Anthropology Commons^™

Reading Realities Through Tā-Vā, Nuhisifa Seve-Williams

Pacific Studies

This essay is taken from my PhD dissertation and discusses how I was able to make sense of the theory tā-vā theoretically and apply it as an analytical tool in “reading” the stories of the Pacific students in my study, in particular of two Pacific students in my study.

Vol. 40 No. 1/2 (2017): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 40, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2017 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

The Harmony Of Studying, Aaron Mccartney

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The aim of the research project was to discover what music Parkland students listen to when they study and to see if there is a preferred music genre. The student visited common study spaces around Parkland College and interviewed some students who were listening to headphones while studying. 85% of the students interviewed listen to music on a regular basis to help them study both when studying at Parkland and when studying elsewhere. They generally preferred it without lyrics so that the music would not distract them while …

Creating Connections: Getting Involved And Making Relationships At Parkland, Aiden Kneller

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The student interviewed a series of Parkland College students about their experiences with meeting people and getting involved at Parkland outside of class and work. His hypothesis was that students find it difficult to connect because of the commuter campus and do not form many close relationships. He concluded that most students are in fact hesitant to get involved and have not met many people at Parkland that they would consider friends.

Parkland's International Soccer Players And The Value Of Teamwork, Dylan Thomas Kleiss

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The aim of this project was to see how ideas and values of teamwork vary across cross-culturally. The data was gathered from interviews with international athletes from Parkland's soccer team. The student concluded that the concept of teamwork differs in cultures throughout the world as it is affected by cultural ties and personal interests.

Knowledge Production, Pedagogy And Research In Ir: Perspectives From India, Seema Narain Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

The implications of Eurocentrism in the production of historical and theoretical knowledge have been the subject of debates in multiple disciplines, including anthropology, history, and geography, yet in the field of International Relations (IR), an examination of the implications of Eurocentrism has, until recently, been little studied. Therefore, there is a critical need to revisit pedagogy and research in India to address this gap. This paper looks at knowledge production, pedagogy and research in India from the point of view of countering Eurocentrism in the IR discipline. It first discusses Eurocentrism and highlights the implications of Eurocentrism in the field …

Middle East Research Institute. United Arab Emirates Meri Report. Milton Park: Routledge Revivals, 2015., Gennaro Errichiello

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Nightmares In The Kitchen: Personal Experience Narratives About Cooking And Food, Sarah T. Shultz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis explores personal experience narratives about making mistakes in the preparation and serving of food. In order to understand when these narratives, referred to in the text as “kitchen nightmares,” are told, to whom, in what form, and why, one-onone and group ethnographic interviews were conducted. In total, 13 interviews were conducted with 25 individuals (men and women) ranging in age from 19 to 70. Six major themes of kitchen nightmare narratives are identified in Chapter One. Chapter Two explores one of these themes, resistance, in the context of the kitchen nightmare stories of heterosexual married women. Chapter Three …

Inexhaustible Magic: Folklore As World Building In Harry Potter, Samantha G. Castleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The practice of secondary world building, the creation of a fantasy realm with its own unique laws and systems has long been a tradition within the genre of fantasy writing. In many notable cases, such as those publications by J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft, folklore exhibited in the world of the reader has been specifically used not only to construct these fantasy realms, but to add depth and believability to their presentation. The universe of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series demonstrates this same practice of folklore-as-world-building, yet her construction does much more than just create a fantasy realm. By using …

The Healing Power Of Music And Chants Amongst The Ahl-E Haqq People, Azadeh Vatanpour

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines current practices of music and prayers in the context of Jam ritual among the Ahl-e Haqq, a vernacular religion group in Iranian Kurdistan. I examine the construction and sacralization of the sacred instrument of the Ahl-e Haqq, tanbūr. I also explore the sacred prayer, kalām, and the association of prayer and music. Through the ethnographic method, participant observations, and interviewing religious figures and master musicians during the fieldwork in Sahneh, Iran, I investigate the relation of the Ahl-e Haqq prayers and music, and their effect on healing during their sacred ritual performance. Drawing primarily on scholarship from …

Partnerships 2: An Archaeological Partnership With The Religious Of Niles, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project aims to build an active partnership with the religious community of Niles. Given the importance of Catholicism at Fort St. Joseph, the Project has reached out to one of these communities, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, to explore their potential interest in collaboration.

