Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Of Bone Preservation As A Result Of Environmental And Cultural Variables In Mortuary Contexts, Adyn Hallahan

Honors Theses

Stable isotope analysis in bioarchaeology of human bone is generally used to reconstruct diet or migratory patterns of certain populations. Although this type of analysis is now standard practice, little research has been done regarding how cultural and mortuary practices may affect chemical composition of bone. This study aims to determine whether different simulated mortuary contexts have an effect on stable isotope levels in bone, using seven pig rib bone samples as proxy for human bone. In addition, macroscopic and microscopic observations are used to assess preservation and taphonomic processes. One of the samples served as a control, not being …

Latu Mae Rissa: Leader Come To War! An Autoethnography Of Colonialization And Post-Colonization, Leah Latumaerissa

Honors Theses

Latu Mae Rissa: Leader Come to War! An Autoethnography of Colonialization and Post-colonization is an undergraduate honors thesis that examines the effects and aftermath of Dutch colonialism regarding the Moluccan community through oral history, and unique narratives from four generations in the family Latumaerissa in the Netherlands. The generational narratives capture the indigenous Moluccan experience during the Dutch colonial and postcolonial eras. The findings in this thesis indicate that the Dutch colonial past and the historical events that occurred during and after Dutch decolonization function as significant Moluccan identity markers as they influenced the Moluccan being through intergenerational trauma which …

Musical Figures In Mythology And Their Effect On Ancient Greek And Roman Culture, Nathaniel Weeldreyer

Honors Theses

This thesis combines anthropology and music to approach the topic of how ancient society was affected by mythological stories focusing on musical heroes and the role of music in general. The essay begins with providing introductions to important divine figures such as the Muses, Apollo and others. These figures appear throughout the research and analysis further in the thesis, and it is important to understand their relation between each other and to the world as a whole before going any further. The prevalence of festivals and contests is another point discussed as they provided much more than just entertainment to …

Xenophobia In The Covid-19 Era, Joanne Jeya

Honors Theses

COVID-19 has altered people's daily lives across the globe and heightened tensions in response to changing economic, social, and political conditions. In the United States, xenophobia has seemingly escalated in the COVID-19 era, particularly towards Asians and people of Asian descent. The assumed reasoning for this rise in anti-Asian sentiment is tied to the presumed origins of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome‐Coronavirus‐2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, first detected in Wuhan, China, prompting some to initially call the disease the Wuhan or Chinese virus, among other racialized terms like the "Kung-flu." It remains to be seen if xenophobic acts have increased throughout the …

An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Health Equity As Evaluated Through The Covid-19 Response Concerning French-Speaking Refugees., Margaret Henning

Honors Theses

A collaborative approach is needed to understand the multifaceted medical bias and inequalities experienced by refugee camps of Francophone (French-speaking) nations. A combination of interest and passion for anthropology, medicine, and the French language presents a unique window of intersectionality to analyze this issue. Through a comprehensive review of literature published in both English and French languages, and connections with directors and leaders of refugee camps located in France and French-speaking African nations, we have elucidated a few examples of alarming medical bias experienced by both refugees and migrants. Although an exhaustive list of medical bias could be presented on …

“Space For All?”: An Analysis Of Race, Gender, And Society In The Cult Classic Doctor Who., Liron Sussman

Honors Theses

Much like the Doctor, people are constantly growing and evolving, and it is out of a desire for human connection that people strive, always, to improve and as a long-running television program, Doctor Who reflects that desire for connection. This analysis explores race, gender, and society as portrayed in the modern series of Doctor Who (2005-).

Tiny Homes As A Method To Increase Equitable Housing: Tiny Homes Detroit And Kalamazoo, Katie Kozlowski

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the relative merits of housing programs such as Tiny Homes Detroit for other places where equitable and affordable housing is in short supply such as Kalamazoo, MI. For context, prior to information on Tiny Homes, and Tiny Homes in Detroit, information about the forces that shaped the contemporary housing crisis in both Detroit and Kalamazoo are provided. Topics in these preliminary sections include information on Redlining, Subprime Mortgages, Equitable Development, and Gentrification. For a variety of factors summarized in the thesis, Tiny Home Communities are a possible solution that, on a micro scale, can provide the most …

Perspectives Of Health Care Providers In The Dominican Republic Towards Pregnant Haitian Women, Diana Hernandez

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of basic health care in Haiti, many Haitian women cross the border looking for a better public health service in the Dominican Republic. However, differences in cultural and medical practices exist between both countries. Thus, for my thesis, I intend to study and explain the challenges that Dominican health care providers feel might impede their abilities to provide adequate health care to pregnant Haitian patients and how they respond to and manage those challenges that they face.

