Anthropology Commons^™

The Willow Who Kept The Secrets Of The Heart, Ana Suarez

Speak for the Trees!

This digital museum exhibit features the climate change fairy tale The Willow Who Kept the Secrets of the Heart, presented as a written narrative and recorded reading that explores the symbolic relationship between the Weeping Willow, water, and ecological care in the face of climate change. It also includes an infographic highlighting the Weeping Willow’s habitat, characteristics, and environmental challenges in Texas, along with a curator’s talk and curator’s board. The exhibit features an artifact entry using a half-filled vial of water to represent climate instability and the often-overlooked resources that sustain life, as well as a persuasive essay, …

Ancestral Rites And Tablets As A Site Of Contestation Between Confucian Filial Piety And Catholicism: The Cases Of Chinese Confucian Yan Mo And Korean Catholic Yun Ji-Chung, Mideum Hong

Journal of Global Catholicism

This essay examines how the Confucian practice of filial piety, particularly as expressed through ancestral rites and tablets, became a focal point of contention in the encounters between Confucianism and Catholicism. Focusing on the cases of the Chinese Catholic Yan Mo and the Korean Catholic martyr Yun Ji-chung, I argue that the different historical and cultural contexts in China and Korea significantly shaped how each figure understood and responded to the practice of ancestral rites. While Catholicism spread globally, local converts developed distinct theological interpretations rooted in their respective cultural traditions. Although Yan Mo and Yun Ji-chung reached divergent conclusions …

The Untameability Of The Sacred: Votive Traditions At Notre Dame De Lourdes And El Santuario De Chimayó, Gabrielle Bibeau

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article compares divergent votive practices at Notre Dame de Lourdes in France and El Santuario de Chimayó in New Mexico. Lourdes’ embrace of modern aesthetic values—simplicity, order, and functional clarity—has led to the removal and tight regulation of most ex-votos. By contrast, Chimayó’s roots in Latin American Baroque aesthetics, with its emphasis on abundance, drama, and hybridity, create space for a vibrant proliferation of offerings. Drawing on Jacques Rancière’s theory of aesthetics and politics as the “distribution of the sensible,” the article shows how aesthetic judgments intertwine with clerical power to curate, constrain, and authorize pilgrims’ access to the …

Book Review: Macarthur As Spirit: A Review Of Spirit Power: Politics And Religion In Korea’S American Century, Jieon Yoo

Asia Pacific Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Interpreting “Vampire” Burials In Medieval Eastern Europe, Arleen Chau

Undergraduate Research Posters

Since the early twentieth century, various atypical or deviant graves have been excavated across Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland. These discoveries have prompted much speculation, as the individuals were interred with items such as sickles placed over their necks or abdomens, along with other mortuary artifacts not considered normative compared to those found in typical community burials. Such practices suggest that these individuals were regarded as deviant or pariahs within their social contexts. Consequently, many have been quick to label these as “vampire burials,” interpreting them as measures intended to keep the dead from rising. However, this definition is problematic, …

The Non-Reciprocity Of Cultural-Ecological Resilience In Eastern Sumba, B. Retang Wohangara

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Resilience is one key concept of culture and ecology. It highlights a particular system's adaptive and thriving capacities in facing various challenges. This research-based article investigates the reciprocity of cultural-ecological resilience in three traditional communities in Eastern Sumba. It starts with the examination of cultural resilience and ecological resilience using five and seven qualitative indicators, respectively. The last part of the discussion analyzes how culture and ecology reciprocate in the given communities. The research employs a descriptive qualitative method. Data are collected by conducting mini-ethnographic field research for interviews, documentation, and focus group discussions. Using the five and seven indicators …

Marooned: A Western Frontier Dismal Swamp Narrative, Professor Meya E. Hargett

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Marooned: A Western Frontier Dismal Swamp Narrative centers the erased figure of Samuel Mars, a lost Black station master whose movements through the Great Dismal Swamp have been excluded from dominant Underground Railroad cartographies. Here, the term “Marooned” refers not to abandonment, but to the maroon geographies of Black and Indigenous resistance encoded in land, lineage, and fugitive infrastructure.

