Anthropology Commons^™

From Garlic To Acupuncture: Cultural Models Of Covid-19 In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Molly Eaton

Honors College Theses

Ever since I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Yunnan, China, I have been curious about it. The cultural and historical aspect of TCM combined with the medical perspective provides a unique concept that is vastly different from Western Medicine (WM). TCM has been practiced for thousands of years in China and surrounding areas. It has seen the rise and fall of kingdoms. It has fought against all types of injuries and illnesses. With the curiosity of TCM combined with the daunting COVID-19, I opted to research how people 3 practice TCM during COVID-19. This research project seeks to understand …

The Founding Fathers' Shift Towards Anthropological Pessimism: From The Articles To The Constitution, Noah Davis

Senior Honors Theses

American colonists grew to abhor the evils of a strong and tyrannical government. After freeing themselves, they created an intentionally weak government that placed trust in the masses to contribute to the country’s well-being. The weak government of the Articles of Confederation was too weak, and the people did not act as virtuously as was hoped. There were many problems of the Articles, and eventually a poor economy led to riots and rebellions. After being given nearly unbridled freedom, the people revealed themselves to be selfish. The Founding Fathers decided that the people needed a stronger government to regulate society …

Judaism And Pacifism, Grace Rolfes

Content presented at the Roesch Social Sciences Symposium

The research explores and uncovers the truths concerning Judaism and its impacts toward peacemaking. It correspondingly exposes the Jewish relationship towards the choice of nonviolence and the commitment to the common good.

Save Water Drink Wine: Challenges Of Implementing The Ethnography Of The Temecula Valley Wine Industry Into Food-Energy-Water Nexus Decision-Making, Zaida E. Darley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrates the interrelationships of people, food, energy, and water associated with Temecula Valley’s wine industry and reveals contradictions and biases in how people view these resources, which ultimately shape management and policies. The FEW (Food, Energy, and Water) Nexus is an approach increasingly used by policy- and decision-makers to understand the interrelationship of several resources. However, a FEW Nexus approach often lacks in social aspects that influence environmentally and economically sustainable outcomes, especially in the wine and wine tourism industry. When quantitative and qualitative data are available, the other challenge is which assessment to use. Two assessments often …

On The Importance Of Context: Examining The Applicability Of Infertility Insurance Mandates In The United States Using A Mixed-Methods Study Design, Nathanael B. Stanley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accessibility of infertility services is disproportionately experienced in the United States. Although there exist state-based health insurance mandates for infertility services, these mandates contain language that disqualify people from using them. In order to better understand why these mandates are not able to reduce the financial burden and bridge the income disparity for using infertility services, the purpose of this study is to add context to the applicability of these insurance mandates through qualitative and quantitative inquiry. Using the Glass and McAtee model of risk regulators as an operational paradigm, this research explores the role of environmental context, or “place”, …

Archaeology As Advocacy: Celebrating Cultural Heritage And Promoting Sustainability In Transylvania Mining Communities, Elizabeth Arnold '22

Student Scholarship

In this paper, I examine the practice of cultural heritage preservation. In particular, I seek to understand how cultural heritage in rural landscapes, both in its intangible and tangible aspects, can be sustainably preserved. I focus my discussion on traditional rural landscapes in southwest Transylvania, Romania. Specifically, I ask how can we design the Ramet Museum Project to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of rural Transylvania? I apply the knowledge gained through exploring this question to propose some best practices in developing a community museum in Transylvania that promotes sustainable engagement with cultural heritage that is rooted in placemaking …

Identifying The Universals Of Death: An Interpretive Analysis Of Mortuary Ritual In Ancient Egypt And Modern America, Sarah Snare

Senior Theses

This project compares mortuary practices in ancient Egypt and modern America in an effort to identify cross-cultural consistencies in the treatment of the dead. An analysis of the meaning and motivations behind these rituals reveals that they serve similar functions in both societies. Death provokes intense emotions of grief and long periods of mourning, which can debilitate the people who knew the deceased and even the society itself. Therefore, to promote survival of individuals and the community, mortuary rituals must address these disturbances. Focusing on ancient Egypt and modern America, this study finds that mortuary practices function to restabilize society …