A Comparison Of Traditional Methods Of Osteological Cutmark Analysis Versus The Implementation Of New-Age Technology In The Field Of Anthropology, Kayla Genord

Honors Theses

Bone cutmark analysis is a practice that has been performed by forensic researchers and medical examiners around the world. The traditional method of gathering information for this type of analysis is to draw a detailed picture or take a photo of the bone which can be analyzed for pattern, coloration and orientation of each individual lesion and then the mark itself is measured with non-digital Vernier (hand) calipers or a ruler. In recent years, forensic anthropologists have been using DSLR cameras and digital calipers to record these findings as well as detailed field notes to determine the condition and tool …

The Rhetorical Functions Of Levantine Burial Practices During The Chalcolithic Period: Form, Function, And Symbolism As A Pedagogical Tool, Moline Mallamo

Honors Theses

This undergraduate honors thesis project explores the rhetorical implications of burial practices from the southern Levant during the Chalcolithic period. The purpose of this thesis is to expound upon research that has already been conducted in order to offer additional, and sometimes alternative, theories to what currently exists in the literature. I argue that the forms and functions of the burial techniques were used, at least partially, as “tools” to teach cultural and religious beliefs regarding life, death, and the afterlife to the individuals in the community. The inferred relationship between the materiality and symbology of these burial practices provides …

Communication In Stormwater Utility Fees Across Michigan, Hailey Olson

Honors Theses

Stormwater Utilities (SWU) ordinances are gaining wide popularity in municipalities throughout the Great Lakes region of the United States. A SWU creates a fund to maintain and update stormwater infrastructure, which in turn helps to reduce destructive flooding, and also results in higher quality waterways. This study examines two SWUFs in the State of Michigan: one in the City of Jackson (COJ), which implemented a SWUF in 2011; and the second in the City of Ann Arbor (COAA), which implemented its SWUF in 1984. These two case studies offer important contrasts and lessons. For instance, as a result of resident …

American Muslim Women: Feminism, Equality, And Difference, Amber Coniglio

Honors Theses

American Muslim women face constant surveillance, stress, and pressure to change and adapt to mainstream society. In the United States, Muslim women find ways to negotiate their identities, express their concerns, and learn through their faith by means of Islamic scholarship, Islamic feminism, and reinterpretations of the Quran. They are reconciling their multifaceted identities with better understanding of sacred text as well as solidifying their desired gender roles within their communities. They are challenging norms and creating new spaces for themselves within the ummah as well as the United States. American Muslim women find courage, strength, and autonomy through Islamic …

I Was Taught To Yell Fire, Marina Gutierrez

Honors Theses

From a very young age my mother always told me to yell, “Fire,” if I was ever in a situation where I needed help from a potential attacker, but I never understood why I couldn’t just yell, “Help.” Her reasoning was that many people will run towards a fire to help put it out or save potential victims, but when someone yells for help others will shy away because they don’t want to get involved. I would just nod and promise to yell fire not really understanding the underlying meaning she had just explained to me.

It wasn’t until I …

Identity Development In Korean-American Adoptees: A Content Analysis Of Personal Reflections, Charles Rachor

Honors Theses

This paper examines Korean-American Adoptees and their identity development through a content analysis of online comments concerning four major themes: Parents and Parenting, Siblings, Self-identity, and Current Events. Using two Facebook groups consisting exclusively of adoptees, examinations were made of positive, neutral, and negative replies to posts about the themes. The findings from this analysis lend credence to previous studies about self-identity, some of the influential factors, and the struggles faced in achieving levels of comfort expressing multiple racial and cultural identities.

