Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Anthropology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 43

Full-Text Articles in Anthropology

Learning By Doing: The Archaeology Education Program For Middle School, Tara D. Noel Apr 2022

Learning By Doing: The Archaeology Education Program For Middle School, Tara D. Noel

Student Publications

Approached through the disciplinary and theoretical frameworks of public archaeology, the Archaeology Education Program for Middle School was created to better understand how an archaeology education program might be integrated into an existing curriculum and become nationally applicable to middle school settings. Research was conducted at St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School, where seventh grade students, teachers, and administration were involved in the investigation of the program's feasibility and design. It was determined that the objectives of this archaeology education program are to inform students about archaeology through educational tools and exercises that are tailored to different classroom settings, in …


Understanding Poverty: Food Insecurity In Gettysburg, Pa, Fiona G. Cheyney Oct 2021

Understanding Poverty: Food Insecurity In Gettysburg, Pa, Fiona G. Cheyney

Student Publications

This study informs on Gettysburgians’ experiences with health, nutrition, and the class structure. I conducted an ethnographic study based on a twelve-week volunteer experience with the food pantry in Gettysburg at the Adams County branch of South Central Community Action Programs. Experiencing the pantry for a 3-month period informed my understanding of nutrition and poverty in town. Extensive field notes and reflections were compiled to show the strength of the Gettysburg food pantry staff and community support system. This study also reflects on the limitations of the food pantry based on staff feedback and observation. The food pantry is much …


An Applied And Public Anthropology Of Refugee Resettlement In Europe: A Call To Action, Dylan T. O'Neil Apr 2020

An Applied And Public Anthropology Of Refugee Resettlement In Europe: A Call To Action, Dylan T. O'Neil

Student Publications

This essay engages with the growing reality of refugee resettlement, specifically in Europe, and aims to find roles for anthropology in this field. By drawing on the ideas of applied and public anthropology along with the long history of anthropological studies of migration, I intend to call the field of anthropology to action. Various potential roles exist for anthropologists in Europe that can alleviate the suffering of displaced individuals. Roles also exist for the field of anthropology to work towards more holistic and effective refugee resettlement. While this essay focuses primarily on resettlement in Europe, I hope it can spark …


Colonialism In Perspective: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study Of Quality Of Life Before And During Roman Conquest, Meredith M. Amato Apr 2020

Colonialism In Perspective: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study Of Quality Of Life Before And During Roman Conquest, Meredith M. Amato

Student Publications

This paper analyzes the current bioarchaeological data that has been gathered from populations that lived before and in the midst of the Roman Empire. Case studies are taken from multiple areas within the boundaries of the empire, including Italy itself, Britain, Gaul (what is today known as France), Spain, North Africa, and the Near East. Geography and other factors make each individual’s experience of colonialism different, and the data that can be taken from human remains shows that colonialism was an unequal system that cannot be given a single, strict definition.


The Myth Of Neutrality: Linguistic Influence In The Integration Of Nonbinary Identities In English And German, Zoe A. Philippou Apr 2020

The Myth Of Neutrality: Linguistic Influence In The Integration Of Nonbinary Identities In English And German, Zoe A. Philippou

Student Publications

Grammatical structures that differ among languages can affect the way people of different cultures think, speak, and behave. Because of its close ties with identity, language also has the ability to manipulate the way people view themselves and others. Ethnographic research among English and German speakers shows that these differing grammatical structures affect the integration into society of nonbinary, intersex, and agender individuals through a grammatical predisposition for gender neutral language. As such, the means of increasing social integration of these groups also differs between linguistic and cultural borders.


The Dead Actually Tell Many Tales: How Archaeologists Have Used Scientific Analysis To Study Scandinavian Burials, Claire F. Benstead Apr 2020

The Dead Actually Tell Many Tales: How Archaeologists Have Used Scientific Analysis To Study Scandinavian Burials, Claire F. Benstead

Student Publications

Archaeologists often employ techniques from scientific fields to better analyze historical and prehistorical sites. Here we explore how developments in scientific analysis have changed and improved our understanding of past societies. With a specific focus on the study of Scandinavian burials, we review the history of Scandinavian archaeology and how the field is constantly changing as a result of new and more nuanced analysis. From the Bronze Age to the Viking Age, we analyze how new information challenges previous assumptions about Scandinavian societies.