Anthropology Department Annual Newsletter, Department Of Anthropology

General University of Maine Publications

Anthropology is the study of humans. Anthropologists study the entire spectrum of human existence from 6.5 million years ago when the first hominid set foot on the African continent, the process of human evolution, domestication of plants and animals, development of civilization, migration to the ends of the earth, and the present day diversity of cultures, religions, economies, and kinship systems seen around the world. Anthropology provides a well-rounded, generalist education that enhances wide career choices and provides students with the ability to critically evaluate theories, options, and actions that affect humankind.

Availability Of Over-The-Counter Antibiotics In Guatemalan Corner Stores, Purificación Moreno, Alejandro Cerón, Karen Sosa, Marinees Morales, Laura M. Grajeda, Maria Renee Lopez, John P. Mccraken, Celia Cordón-Rosales, Guy H. Palmer, Douglas R. Call, Brooke M. Ramay

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

Widespread availability of antibiotics without prescription potentially facilitates overuse and contributes to selection pressure for antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Prior to this study, anecdotal observations in Guatemala identified corner stores as primary antibiotic dispensaries, where people purchase antibiotics without prescriptions. We carried out a cross sectional study to document the number and types of antibiotics available in corner stores, in four study areas in Guatemala. A total of 443 corner stores were surveyed, of which 295 (67%) sold antibiotics. The most commonly available antibiotics were amoxicillin, found in 246/295 (83%) stores, and tetracycline, found in 195/295 (66%) stores. Over the counter …

Archaeological Survey At Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, Stacey L. Young

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Wateree Bug: Hellgrammites, Dobsonflies, And Mississippian Period Potters, Adam King, Chris Judge

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

A Vietnam War-Era Training Village At Fort Jackson, Stacey L. Young

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

“¿Porque No Está En Español?”: Voices Of Latinx Mothers Within The Special Education System In The South Bronx, Anyi Rescalvo '22

Student Scholarship

This research focuses on the barriers Latinx mothers face within the Special Education system in the South Bronx. Using an interview-based qualitative research methodology, I interviewed 10 Latinx mothers in the South Bronx about their experiences navigating the Special Education system and found that the main topics they brought up ranged from: not receiving much guidance from teachers, difficulties with translations, having to self-advocate, enduring emotional labor and self-blaming. All these shared experiences of the 10 participants highlights the need for schools to provide more support to Latinx parents who are not familiar with the Special Education system. Schools need …

Sanitary Cordons In Covid-19: Experience And The Object Of Epidemiological Interventions, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

What is the object of epidemiological interventions during an epidemic? Is it the virus, the disease, the fear, the chaos, or the threat to security? And what is the objective of those interventions? Is it to eliminate the virus, to mitigate the effects of the disease, to calm the fear, to control the chaos, or to defeat the threat?

Relationship Of Posterior Intracranial Venous Structures In Homo Sapiens And Handedness, Brianne Finley

Theses and Dissertations

The transverse sinus spans the endocranial surface of the occipital bone and ultimately transmits deoxygenated blood to the sigmoid sinus and jugular vein en route to the heart. This paired sinus tends to be more defined on either the left or right side in human crania. Left and right dominance, or the use of one side of the body more than the other, leaves traces on the human skeleton. Methods to determine handedness upon examination of various elements of the human skeleton mostly focus on the use of the extremities, while little research exists examining the skull for evidence of …

Mortalidad Por Neumonías En Guatemala (2014-2018): Una Herramienta Del Enfoque Epidemiológico De Riesgo Para La Priorización De Acciones Frente A La Covid-19, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