Guided by Diasporic Maroon Memory Theory, Lineage as Method, and the Maroon Geographies Framework, this research reconstructs Mars’s trajectory through oral testimony, spatial patterning, and ancestral land memory. Rather than casting the Dismal Swamp merely as a site of refuge, this …

An Axe To The Funny Bone: Curated Instability And Horror-Comedy Intersections In American Storytelling, Samantha Box

Masters Theses

Funny. Terrifying. Subversive.

Horror-Comedy twists and bites at the intersection of two incredibly reactive genres— with both Horror and Comedy being well known for the political and social discourses they embody and reinvent through story. While prevalent in American popular culture, scholarly analysis of this hybrid space barely exists beyond a small number of Film Studies investigations. Despite this lack, Horror-Comedy works continue to be successfully produced. This thesis unpacks the vibrant relationship between fear and laughter in contemporary American storytelling through Horror-Comedy, maintaining a focus on structural dynamics and the audience-disarming results of simultaneously applying horror and humor to …

White Horse Village: A Northern Utah Ufo Narrative, Melissa Petersen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In the early 1960's a group of UFO believers, called Christ Brotherhood Inc., established themselves in Smithfield Canyon, UT and called their commune White Horse Village. A main house was built where the leader of the group lived and two or three smaller cabins were erected for the believers. Without running water they used an outhouse among them and built a small church where they would meet for lectures. Their beliefs centered around the popular movement of New Age spirituality of the time, which included scientific explanations for Christian beliefs including a belief in benevolent aliens as modern angels. Their …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Ädeeja: Origem Dos Alimentos Cultivados E Práticas Alimentares Ye’Kwana, Viviane Cajusuanaima Rocha (Povo Ye’Kwana)

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

O artigo explora a ligação entre a cosmologia do povo Ye’kwana e suas práticas alimentares tradicionais, com base no conceito central de ädeeja, que representa os alimentos cultivados. Esse termo abrange mais do que a ideia de comida — ele carrega uma dimensão cosmológica e relacional, conectando humanos, espíritos, plantas e o território. Está ligado a uma rede de relações entre humanos, espíritos vegetais e saberes ancestrais. Representa a comida como elo com o cosmos, reforçando a interdependência entre os seres. Minha análise mostra que, para os Ye’kwana, alimentar-se é um ato cósmico, enraizado em narrativas, cantos e relações …

Prosperando Con Otros: Paisajes Multiespecie Y Producción De Alimentos En El Caribe Colombiano, América Larraín

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

Este artículo es resultado de un proyecto de investigación asociado a la producción de alimentos en una comunidad arhuaca en las tierras bajas de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Se describen algunas experiencias de la implementación del proyecto, destacando los aspectos relacionados con la articulación entre las técnicas derivadas de la agroacuicultura integrada y la cosmovisión arhuaca. Con este artículo, se espera contribuir a la reflexión sobre cómo las cosmologías indígenas se materializan en prácticas concretas, que en este caso específico podrían pensarse en el marco de lo que se ha llamado el Buen Vivir.

As Donas Do Fogo: Parentesco, Práticas Alimentares E Luta Pela Terra Entre Os Kaiowa E Guarani, Lauriene Seraguza Olegário E Souza

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

Os Guarani e Kaiowa apresentam uma relação sofisticada entre as práticas alimentares e a recuperação de territórios tradicionais em Mato Grosso do Sul (Brasil), protagonizada cotidianamente por mulheres indígenas. As mulheres guarani e kaiowa consideram o fogo como uma referência da casa de residência de um núcleo familiar e a palavra se apresenta como potência em seu fazer político. Elas são as “donas do fogo”. Compartilhando suas próprias substâncias corporais e acumulando aprendizados adquiridos no cuidado com pessoas mais velhas da parentela, as mulheres reúnem um conjunto próprio de conhecimentos e ocupam posição de reconhecido destaque no parentesco guarani, habilitando-as …

The Matter Of Production And Forms Of Sharing: Transformations Of Food Economies In Lowland South America, Clarice Cohn, Diego Madi Dias, Adriana Athila

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

This special issue of Tipití presents a critical examination of ‘food economies’ and their transformations within Indigenous communities in Lowland South America. Stemming from seminal ideas in its Anthropology that directly or indirectly discuss ‘food’ (and much of what goes along with it), this edited volume focuses on the materiality of relations as a strategic lens for understanding contemporary Indigenous lives and their transformations, according to how they are perceived by Indigenous peoples themselves and others such as health care professionals and the state. The articles explore how Indigenous foodways—from acquisition to consumption, including sharing and distribution—reveal key aspects …