Oppression And Dispossession Out Of Fields Of Plenty: Colonialism And Indigenous Agricultural Transformation, Brandon R. Katzung Hokanson Apr 2020

Oppression And Dispossession Out Of Fields Of Plenty: Colonialism And Indigenous Agricultural Transformation, Brandon R. Katzung Hokanson

Student Publications

Colonial encounters generate incredible degrees of societal transformation. Such transformations most often occur at the expense of the colonized majority and ultimately serve as means to benefit the colonizer minority. A specific case where this kind of unbalanced societal change can be observed is colonialism-induced transformations to indigenous agriculture. In this paper I use both ancient and modern examples of colonial encounters —Roman Gaul and French West Africa—to show that a number of conclusions can be drawn on how colonialism impacts indigenous agriculture. I argue that in both Roman Gaul and French West Africa, colonial-induced changes to agriculture brought forth …


Religious Schism: A Case Study Of Social And Political Critique In Sāmoa, Alexis M. M. Zilen Apr 2020

Religious Schism: A Case Study Of Social And Political Critique In Sāmoa, Alexis M. M. Zilen

Student Publications

Examining religious schism within Sāmoa in order to demonstrate that schism of Christianity within Sāmoa, of charismatic-Pentecostal churches from traditional mainline churches, represents a social critique. By unifying under a reformed church environment, which mimics existing religious and cultural systems, Sāmoans are challenging their economic, social, and political positionality, while upholding the traditional framework of the fa’aSāmoa, Sāmoan way of life. This work highlights how individuals within Sāmoa navigate increasingly complex social, political, and economic power dynamics. Much of the focus of explores how individuals exercise religious agency, formulated through a created Sāmoan cosmology, to challenge larger structures of oppression …


Getting Better Together: The Role Of Human Capital In The Creation Of Group Dynamics In Alcoholics Anonymous And Al-Anon, Audrey E. Maynard Apr 2020

Getting Better Together: The Role Of Human Capital In The Creation Of Group Dynamics In Alcoholics Anonymous And Al-Anon, Audrey E. Maynard

Student Publications

Anthropologists have long been fascinated with how humans interact and connect with one another. In this research paper, I examine two twelve-step meetings - Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous - and their distinct group dynamics, asking how each facet of attendees' human capital foster those dynamics. I find that the accumulation, conversion and deployment of capital that I observed was much more nuanced in practice than human capital theorists such as Bourdieu and Putnam had indicated it would be. Although Al-Anon attendees had higher levels of economic and cultural capital, they struggled to cultivate much social capital. Inversely, while Alcoholics Anonymous …


Refugee Resettlement And Integration In Germany: Analysis Of Media Discourse, Dylan T. O'Neil Apr 2019

Refugee Resettlement And Integration In Germany: Analysis Of Media Discourse, Dylan T. O'Neil

Student Publications

Refugees are among the most discussed and debated topics worldwide; the massive movement of refugees and asylum seekers facing the world today is the largest since the end of the second world war. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates the total number of refugees in the world to be almost twenty-six million people, while asylum seekers account for around three million. The concept of a refugee is formally defined by the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, which creates a legal status, and states that a refugee is a person who “faces well-founded fear of being …


Invisible Intersex: How Discourse Serves To Perpetuate Violence, Zoe A. Philippou Apr 2019

Invisible Intersex: How Discourse Serves To Perpetuate Violence, Zoe A. Philippou

Student Publications

Critical discourse analysis surrounding intersex individuals makes it is clear that the violence against intersex individuals stems from a sense of othering due to the silence surrounding the public discussion and representation of intersex individuals. Additionally, the current discourse serves to create a circular argument of blame instead of serving to decrease the violence done upon intersex individuals. This research serves to explore the discourse surrounding intersex individuals and propose social and institutional ways of working to end the stigma surrounding intersexuality.