El presente estudio busca analizar la mortalidad por neumonías en Guatemala con el propósito de identificar posibles criterios epidemiológicos que orienten la priorización de acciones de salud publica. El riesgo de morir de neumonía en Guatemala muestra marcadas desigualdades por departamento, las que son aún más marcadas al comparar por municipio. El riesgo de morir es también más alto en hombres, en personas del pueblo mayo, en niveles educativos bajos, y en personas que se dedican a ocupaciones elementales. Aun sin la presencia de COVID-19, deberían implementarse medidas de salud pública orientadas a los municipios y grupos en mayor riesgo …

Speaking Volumes: The Failure Of American Courts To Address The Underlying Themes Of Silence And Patriarchy Within The Civil Order Of Protection Process In Davenport, Iowa, Catherine Priebe

Sociology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Domestic abuse is a pervasive issue within the United States. Approximately three women will be murdered by an intimate partner every day and around half of all women will experience psychological abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. As such, it is important to have legal avenues that survivors can pursue in order to ensure safety for themselves and their children. There are many obstacles to obtaining a civil order of protection despite it being the most common legal option survivors choose to pursue. Survivors must take on the burden of proof and hire their own attorney if they …

Growing Relations: An Ethnographic Study On Rice, Vanilla, And Yams In Madagascar, Tyler Macintosh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

I examine the various ways in which the rice, wild yams, and vanilla that grow in northern Madagascar feature in the lives of numerous people including rural community members, representatives of the Malagasy government, and foreigners, focusing especially on the distinctive networks of relationships entailed by each of these plants. Each case presents interesting dilemmas from which we can gain insight into the everyday lives and hardships faced by rural Malagasy. Rice is a staple crop which both feeds and employs many Malagasy. More importantly it is at the base of everyday life, sustaining and creating important social ties. Wild …

The Red Swimsuit: Essays, Jacqueline Knirnschild

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of creative non-fiction essays that offers a collage of ethnography, reportage and memoir. The Red Swimsuit blurs the lines between what is considered social science, journalism and art. These essays will become part of a book- length work of creative non-fiction that will explore what it’s like to grow up as a woman in a globalized world wrought with social media, hookup culture and cross-cultural interactions. The Red Swimsuit provides first-hand experience, reflexive narration, and reflection on life as a member of Generation Z, also known as iGen.

Brothers As Men: Masculinity, Homosociality, And Violence Among Fraternity Men, Daniel Mccloskey

University Scholar Projects

A significant aspect of gender study, specifically when dealing with men, is the idea that there is no single masculinity and that there are many different constructions of masculinity. This project engages fraternity men about their constructions of masculinity and how these constructions affect behavior. In addition to these constructions of masculinity, this study is concerned with issues of homosociality and views of sexual violence. This project utilizes research techniques including semi-structured and structured interviews as well as free listing and pile sorting.

Brothers As Men: Masculinity, Homosociality, And Violence Among Fraternity Men, Daniel Mccloskey

Honors Scholar Theses

A significant aspect of gender study, specifically when dealing with men, is the idea that there is no single masculinity and that there are many different constructions of masculinity. This project engages fraternity men about their constructions of masculinity and how these constructions affect behavior. In addition to these constructions of masculinity, this study is concerned with issues of homosociality and views of sexual violence. This project utilizes research techniques including semi-structured and structured interviews as well as free listing and pile sorting.

An External Expression Of The Inner Spirit: Dance, Religion, And Taboos In Christianity, Erin E. Ingram

Honors Theses

Dance, religion, and the presence of taboos have each been recognized as what is known throughout the social sciences as “cultural universals.” For example, though not every individual dances, dance can be found in all societies (Brown, 2004). Furthermore, many cultures use dance as part of religious or ritual worship. The following thesis explores possible answers to these three intertwined questions: “Many cultures across the world have developed dances for the purpose of religious or spiritual rituals and celebrations. Does dance as a form of expression stem from a biological, spiritual, or cultural need? Why do cultures turn to dance …

Learning From Those Who Served: Application Of Regression-Based Body Mass Estimation Methods To The Uss Oklahoma Population, Maxwell Rooney

Anthropology Department: Theses

Current methodologies in body mass estimation are lacking in accuracy when compared to the methods of sex, age, and ancestry estimation familiar to forensic anthropologists. For this reason, the practical application of body mass estimation remains underutilized, hindering the study of a potentially advantageous aspect of the biological profile.