Horses: How Saddle Style Defines A Culture And The Skeletal System, Elizabeth Brandon

Honors Theses

Throughout history different cultures have been greatly impacted by horses and their uses. Today horseback riding is still a very popular sport, and though it is more dangerous than other forms of transportation, such as motorcycle riding, horseback riding is still used in entertainment, occupational, and leisure activities. Saddles have long been an important piece of equipment for riding. As the horse became a mode of transportation, many cultures had their own saddle style, but today there are two prominent saddle styles, the western and english styles. The western saddle style is used more for leisure, occupational, and rodeo riding. …

Horses: How Saddle Style Defines A Culture And The Skeletal System, Brandy Morgan

Honors Theses

This paper examines the way in which various parameters affect injury type and prevalence in horse eventing. The human-horse relationship has a long history that has continued to evolve, and their relationship is still strong today, especially in the role of sports and entertainment. In equestrian sports, horseback riding has been found to be extremely dangerous in terms of prevalence and severity of injury. This paper evaluates how saddle style, the sex of the rider, rider experience, and nature of event impacts injury patterns specifically within horse eventing which utilizes an English styled saddle.

Attitudes Towards Latino Immigrants Expressed In The Online Media, Jordan Mcclain

Honors Theses

The language used towards Latino immigrants expressed in the online media is a prevalent occurrence that warrants a more detailed analysis. I used a total of fifty-four articles from Fox New, CNN, MSNBC, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Immigration Advocates, Networks Liberty News, Minuteman Project, and American Immigration Control Council. I analyzed the wording used by each source when they referred to Latino immigrants. I analyzed my data further by distinguishing it into five categories: Affirmative language, negative language, avoidance language, the use of linguistic devices, and a category dedicated to the special circumstances around the recent …

Lead Seals From Colonial Fort St. Joseph (20be23), Cathrine Davis

Honors Theses

The mainstay of the North American fur trade was cloth, which composed at one time over half of the goods shipped out of Montreal for trade with Native Americans. However, this cloth rarely survives in archaeological context, leaving only other artifacts that yield limited information on the textiles that once existed at a site. Among these artifacts are lead seals, which functioned much in the same way as modern day clothing tags, with lettering and symbols that reveal information such as the origin, quality, and quantity of the cloth to which they were once attached.

This study examined seals from …

Investigations At The Fort St. Joseph Archeological Project Unit N25 W9, Erika Mammen

Honors Theses

The Western Michigan University Archaeological Field School is a program that allows students with an interest in Anthropology or History an opportunity to participate in a learning community devoted to the practice of archaeology. Since 2002 the field school has been held regularly at the site of historic Fort St. Joseph (20BE23). During the summer field season of 2011 I was a student archaeologist at Fort St. Joseph. For my honor’s thesis I am presenting a summary of my field experience and a discussion of my findings.

The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, I aim to provide future …

An Analysis Of Service-Learning And Applied Anthropology, Danielle Nordbrock

Honors Theses

People think of others in comparison to themselves, and what they know. Anthropologists study a wide variety of things, this includes all different societies: simple and complex, ancient and modern, and in different locales. The perspective of an anthropologist tends to take on a unique cross-cultural nature, with comparisons oftentimes being central to the research. When anthropologists become engaged in a project and begin their fieldwork they experience a unique sense of understanding from living in such close proximity to another culture.

Betrayed. The Legacy Of The African American Soldier, Timothy Hampton

Honors Theses

America has called upon its citizens on many occasions to defend its interests. Once called upon, American citizens usually respond with enthusiasm, courage, and great composure. They become American soldiers. The citizen/soldier's obligation is to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same...." (Department of Defense Form No. 4, 1992). With this affirmation, military campaigns are launched. Missions are undertaken. Battles are fought. Ultimately, people die fighting for this nation.

The Changing Roles Of Women In The People's Republic Of China, Priya Helweg

Honors Theses

The present Chinese government has persistently claimed that women have been completely emancipated through the enforcement of Communist ideology. In spite of the claim that women in modern China 'hold up half the sky' traditional beliefs continue to influence the position of women in contemporary China. As a consequence, women in the People's Republic of China — especially students — find themselves in a situation of confusing contradictions and frustrating obstacles. Traditional ideologies, as seen in the patriarchal kinship structure and the economic and political systems, aid rather than hinder the present government as it maintains a similar relation to …

The Cultural Significance Of Religious Festivals Of Seville: Holy Week And The Romeria Of Rocio, Brent Metz

Honors Theses

This project began long before I traveled to Spain. With the guidance of Dr. Smith, I wrote preliminary questionnaires and learned research methods and interviewing techniques in the fall, 1985. He also assisted me in writing a research proposal for the Waldo-Sangren Scholarship, and this award made my trip to Spain possible. In addition, I collected books and other information from Western's Waldo Library and from professors and friends who had previously been in Spain. Although I later modified my questionnaires and changed my conception of religious festivals in Seville, my preparation last fall was critical in orienting myself to …