popular media since 2014’s Euromaidan Revolution. The thesis provides an overview of Russia’s historic denial of Ukrainian statehood and it argues: Russian historians and politicians have seen Ukraine as a “little-brother” nation to Russia, with a shared Slavic heritage, and that any attempts by Ukrainians to separate themselves from Russia are Western influence movements. The thesis examines three types of mass media in order to demonstrate the interaction between history, politics and popular culture. Chapter 1 explores the public speeches of key Russian political figures including Vladimir Putin himself, …

"The Pontotoc Dream:" A Case Study Analysis Of Rural Homeownership In Mississippi, Ian Pigg

Honors Theses

Rural communities face issues with affordable housing just like urban communities, but these problems are not often associated with rurality. Using Pontotoc County, Mississippi, as a case study, this thesis seeks to understand the extent of the affordable homeownership issue in rural communities and identify possible policy solutions. This thesis used a qualitative research approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders in the communities of interest within and surrounding Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Using the data collected from these interviews, units of meaning were grouped into categories, which were then grouped into themes. The findings of this …

Voting Behavior And Motivations Across Generations: Evidence From A Nationally Representative U.S. Survey, Angela Alexander

Honors Theses

The four generations of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z are all distinct in nature as it relates to their characteristics, which are shaped by the American culture in which they were born. These generations as a whole also have different levels of political participation and political ideals. The purpose of this study is to examine how these differences correlate to voting behavior. The goal is to draw conclusions about the differences between voting behavior across generational lines, discovering patterns especially as it relates to motivations for voting. Through the use of a nationally representative survey, I was …

Stature Estimates Of The Classic Period Maya From Chac Balam And San Juan, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Natalie Clark

Honors Theses

This thesis presents updated sex and stature estimates for ancient Maya females and males who lived in San Juan and Chac Balam in northern Ambergris Caye from approximately AD 700-900.

The regression formulae used in this study reflect a closer population affinity to the Maya compared to the equations used in the original analysis by Glassman (1995). Del Angel and Cisneros’ (2004) formulae were used when estimating stature based on a complete long bone. In Steele and Bramblett (1988), Steele and McKern (1969) and Steele (1970) regression formulae were used when estimating stature based on an incomplete humerus, femur, or …

How Religion And Age Are Correlated With Partisan Geographical Sorting In The United States, Claire Monsour

Honors Theses

This study explores the intersection of two main demographic variables, religion and age, and the ongoing phenomenon of partisan geographical sorting in the United States. Americans have been migrating to areas composed of politically like-minded individuals for the past few decades, resulting in the existence of Republican and Democratic clusters throughout the country. Republicans are sorting into rural areas, while Democrats are sorting into urban areas. Republicans and rural residents as a whole are more religious than are Democrats and urban residents. In addition, on average, Republicans and rural residents are older than Democrats and urban residents. Moreover, religion and …

By Her Hands: An Analysis Of The Hidden Labor Of Black Women At The Hugh Craft House Site In Holly Springs, Mykayla Williamson

Honors Theses

This project unearths the hidden labor of Black women by analyzing architectural remains, artifacts, and primary and secondary documentary evidence surrounding the urban antebellum Hugh Craft House site in Holly Springs, Mississippi. This project considers the gap in theorizing the hidden labor of Black women in the seldom-researched setting of urban slavery. It also draws on household and Black feminist archaeology theories to uncover the hidden labor in the domestic spheres that the enslaved women were actively shaping. Research methods included watching clips of Behind the Big House tour interpretations; taking a Craft House tour in Holly Springs; looking at …

A Cross-Cultural Survey Of The Funerary Practice Of Body Element Removal And Deposition In Mortuary Pottery, Sara Grevy

Honors Theses

Proteomic residue analysis conducted on several ceramic sherds from funerary vessels dating to the early Iron Age (700-400 BCE) led to the discovery of peptides of human blood, tissue, and organs. The pottery was recovered in 1999 from Grave 5 in Tumulus 17, an early Iron Age burial mound, at the Heuneburg, a paramount settlement and mortuary complex in southwestern Germany. Prior to this discovery, there had been no evidence of the removal of body elements and their deposition in funerary pottery during the early Iron Age. This thesis presents a cross-cultural literature survey of archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence …

Driving Factors Behind Language Use Among Younger Generations In Taiwan: Is The Demise Of Hokkien Inevitable?, Jesse Weaver Paxton

Honors Theses

Globalization and internationalization have undoubtedly led to a decrease in linguistic diversity worldwide. Yet even receiving active governmental support and boasting native speakers in the millions, Taiwanese Hokkien is on the decline. Though researchers have begun to hypothesize why a generational gap exists in local language use within Taiwan, there is little agreement about the possible drivers or causes of the decline. This thesis examines why the use of Taiwanese Hokkien and other local languages has continued to decrease, despite governmental language initiatives and policies created to encourage the use of these languages. Using specific factors that have been identified …

Juvenile Life Without Parole: Exposing The Parallels Between Juvenile Offenders And Those Who Sentence Them, Autumn Fortenberry

Honors Theses

This thesis will discuss Juvenile Life Without Parole sentencing (JLWOP) from three perspectives: (1) the evolving standard of decency as developed through relevant U.S. Supreme Court cases; (2) the cognitive and psychosocial development of adolescents that creates reduced culpability in juvenile offenders; and (3) the justifications and implications of punishment as-applied to juvenile offenders. In my fourth chapter, I argue that JLWOP sentencing disregards the humanity and transformable nature of juvenile offenders. I will then draw a parallel between the implications of a juvenile offender's underdeveloped cognitive functions on their decision-making processes and the implications of a trial judge's underdeveloped …

A Systematic Review Of Music Therapy For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alana Andrus

Honors Theses

Music therapy has been suggested to be effective in Autism. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of music therapy as a potential treatment option for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. To obtain published records, a PubMed search was conducted with the search term “music therapy autism,” which generated 187 studies. Each study was evaluated for relativity to the topic at hand. The remaining 151 articles were assessed for support status, as well as other later suggested research, in order to more confidently support music therapy as a treatment option for ASD patients. Approximately …