This study highlights body mass estimation in a forensic context while taking the osteological paradox into account through the utilization of a unique population: the US military personnel killed on the USS Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1942. Because these individuals were similar in age (adults, age …

Night Of The Witch: Alternative Spirituality, Identity And Media, Andreana Tarleton

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis works to understand the relationships witches and conjurors have with the film and television depictions of them. Employing the method of film critique, I argue that the witch stands as a cultural symbol in the US of women and femmes with power, and that their stories serve as lessons to these populations about what it means to be an acceptable woman or femme, while simultaneously creating and perpetuating stereotypes of magic practitioners. Then, using the combination of hashtag ethnography, in-person and video interviewing and internet surveys, I argue that #witchblr and #witchesofcolor, as well as the space of …

Anthropology 240 Essentials Of Archaeology, Timothy Pugh

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Mandible, Emily Hill

Anthropology Department Scholars Week

A Review of The Mandible by Emily Hill

The mandible is one of the 22 bones in the human skull. This paper aims to encapsulate the basic features of the human mandible while also addressing the evolution and morphological mandibular variation between mammals. It also aims to address the role that anthropology and all its sub-disciplines has played in the exploitation and erasure of Indigenous peoples. There must be a significant push to decolonize the field of osteology. The mandible is useful for forensic applications such as post-mortem identification. In a rapidly expanding technological world, new ways of studying the …

Twiggy: An Osteological Reconstruction Of A Skeletal Model's Identity, Alexis Rausch

Student Scholars Day Posters

Since the 1990s, GVSU’s Anthropology Department has housed the disarticulated hanging skeleton of an individual nicknamed Twiggy who was originally used as a medical model. Typically little is known about individuals used as medical models, as is true in this individual’s case. To continue using these remains as teaching material, it is imperative that we understand more about their life. In alignment with post-processual archaeological theory, this project aims to reconstruct the life of one individual. In order to do so, a profile will be constructed for the individual by estimating traits such as age, sex, and stature. Their remains …

Sex Work Decriminalization And Feminist Theory, Gabriella Mesce

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the history and nuances of sex work and feminist philosophy, especially within the context of commercial sex and feminist legal theory. Through an analysis of four different feminist philosophies that stemmed from the “sex wars” of the 1980s such as abolitionism, neo-abolitionism, decriminalization and legalization and their perspectives on sex work, the belief systems of these perspectives and their relation to feminist jurisprudence, as well as a comparative study of decriminalized sex work in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands and Juárez, Mexico, this research shows the ramifications of decriminalization of sex work on progressive feminism.

Kitchen Chronicles And Crude Expectations: Understanding Everyday Life In The Upper Ecuadorian Amazon, Emily A. Babb

Senior Theses

My thesis examines the everyday life of my Ecuadorian, Kichwa host family in an attempt to better understand how, if at all, they interact with and think about oil companies on a regular basis. In this way, I attempted to supplement the current literature, which tends to focus on the large, contentious interactions between indigenous people and the petroleum industry. It was my hope to expand the understanding of their identities both within and outside the context of oil and to show the complexity of their relationship with petroleum companies.

Exploring Our World: Biological And Archaeological Principles Of General Anthropology (Version 2.0), Lana Williams, Michael Callaghan

UCF Created OER Works

General Anthropology is an introduction to the discipline of anthropology that covers the four main sub-fields of biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology. While classified under a different name at schools outside of Florida, it is a common course in many university curricula. We were both excited and anxious to take on the challenge of creating an OER text, but once we decided on our goals, the mission became clearer. We had three goals in creating our OER content: namely, 1) to create a free and accessible text for students, 2) to supplement existing gaps in OER content that …