Fermentative Processes Of The Agricultural Food System In The Upper Rio Negro: Ethnographic Notes On Feminine Knowledge, Intention, And Agency In The Production Of Fermented Beverages, Lorena França

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

This article examines the fermentative processes at the core of the agricultural food system of the Upper Rio Negro, northwestern Amazon, highlighting women’s technical and social agency in the production of fermented beverages such as caxiri. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted among Baniwa and Tukano families between 2018 and 2019, the study explores how fermentation constitutes not merely a biochemical transformation of matter but a sociotechnical language through which women express intention, alliance, and distinction. The paper analyzes in detail two cases of caxiri preparation, showing how women’s manipulation of manioc, tubers, saliva, and utensils configures embodied knowledge transmitted …

El Sistema Nainu De Agricultura Familiar: Semillas De La Memoria Social Y De La Autonomía Alimentaria En Gunayala (Panamá), Lenín Alfonso Morales, Geodisio Castillo, Diego Madi Dias

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

La presente investigación examina el sistema agroforestal familiar (nainu) del pueblo gunadule como un tejido de resistencia social, espiritual y ecológica frente a los procesos históricos y actuales de desposesión territorial y colapso climático. A partir de un enfoque etnográfico basado en métodos participativos y epistemologías indígenas, se analizan las prácticas, conocimientos y relaciones que sostienen la autonomía alimentaria y la regeneración del territorio en Gunayala. El estudio documenta los impactos de la transferencia tecnológica, la expansión de semillas híbridas y transgénicas, identificados como amenazas centrales para la continuidad de los cultivos tradicionales y la salvaguardia de semillas …

Contributors

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Contributors to Volume 4.

From A Shtetl House To An Urban Apartment: The Soviet Jewish Home Negotiated, Transformed, And Reimagined, Anna Kushkova

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

This essay argues that despite the powerful forces of assimilation, official campaigns against Jewish religion/languages, and grassroots/state antisemitism, the “Jewish home” did not disappear, as is sometimes assumed, but continued to present a site of Jewish ethnic production and transmission, creativity, and resistance during the Soviet regime. In the Soviet Union, especially in the postwar period, Jewish ethnic culture was forced to leave the public sphere, where it became unwelcome and even dangerous, and withdrew into the less visible space of domestic interiors. The degree of Jewish public presence varied geographically: the situation was generally better in the Baltic Republics, …

Hiding From Kohanim: Covering Hands, Faces, And Children With A Tallit During The Priestly Blessing, Zvi Ron

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

When the priestly blessing is performed as part of prayer services in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities, many of the members of the congregation can be seen covering themselves with their tallit, and also covering their children. The practice evolved from the Talmudic reference of not looking at Kohanim while they recite this blessing in the Temple, because of the Divine Presence resting on their hands and the belief that looking at it would damage a person’s vision. Later authorities expanded this to blessings outside the Temple as well, leading to the practice of Kohanim covering themselves and their outstretched …

The Uncanny, The October 7 Massacre, And The Folktale “The Wolf And The Kids” (Atu 123), Ravit Raufman

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Following Freud’s claim that folktales do not necessarily evoke uncanny experiences, this essay presents a case in which a folktale brought to life in the form of real-world events evokes uncanny experiences. The essay examines testimonies from the October 7 events in light of the folktale identified as “The Wolf and the Kids” (ATU 123) and proposes that beyond the horrors that occurred in the massacre, the comparative discussion reveals an additional level of terror, related to the way fairy tale experiences take on flesh and bone.

“Holy Trash” And The Tears Of The Deceased: The Emotional Role Of Genizot For The Jewish Communities Of Central Europe, Nathanael Riemer

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Since the 1980s, more than seventy genizot (Heb., repositories) have been rediscovered in former synagogues of Central Europe. A genizah is a room in or near a synagogue where damaged, discarded, or heretical texts and sacred relics are stored. This essay examines where, when, and why genizot developed in Central Europe. It also analyzes the emotional significance of the genizot for their respective communities. Historical and literary sources show that genizot were placed in the synagogue attics of Jewish metropolises from the seventeenth century at the latest and were usually not ritually buried. Smaller communities in rural regions adopted this …

Contributors

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Contributors to Volume 3.