Partnerships 1: Community Partnerships In Niles, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Community partnerships inspired by the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project have the potential for mutual benefi­ts when community groups collaborate around shared interests.

Incorporating Information Literacy Into Anthropology 210 (Final Report), Erin Eldridge

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Ant 4930 Research In Physician Interaction, Roberta Baer

Service-Learning Syllabi

No abstract provided.

All Hail Helix: The Internet’S Role In The Creation Of Culture And Narrative, Margaret Furtner 17

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Anthropology In Promoting Diversity On A Public University Campus, Bonnie Glass-Coffin

Interfaith Initiative Research

We live in an era where xenophobia, Islamophobia, and dangerous “Othering” is gaining ground in our communities. If anthropology's purpose still is, as Ruth Benedict once said, “to make the world safe for human differences,” it is more important now than ever for colleges and universities to provide our students with the necessary tools to do so. This report documents how a new initiative is building capacity for positive interaction among all who orient around religion differently while building bridges of interfaith cooperation at Utah State University. After summarizing campus climate research that led to the initiative's emergence in 2014, …

Tāvani: Intertwining Tā And Vā In Tongan Reality And Philology, Tēvita O. KaʻIli

Pacific Studies

This analysis examines the foundational principles of the tā-vā theory of reality, a comprehensive philosophical framework that bridges ontological and epistemological understandings of existence within Tongan thought.

Samoan Tā-Vā (Time-Space) Concepts And Practices In Language, Society, And Architecture, Fepulea‘I Micah Van Der Ryn

Pacific Studies

This essay gives new insights into indigenous Samoan spatial, temporal, and social concepts as distinctive aspects of Samoan culture, expressed linguistically, socially, and architecturally in a changing contemporary Samoan context. Four Samoan concepts are examined: (1) mata (the eye and a point of convergence and emanation), (2) tā (strike and a point in time), (3) vā (the interval and relation between points in space or time and society), and (4) tuā‘oi (neighbor and boundary). The general tā-vā theory of reality (Māhina 2008a, 2008b; Ka‘ili 2008) informs the analysis augmented by the theory of point-field spatiality as discussed by Lehman and …

Book Review: American Myths, Legends, And Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia Of American Folklore, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Compilations of American folklore are constantly being rewritten to reflect the increasing diversity and variety of American culture. Many readers grew up with Benjamin Botkin’s classic collection A Treasury of American Folklore (Crown 1944), which featured a foreword written by Carl Sandburg and stories about Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, Brer Rabbit and other popular myths, legends, and tall tales. Today, new legends are entering the folklore lexicon to reflect the influence of urban myths, historical events, science fiction, conspiracy theories, and mass media. This three-volume set offers a fascinating look at both traditional and newer folklore, including “Internet Hoaxes,” the …

How Education Level And Willingness To Learn Affect Older Adults In Their Use Of Mobile Technology In Southwest Idaho, Kimberly M. Neagle

McNair Scholars Research Journal

As a person’s age increases, their use of technology decreases (Casado-Muñoz, 2015), which can hinder their access to resources, such as medical care, online products and services, and basic communication. Previous research shows that if seniors have higher education levels and willingness to learn, they are more likely to use technology (Bailey & Sheehan, 2009). This project used the cultural evolution theory and social learning to examine how education levels affect a senior’s use of technology, and how their willingness to learn affects their adoption of mobile technology. Seventy individuals were surveyed, aged 65 years or older: 45 individuals enrolled …

