Anthropology Commons^™

Sex Selection And Technology In The United States: Is It Playing God?, Roberta M. Steinbacher, Audrianna V. Rodriguez

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

Preferences for selecting male firstborn children have been well established through research in countries such as India, China, and the Middle East. The effects of this phenomenon have been devastating to these populations’ sex ratios and have led to a number of violent crimes against women. The number of participants who indicated a willingness to use sex selection technology (8%) was too small to calculate any relationship between potential users and firstborn sex preference.

Getting To The Root Of Dengidëk: A Preliminary Investigation Of Fagara Xanthoxyloïdes And Treatment-Seeking Behavior In Dakar, Senegal, Richard T. Powis Iii

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

In Senegal, “traditional medicine” typically refers to the syncretism of Wolof or Serer medicine and Islamic beliefs, and includes not only consumables and procedures that fight off physical or mental ailments, but also spiritual acts to fight off sorcery. This is a preliminary investigation of the local and traditional knowledge that surrounds dengidëk, in particular, while assessing a rudimentary model of treatment-seeking behavior.

Editor’S Introduction, Filomeno V. Aguilar

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

Technically Speaking: On Equipping And Evaluating “Unnatural” Language Learners , Joshua Reno

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

This article compares different communicative trials for apes in captivity and children with autism in order to investigate how ideological assumptions about linguistic agency and impairment are constructed and challenged in practice. To the extent that Euro-American techniques of “unnatural” language instruction developed during the Cold War era have been successful, it is because communicative interactions are broken down into basic components, and would-be language learners are equipped with materials, devices, and habits that make up for their distinct bio/social deficits. Such linguistic equipment can present a challenge to the ideological presumption of a subject inherently gifted with the rudiments …

Front Speed Of Language Replacement, Joaquim Fort, Joaquim Pérez-Losada

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

We use two coupled equations to analyze the space-time dynamics of two interacting languages. Firstly, we introduce a cohabitation model, which is more appropriate for human populations than classical (non-cohabitation) models. Secondly, using numerical simulations we …nd the front speed of a new language spreading into a region where another language was previously used. Thirdly, for a special case we derive an analytical formula that makes it possible to check the validity of our numerical simulations. Finally, as an example, we …nd that the observed front speed for the spread of the English language into Wales in the period 1961-1981 …

Ua12/2/30 Poster, Wku Saudi Student Club

Student Organizations

Poster advertising Saudi National Day sponsored by the WKU Saudi Student Club.

Variation In Genes Related To Cochlear Biology Is Strongly Associated With Adult-Onset Deafness In Border Collies, Jennifer S. Yokoyama, Ernst T. Lam, Alison L. Ruhe, Carolyn A. Erdman, Kathryn R. Robertson, Aubrey A. Webb, D. Colette Williams, Melanie L. Chang, Marjo K. Hytönen, Hannes Lohi, Steven P. Hamilton, Mark W. Neff

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The domestic dog offers a unique opportunity to study complex disorders similar to those seen in humans, but within the context of the much simpler genetic backgrounds of pure breeds, which represent closed populations. We performed a whole-genome search for genetic risk factors of adult-onset deafness in the Border Collie, a breed of herding dog that relies on acute hearing to perceive and respond to commands while working. Adult-onset deafness in Border Collies typically begins in early adulthood and is similar to age-related hearing loss in humans. This earlier onset has particular impact on the utility of working Border Collies …

El Proyecto Costa Escondida: Arqueología Y Compromiso Comunitario A Lo Largo De La Costa Norte De Quintana Roo, México / The Costa Escondida Project: Archaeology And Community Engagement Along Quintana Roo's North Coast, Mexico, Jeffrey B. Glover, Dominique Rissolo, Jennifer P. Mathews, C. A. Furman

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research

El Proyecto Costa Escondida iniciado en 2006 se diseñó para investigar las culturas marítimas previas y posteriores al contacto español, así como para estudiar el paisaje del norte de Quintana Roo, Península de Yucatán, México. Este proyecto no promueve una agenda de desarrollo “tradicional”, sino que se inserta en la crítica del desarrollo para ampliar los límites del compromiso comunitario a través del aprendizaje social. Al encontrarse lejos de los principales sitios turísticos de la costa del Caribe, el área cuenta con una industria de turismo en expansión asociada a la Isla Holbox. En este artículo se discuten las experiencias …