What Can Anthropologists Do?: Applied Anthropology In A Conflict-Ridden World, Emma G. Dorshimer Apr 2019

What Can Anthropologists Do?: Applied Anthropology In A Conflict-Ridden World, Emma G. Dorshimer

Student Publications

This work examines the role of anthropology in conflict, post-conflict studies, and conflict resolution. Present research has asserted that Anthropology as a discipline must move forward with greater involvement in domestic and international conflict resolution, but no scholar nor activist has taken that leap. All anthropological research in conflict has pertained to forensic anthropology, expert witness testimony, and post-conflict ethnographic research— all completed after conflict has already ended. Many anthropologists have recommended involvement in actual conflict resolution, and many have advocated for further Ethnographic Peace Research. However, the role of anthropology continues to be questioned by the discipline itself as …


Learning From The Dead: How Burial Practices In Roman Britain Reflect Changes In Belief And Society, Samuel F. Engel Apr 2019

Learning From The Dead: How Burial Practices In Roman Britain Reflect Changes In Belief And Society, Samuel F. Engel

Student Publications

This paper begins by examining the burial traditions of the Iron age Britons and Classical Romans to see how these practices reflect their societal values and belief systems. The funerary methods of both the Britons and Romans are then analyzed following the Roman occupation of Britain in 43 AD to see how these practices changed once the two groups came into contact with each other. The findings show that rather than Romanization, there is a hybridization of burial practices which incorporated and reflect both Roman and British beliefs and values.


The Psychological Importance Of Forensic Identification To Families Of Victims Of Human Rights Violations, Emma S. Thoms Oct 2018

The Psychological Importance Of Forensic Identification To Families Of Victims Of Human Rights Violations, Emma S. Thoms

Student Publications

No one knows how many people are missing in the world. Among cases involving kidnapping, human trafficking, and armed conflicts, even the most scrutinous efforts can never verify the sheer number of missing persons. This mystery is especially true for armed conflicts and human rights abuses as “the reluctance of most states to deal honestly and effectively with this issue” keeps the number unknown (“Missing”). Sadly, a great deal of missing persons are not only missing, but dead and unidentified, often as a result of armed conflicts like genocide, which uses mass graves. Once the mass graves are unearthed, specially …


Wealth In The Pre-Roman Western Mediterranean: Pontós, Alorda Park, And Lattara, Colleen M. Maher Apr 2018

Wealth In The Pre-Roman Western Mediterranean: Pontós, Alorda Park, And Lattara, Colleen M. Maher

Student Publications

This paper focuses on discussing whether there were varying levels of wealth in three individual pre-Roman settlements in the western Mediterranean. The goal of this paper is to answer the question of if the different indigenous settlements of Pontós, Alorda Park, and Lattara in the Western Mediterranean experienced variable levels of wealth detectable via the archaeological remains of their prestige goods and houses in the last age or period of their occupation.


Unmasking Hybridity In Popular Performance, Hannah M. Harder Apr 2018

Unmasking Hybridity In Popular Performance, Hannah M. Harder

Student Publications

This paper explores cultural hybridization in popular music and the eroticization of the exotic eastern aesthetic. Using musicology and anthropology as tools, the paper examines varying perspectives of the artists, audience and marginalized groups. Although cultural appropriation has been used recently as a blanket buzzword in mainstream dialogue, it does provide a platform to discuss complex issues on gender, race and sexuality that has been muddled by colonial mentalities.


Understanding Violence Against Foreigners In Cape Town: Conceptions Of Autochthony And Xenophobia In Post-Apartheid South Africa, Mary L. Casey Apr 2018

Understanding Violence Against Foreigners In Cape Town: Conceptions Of Autochthony And Xenophobia In Post-Apartheid South Africa, Mary L. Casey

Student Publications

Examining the correlation between the history of colonialism and structures of Apartheid in South Africa and the current xenophobic violence experienced by Black African immigrants settling in Cape Town. This thesis explores theories of autochthony and belonging in the context of Cape Town, Black South African relationships and ownership of land, access to resources and opportunities for employment, and the continued disenfranchisement of Black South Africans in the wake of Apartheid. These components of the issue of xenophobia in Cape Town are factored into an analysis of how and why violence persists against immigrants in the city.


‘Community Of Schools’: A Case Study Of Development, Participation And Integration In Cato Manor Township, South Africa, Anthony L. Wagner Apr 2017

‘Community Of Schools’: A Case Study Of Development, Participation And Integration In Cato Manor Township, South Africa, Anthony L. Wagner

Student Publications

By the end of the twentieth century, a subfield of anthropology known as critical development studies emerged - in large part due to the work of James Ferguson and Arturo Escobar - as a critique of post-colonial development programs and NGOs of the West that were at work in much of the developing world - most notably sub-Saharan Africa. Development was largely panned by these early researchers as a means by which Western powers habituated problems in the developing world so as to create a profitable industry of development. Contemporary anthropological inquiries have called for an increasingly field-based approach to …


Paper Wall: The Law As A Tool Of Social Division For Courtroom Officials, Aiden J. Egglin Apr 2017

Paper Wall: The Law As A Tool Of Social Division For Courtroom Officials, Aiden J. Egglin

Student Publications

The legal system is implicit with biases that shape how it runs on a larger scale, even if its individual members are hesitant about discussing racial, gender, etc. bias.


Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero Apr 2017

Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero

Student Publications

Examining the relationship between masculinity, sexuality, and the sport of surfing in the context of Costa Rica. Questions the nature of emergent counter identities in the hyper-masculine realm of the surfing subculture and the ways in which the emergence of counter identities changes the nature of the subculture. Focuses on the anthropology of sport, the anthropology of sexuality, and theories of territoriality.


La Influencia Del Mercado En La Crianza De Alpacas En Las Comunidades Alto Andinas De Pucará, Jessica Casale Oct 2016

La Influencia Del Mercado En La Crianza De Alpacas En Las Comunidades Alto Andinas De Pucará, Jessica Casale

Student Publications

Using a social-anthropological approach, through first-hand experiences living in the field and speaking with the subjects of this study, this paper investigates how the global economic market of alpaca wool has had effect on the traditional cultural practices of alpaca herders in the high Andean communities of Pucará, Peru. The results reveal a loss of traditional Andean herder’s practices and beliefs in the face of modernization, the inequality and exploitation within the wool market, and the influence of western economic ideologies. To preserve cultural practices and enhance the conditions of an alpaca herder, I suggest educating the communities on more …


Bali's Eclectic Image: A Touristic Island Paradise And A Prevalently Modern Nation, Kristy L. Garcia Apr 2016

Bali's Eclectic Image: A Touristic Island Paradise And A Prevalently Modern Nation, Kristy L. Garcia

Student Publications

This body of work is meant to address the way in which Bali's present external image as a “touristic island paradise” contributes to its environmental, political, and social issues being faced. By explaining how the island’s public image can be altered to that of both a “touristic island paradise" and a "prevalently modern nation", am helping to prevent of these issues from furthering. Understanding how Bali's present image can be restructured requires first a consideration of its basis in colonization, colonial-discriminatory stereotypes/ mindsets, and how these mind-sets have affected foreign perspectives of the Balinese people today. Through analyzing examples of …


The Lives Of Soldiers In World War Ii, Caroline M. Bosworth Oct 2015

The Lives Of Soldiers In World War Ii, Caroline M. Bosworth

Student Publications

An examination of soldiers' quality of life during World War II. This is done through comparing and contrasting the letters of two different soldiers.


What's Below The Peak? Perceptions Of Media From Those That Live Below The World's Most Famous Mountain, Jonah P. Lucas Apr 2015

What's Below The Peak? Perceptions Of Media From Those That Live Below The World's Most Famous Mountain, Jonah P. Lucas

Student Publications

This research seeks to explore the perceptions the Sherpa people in the Khumbu region have on the media that has been created about them and their communities. Interviews conducted in the Khumbu region of Nepal with a variety of individuals gave insight into how different socio-economic and educational backgrounds affect these perceptions. This research found that all Sherpa are aware to some extent of the media about them, and its biggest effect is the international tourism trade that it promotes. Furthermore, journalists visiting the region are regarded as normal tourists, and the work they do is considered accurate and suitable …


Business, Education, And Enjoyment: Stakeholder Interpretations Of The Gettysburg Museum And Visitors Center, Ava M. Muhr Apr 2015

Business, Education, And Enjoyment: Stakeholder Interpretations Of The Gettysburg Museum And Visitors Center, Ava M. Muhr

Student Publications

An anthropological study of the Gettysburg Museum and Visitors Center undertaken to understand the ways in which the visitor experience is conditioned by their own personal background, as well as filtered through the carefully constructed historical narrative created by museum historians, National Park Service rangers, and administrators. The Gettysburg Museum and Visitors Center is a site in which multiple stakeholders contend to ensure that their interpretations of the museum’s purpose is being upheld. This paper will examine the ways in which these various stakeholders – primarily NPS rangers, Civil War historians, and history buffs – interpret the catalyst(s) for constructing …


Liberation Through Domination: Bdsm Culture And Submissive-Role Women, Lisa R. Rivoli Apr 2015

Liberation Through Domination: Bdsm Culture And Submissive-Role Women, Lisa R. Rivoli

Student Publications

The alternative sexual practices of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM) are practiced by people all over the world. In this paper, I will examine the experiences of five submissive-role women in the Netherlands and five in south-central Pennsylvania, focusing specifically on how their involvement with the BDSM community and BDSM culture influences their self-perspective.I will begin my analysis by exploring anthropological perspectives of BDSM and their usefulness in studying sexual counterculture, followed by a consideration of feminist critiques of BDSM and societal barriers faced by women in the community. I will then address the …


A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Past And Present Conflict For Scottish Independence, Avery N. Fox Apr 2015

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Past And Present Conflict For Scottish Independence, Avery N. Fox

Student Publications

A study of the language and word patterns used in the past and present conflict over Scottish Independence.


Investigating Sexual Violence As A Weapon Of War In The Democratic Republic Of Congo (Drc) Through Critical Discourse Analysis, Amanda R. Kaste Apr 2015

Investigating Sexual Violence As A Weapon Of War In The Democratic Republic Of Congo (Drc) Through Critical Discourse Analysis, Amanda R. Kaste

Student Publications

This paper addresses the large-scale sexual violence that has taken place (and still continues) within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using critical discourse analysis. Disturbing statistics have resulted in the identification of the DRC as the "rape capital of the world," and a variety of national, regional, and international actors have employed sexual violence as a weapon of war. Victims frequently receive little assistance, perpetrators act without fear of serious repercussions, and the government of the DRC fails to successfully implement relative legislation. Through an investigation of the discourse surrounding victims, perpetrators, and political institutions respectively, I will develop …


The Semantics Of Repression: Understanding The Continued Brutality Towards Lgbtqa Individuals In The Russian Federation, Joseph C. Recupero Apr 2015

The Semantics Of Repression: Understanding The Continued Brutality Towards Lgbtqa Individuals In The Russian Federation, Joseph C. Recupero

Student Publications

This work serves to examine the linguistic style and choices used by Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin as it pertains to issues of the LGBTQA community in the country and the Anti-Propaganda Law. Using the methodology of Critical Discourse Analysis, the author compares the speeches of Vladimir Putin to those of Western leaders Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon, drawing conclusions as to why brutality towards LGBTQA individuals in Russia has been allowed to continue relatively unopposed. The author suggests that it may be Vladimir Putin's careful choice in words and speaking styles that allows the issue to persist.


Consensual Violence: A Cultural Contradiction, Lisa R. Rivoli Apr 2015

Consensual Violence: A Cultural Contradiction, Lisa R. Rivoli

Student Publications

In American culture, violence is typically understood as inherently negative; no one would want to be personally subjected to violence because violence by its very nature is undesirable. Thus, the idea of seeking out violence seems paradoxical. In cases where a person actively pursues violent treatment, the question arises: can violence be consensual? This question is included in discourse on sadomasochism (SM), or an attraction to giving or receiving pain in a sensual or sexual context, which many argue is a form of violence. Through a critical discourse analysis of legal statutes regarding interpersonal violence and interviews with women involved …