The Disappearance Of Nyoman And Ketut, Laura Michelle Garvie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Discourses Of Psychiatry And Culture: The Interface Between Western And Traditional Medicine In The Treatment Of Mental Illness, Madeline Molot

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mental illness is a burden of disease that, in many countries, is neglected; South Africa is no exception. There are many reasons for this, including but not limited to a lack of specialized mental health personnel in primary care settings, a budget that favors South Africa’s communicable disease epidemic, and a continued stigma around mental illness. Whenever discussing the healthcare system in South Africa, however, it is important to note another parallel system of care, one with little to no budget or regulation: that of traditional healing. It is estimated that over 70% of South Africans have at some point …

Tuning Out By Tuning In, Chris Wallace

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103.

The aim of this research project was to answer two questions: How does the use of personal technology impact interactions between students and non-academic college employees, such as receptionists, cashiers and advisors? How does the use of personal technology impact how the student interacts with the professor, inside the classroom and out? The primary focus of the study was not to gather empirical data, but to observe and record the perceptions and reactions of participants.

Marketing To Parkland College Students: The Shadowed Market, Willie Morris

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. For this research project the student interviewed the managers of several local businesses in Champaign, Illinois, to find out how they market to Parkland College students. He found that almost none of the businesses specifically market to Parkland students and only 1 in 5 businesses had associations with the college. He also concluded that Parkland College students are a hidden market overshadowed by a much larger university. This is likely due to the international prestige and worldwide popularity of the University of Illinois, as well as the university’s …

Pathway To Pathways: Examining Influences For Choosing Parkland Pathways, Tabitha Hanson

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The Student conducted a research project that examines why students choose to enroll in the Pathways program at Parkland as opposed to: 1) becoming a non-Pathways Parkland student who will transfer to the University of Illinois; or 2) Beginning their college career at the University of Illinois. Her research shows that most local students who know about Parkland and have a strong interest in attending the University of Illinois consider the Parkland Pathways program as the best option.

A Wampum Basket From New England: Discovery Of An Account Providing Verification Of An Oral Tradition, Marshall Joseph Becker

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

As’Lem: An Ethical Diagnosis Of The Contemporary, Miriam Ticktin

Publications and Research

In recent scholarly literature, refugees have proliferated: they are the “political figures par excellence” and “border concepts”; they are understood through their infrastructures, both camps and laws; and they are approached as suffering subjects. But Fassin, Wilhelm-Solomon, and Segatti have a different approach: they understand asylum—or as’lem, the term used by asylum seekers in South Africa—as a form of life.

Paese Di Accoglienza: Il Successo Di Un Modello Innovativo Di Accoglienza Dei Richiedenti Asilo In Italia, Isabela Arena Secanechia

Senior Capstone Theses

This work discusses Italy's migrant reception system including its flaws and their effects. Furthermore, this work explores an alternative, sustainable model of migrant reception created in Riace, Calabria, that has been successful in varying towns across Italy. Ultimately, this work argues that this system, which is beneficial to both Italians and incoming migrants — specifically asylum seekers — can and should be implemented nationally to counter the current flawed system.

Ethnographic Design Lab Final Report: How Smithscape Came To Be, Geena Choo, Yoon Roh, Danyi Zeng

Anthropology: Student Work

No abstract provided.

Burial Plots: Finding Theatre In The Thanatology Of Colonial North Coast Peru, Connie Ericksen

Theses and Dissertations

Spain's invasion of the Andes initiated a social drama unprecedented in the experience of the Andean natives. Spanish and Spanish-conscripted native chroniclers wrote extensively about Inca pageantry, spectacle, and ritual, and hastily attributed pagan belief to performances they witnessed or heard about. With equal haste, the Spanish appropriated performance as means of introducing and enforcing Christianity. In this thesis, I treat performance as the central feature of Andean Colonial transition. Performance may be viewed as an ephemeral feature of the Andean transition but fortunately, in mortuary performances (dealing with death and treatment of the body); there are many theatrical elements …