Hopkin, Rachel Claire (Fa 581), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 581. Illustrated paper by Rachel Hopkin titled “A Reel in a Bottle: The Bottle Art of Chris Wood.” This illustrated project provides insight into the art of creating bottle art, or bottle whimsies. Folk artist Chris Wood’s path from observer to artist is detailed and includes his interpretations of the work of several historical and modern artisans within the genre. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Chappell, Katherine (Fa 582), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 582. Illustrated paper by Katherine Chappell titled “Fine, Folk, or Functional? The Art of Mark Whitley.” This illustrated project provides insight into the art of furniture making and the distinctions between the artistic formation of furniture and mass production. The project details the journey of one craftsman, Mark Whitley of Warren County, Kentucky, from one who makes furniture, into an artist whose work is practical, functional, and enduring. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Faytullayeva, Shamira A. (Fa 584), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 584. Illustrated paper by Shamira A. Faytullayeva titled “A Great Tailor in My Family.” This illustrated project describes the economic benefits of the tailoring skills of a Russian emigrant, Samisiya Faytullayeva. Samisiya’s mother taught her to sew when she was a child, and the skill has provided an income for her family in the years since her husband’s death and their subsequent immigration to the United States. This project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Spraggins, Cody (Fa 585), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 585. Video by Cody Spraggins titled “The Community of Dungeons and Dragons Players as a Folk Group.” The video is a compilation of interviews with three individuals who participate in the role playing fantasy game. The focus of the video is the sentiment that the “gamers” have created distinct folk groups within their community of play. Typescript of abstract only. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Hopkin, Rachel Claire (Fa 586), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid and full text paper (Click on "Additional File" below) for Folklife Archives Project 586. Independent study project conducted by Rachel Hopkin on George R. Gibson, a banjo player from eastern Kentucky. The project, contained on two DVDs, includes photos, audio interviews and transcripts, a paper, bibliography, and field notes. Participating in the interview are Gibson and musicians John W. Haywood and Kevin C. Howard, who describe Gibson’s influence on them. This project was executed for the folk studies program at Western Kentucky University.

Callis, Mariah (Fa 583), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 583. Illustrated paper by Mariah Callis titled “Grave Decoration in a Bowling Green Cemetery: An Analysis of Children’s Grave Adornment.” This illustrated project provides a brief yet detailed description of the author’s first field work experience. The work, an analysis of children’s grave adornment, provides information specific to Fairview Cemetery, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and categorizes the types of ornamentation placed on children’s graves and the frequency of such decoration. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Simbolisme Dalam Tradisi Lisan Pasang Ri Kajang: Tinjauan Semiotik, Basrah Gising

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Semiotics is a set of analytical approaches that has been applied in linguistics and anthropology. This article focuses on language and cultural symbols expressed in Pasang ri Kajang and analyzes them based on the grand theory of semantics. This research adopts a qualitative research perspective. Data validity was ensured through data collection methods including interviews, recordings, note-taking, elicitation, and focus group discussions. The results indicate that Pasang ri Kajang contains sacred ancestral messages transmitted through oral tradition. These messages embody forms of local wisdom related to sustainable environmental management. The focus of this research is the local knowledge system concerning …

Opening Our Anthropological Conversations: An Interview With Tom Boellstorff, Ryan B. Anderson

Faculty Publications

I had the chance to conduct an email-based interview with Tom Boellstorff during this past month to explore some of his views about Open Access (hereafter OA) publishing in anthropology.

Ryan Anderson: First of all, thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Tom. Here at Savage Minds we write about Open Access (OA) a lot, and many of our contributors seem to be in agreement about the need to look into alternative publishing options. But not everyone knows about OA or is in agreement with the push to head in that direction, and this includes many people who …

Wynn, Katie (Fa 580), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 580. Illustrated paper by Katie Wynn titled “The Art of Cake Decorating: An Examination of the Art of Callie Christian.” A detail account of the process of baking and decorating a cake, with an emphasis on cakes for celebratory events such as birthdays. Discusses the influence of popular culture on cake decorating themes. This project was submitted for the 2011Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Mccartt-Jackson, Sarah (Fa 577), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Folklife Archives Project 577. Paper by Sarah McCartt-Jackson titled “The Invasion of the Scarecrows and Community Aesthetic Perspective.” Describes an annual event called Invasion of the Scarecrows designed to promote downtown shopping in Scottsville, Kentucky. This project won the 2011Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Bolick, Molly (Fa 579), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 579. Illustrated paper by Molly Bolick titled “Embodied Art: Identity, Adornment, and Style in Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby.” Analysis of the artistic process of choosing a derby name and the assemblage of dress elements and adornment in the context of the body as a canvas. This project was submitted for the 2011Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Morningstar, Cora Eliza (Gossom), 1866-1926 (Sc 2578), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2578. Christmas diary kept by Cora Eliza (Gossom) Morningstar, Bowling Green, Kentucky. Notations describe the weather, the Christmas dinner menu, and gifts received by Cora and her son Roy.

An Ethnographic Study Of The Moth Detroit Storyslam, Catherine Jo Janssen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Moth Detroit StorySLAM is one of many storytelling events staged in urban bar environments. Unlike the increasingly aged audiences attending the National Storytelling Festival and similar story festivals, the Detroit StorySLAM consistently yields at capacity crowds of college students and young professionals.

Participants were informally interviewed during the September, October, and November slams of 2010 and the January 2011 slam. In addition to conducting these interviews, the researcher was a participant observer—throwing her name into the hat and being twice called to the stage. Data are presented as a thick description organized according to Richard Bauman's 6 situational factors …

Preserved In Alcohol: Case Studies Of Adaptive Reuse Projects By Mcmenamins, Inc., James Howard Tichgelaar

Student Theses and Dissertations

The main focus of this dissertation is the preservation activities of McMenamins, a chain of restaurants, pubs, and hotels in western Oregon and Washington. Over the last twenty years, McMenamins has been involved in a series of adaptive reuse projects that have involved community partnerships to save unusual buildings or sites, including multi-building properties that were challenging to preserve because they do not fit the typical functions of an adaptive reuse project. A vital element of the renovation strategy used by McMenamins includes creating interpretive murals and printed materials that connect visitors to the history of the site and increase …

Identifying Barriers To Adherence For Hiv+ Patients Placed On Renal Dosing, Richard S. Colon Jr

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Slavery - Tennessee (Sc 704), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 704. Photostats of slave narratives which relate a folk history of slavery in Tennessee from interviews with former slaves. The records were prepared by the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1938. Originals (typed) are in the Library of Congress.

Latino Immigrant Employment During The Great Recession: A Comparison Of The United States And Spain, Maria Aysa-Lastra, Lorenzo Cachón

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

The Great Recession profoundly impacted labor markets in the United States and Spain, the two most important destinations for Latin American immigrants. Unemployment rates doubled within two years and increased at an even greater rate for Latino immigrants. Using national labor force surveys (Encuesta de Población Activa for Spain and Current Population Survey for the U.S.), this article compares employment trends of natives, immigrants in general, and Latino immigrants in both countries by sectors. We conclude that despite the differences in the Spanish and U.S. economies and the historical distinctions between immigration flows from Latin America to both countries, the …

The Japanimated Folktale: Analysis Concerning The Use And Adaptation Of Folktale Characteristics In Anime, Amber N. Slaven

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between folk tales and Japanese animation, or anime. In spite of the popular association between animation and adolescence, animated television series and films have a dynamic and compelling relationship with various age groups and nationalities. Additionally, anime and animation draw liberally from a number of folk tale traditions. Consequently, in this essay, anime is understood as a global phenomenon that draws on international cultural elements and is consumed in several international markets.

Before entering an analysis of the use of folk tales in anime, a history of animation and the place of …

Seeing Is Evolving: Biocultural Evolution Of Refractive Error And Stone Tool Industries, Erin Mcquillan-Hicks

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

While previous studies have examined different aspects of hominin Biocultural evolution and stone tools, this project will consider the role which vision might have had in tool production. Paralleling Key and Lycett's line of argument, we believe that vision would have played just as integral a role in producing an ideal cutting tool as precision gripping. If a certain type of vision was "adaptive" to stone tool synthesis, then this would explain its frequency in modern human populations. Consequently, this study will attempt to answer why there is such a significant number of individuals possessing seemingly maladaptive visual errors in …

The Social Bioarchaeology Of Childhood As Applied To The Analysis Of An Excavated Mid- To Late-Nineteenth-Century Mennonite Cemetery, Berne, Indiana, Jennifer L. Hildebrand

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This thesis provides a social-bioarchaeological analysis of the Old Mennonite Cemetery (1852-1896) in Berne, Indiana, with emphasis on treatment of child burials as a reflection of Mennonite identity and beliefs. Social bioarchaeology combines the methods of both social archaeology and bioarchaeology. When applied to the study of children in a mortuary context, social bioarchaeology allows determination of cultural age categories and a fuller understanding of childhood. In this study, various forms of historical documentation were utilized to provide a social context for analysis of the cemetery. These materials revealed a collective religious identity based on practices pertaining to children, most …

Status And Prosociality In Egalitarian Societies, Zachary Garfield

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Egalitarian societies have been the subject of significant academic attention for their unique cultural qualities, both as a representation of a distinct political category, and as a base line in the context of biological and cultural evolution. Although the domains and degrees of egalitarianism vary cross-culturally, certain characteristics seem universal. Egalitarian societies are nonstratified social systems that lack hereditary statuses with ascribed coercive power. In egalitarian societies leadership is achieved and dependent upon personal qualities and individual behavior. Leaders are granted authority but lack coercive power and rely on techniques such as persuasion to exert influence over others. Multiple theories …

Ei Espacio Y La Identidad En Un Contexto Transnacional, Katherine Michelle Norris

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

La migracion transnacional ha puesto en dud a las perspectivas tradicionales sobre la migracion internacionalla cual fue caracterizada anteriormente como un cambio pennanente de residencia entre dos estados-naciones, Y la cual ultimaruente Ileva a la asimilacion en el destino del migrante. Sin embargo, en contraste a los migrantes internacionales que han sido estudiados anteriormente, los transmigrantes toman medidas, hac en decisiones, y experimentan preocupaciones conectadas con dos 0 mas sociedades simultaneamente (Mendoza, 2006). Para comprender mejor el proceso de la migracion transnacional en su contexto completo, es importante explorar y entender las causas y los efectos de la transformacion espacial …