“Have I Asked The Name Of That Fish?”: Synagogue Humor In Contemporary Hungary, Richard Papp

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Jews who remained in Hungary after the Shoah almost completely abandoned their religious life because of the communist regime’s politics of assimilation. After the regime change in 1989, synagogue attendance rose and a renewed interest in ethnic-religious traditions was evident among Hungarian Jews. However, not knowing the ethnic traditions, they were unable to follow the religious commandments. Ethnographic observation in a synagogue in Budapest shows that ensuing communal tensions were eased by humor. Humor also became a marker of identity in the synagogue, by which even those who did not fully follow religious norms identified themselves as “imperfect but religious …

Theorizing Rabbinic Folklore: The Miraculous Sleep Of The Holy Man, Gal Sela

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

The miraculous sleep (ATU 766) is a well-known, recurring tale-type observed in Abrahamic folktales since the Second Temple period. This study compares variants of ATU 766 on three levels of analysis: as a popular tale in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim writings from late antiquity and early medieval times; as a Jewish rendition; and as a multiple tale-type in rabbinic literature. The analysis engages with Dan Ben-Amos’s critical work concerning the use of syntactic methods in folklore studies to analyze Midrash and Aggadah. The essay offers a new theoretical perspective on rabbinic folklore using the notions of tale-type, ecotype, …

Editorial: Jewish Cultural Scholarship And Scholars—And Their Institutions—Under Duress, Simon J. Bronner, Amy K. Milligan, Tsafi Sebba-Elran

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

The editors of Jewish Folklore and Ethnology (JFE) express concern about intimidation and estrangement of Israeli and Jewish professors in the international academic community after the surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The editors point out that these types of hurtful antisemitic incidents against Israeli and Jewish academics preceded the attack, and they call on their colleagues and administrators to voice their outrage at the harassment, boycotts, and violence against Israeli and Jewish academics in addition to the suppression of Jewish studies, and their adverse effects on scholarship as well as Jewish students and their …

Snake Spirits, Fishermen And Water Birds On Lake Victoria: A Case Study Of Cultural Conservation In The Musambwa Islands, Uganda, And Prospects For Tourism To Improve Local Livelihoods, Joel T. Heinen, Henry Batenda

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Abstract.

Using a combination of site visits, document reviews, focus group and key informant surveys of fishermen, we explore the cultural beliefs, taboos and norms that protect Musambwa Islands, Uganda. The islands form part of a large protected wetland with nesting habitat for thousands of water birds and a large population of highly-venomous forest cobras that coexist in and around fishermen dwellings. There are strong taboos against cutting trees, allowing women on the island, and harming cobras. We present some of our ideas on how to improve the economic situation of fishermen through the promotion of nature-based and cultural tourism …

Participatory Community Archiving To Preserve And Sustain North Georgia Appalachia’S Language, Literacy Practices, And Histories, Leah Panther Dr., Lindsey Walker, Presley Dyer, Tyler Osborn, Kerri Abernathy

Georgia Library Quarterly

This case study presents Swappin’ Stories, a community-based archiving event that serves as a model for public and participatory archiving. The event aimed to address gaps and misrepresentations of southern Appalachia by gathering the voices, artifacts, and stories of Towns County residents. By centering local narratives, it sought to foster a sense of community identity and offer an authentic portrayal of North Georgia, distinct from the narratives shaped by popular media and political figures. This case highlights the potential of community-driven archives to reclaim and reshape regional histories.

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

The Craft Of Tally: Tracing Marketability And Economic Sustainability Of Crafts, Mariam Mabrouk

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the marketability and economic sustainability of the Tally craft in Gezeirit

Shandaweel, Sohag, Egypt, with a focus on how the craft navigates the tension between cultural

preservation and economic adaptation. Tally, a traditional form of embroidery, has deep cultural

roots in Egypt but faces significant challenges due to global market dynamics, shifting consumer

preferences, and systemic institutional neglect. Through an ethnographic case study, this research

investigates how artisans, institutions, and market forces interact to shape the craft's future. The

study examines the role of cultural perceptions, innovation, and institutional support in fostering

or hindering Tally's economic viability. …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …