Anthropology Commons^™

The Poppy: Contextualising A Seemingly Timeless Symbol In History, Materials And Practice, Emily Barrett

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

the poppy, a blood red flower, is the British nation’s symbol of remembrance. For over one hundred years, the poppy has been worn on the lapels of numerous generations as an act of respect for the military men and women that lost their lives serving the nation during times of war. The tradition ultimately began with World War I and since that time the poppy, its meaning and its use, is often viewed in a timeless manner; it transcends time to unite the past and the present. However, the poppy is not an unchanging, static and bounded symbol. This research …

Collective And Individual Identities Of Soldiers At The Florence American Cemetery And Memorial, Christiana Chmielewski

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, located outside of Florence, Italy, is the final resting place of 4,402 American soldiers who died during World War II while fighting in the Tuscan region after the liberation of Rome in June 1944. In addition to those buried, 1,409 soldiers are commemorated on the Wall of the Missing. By joining the military, these men (and women) became a part of the larger military family. Such a process ensured that their individual identities would become intertwined with that of a collective military identity. However, it was their biological kin, the family that remained in …

Impromptu Domesticity: Housing Adaptations By The Marshallese In Springdale, Ar, Kera Lathan

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study analyzes the relationship between people and their spatial environment through the lens of cultural practices and experiences. By using theories of cultural identity and activity patterns to compare spatial usage in two differing circumstances, this study will help to better understand the spatial needs of Marshallese living in Springdale, Arkansas.

The analysis uses two in-depth interviews to establish a base of qualitative data to understand the unique needs of this specific population. Through constructs such as spatial fluidity, sharing culture, and ability to adapt to new spatial practices, the two cases are compared to one another in order …

Community Viability And Marine Conservation: Hybrid Resource Management And The Role Of The Coral Triangle Center On Pulau Ay, Indonesia, Jerica Rossi

Capstone Collection

This qualitative research explores the traditional marine resource management system of sasi on Pulau Ay, Maluku, Indonesia and how it has been adapted under modern circumstances to promote conservation. The study was based on interviews with staff of the marine conservation NGO Coral Triangle Center (CTC) and the local Conservation Team, narratives of traditional leader elders, and focus groups with local fisherman. The first section of the findings articulates their perspectives on the historic and current situation regarding sasi and conservation on Pulau Ay. The study then utilizes The Interdependence of Ecosystem and Community Viability: A Theoretical Framework to Guide …

The Western Diet's Negative Impact On The Health Of The Pacific Islands., Jessica Ruikka

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In an already challenging environment, the Western diet has introduced noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease to the Pacific Islands (PIC). Without modern medicine, many of these regions, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia are ill equipped to handle the long-term effects of these noncommunicable diseases. A high percentage of the Pacific Island population is obese and overweight; and the Islands are struggling to combat the epidemic. Many programs and proposals have been implemented, such as changes in trade policy, local activism, and government modifications, but there has been no evidence of a decline in noncommunicable diseases. There …

Commingled Tombs And Arcgis: Analyzing The Mortuary Context And Taphonomy At Bronze Age Tell Abraq, Maryann Calleja

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The use of global positioning systems (GPS) and mapping software are commonplace in today’s archaeology. Artifacts and human remains can be plotted on maps and digitized immediately on sites allowing for instant analysis. Yet, the use of GPS in some locations may not be feasible due to natural or human-made terrain features such as canopy cover, densely built urban environments, caves, or other environments where satellite access may be limited. Additionally, prior to the widespread use of GPS, field archaeologists had to rely solely upon systematic, detailed notes and sketches. Such was the case at the Bronze Age tomb at …

Participation And Perception: Early Exposure, Environmental Attitudes, And Off-Highway Vehicle (Ohv) Recreation In The Boise Metropolitan Area, Michelle Lee Kinney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Off-highway vehicle use has and is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation in the Boise Metropolitan region. However, it also has the potential to impact the flora and fauna present on public lands. As OHV use increases, so does the likelihood of impacts on the environments where recreation takes place. In order to effectively manage the resources provided by the landscape, more must be known about the user population. This study sought to determine which elements affect the continued use of OHVs and how OHV recreationists differed in their environmental attitudes by categorizing them into groups according to their …

A Gnawing Problem: Does Rodent Incisor Microwear Record Diet Or Habitat?, Salvatore Samuel Caporale

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dental microwear has been shown to reflect food preferences and habitat in extant vertebrates, and its analysis has been applied to fossil assemblages to infer paleodiet and paleoenvironment. Such reconstructions are, of course, only as good as the extant baseline used to infer relationships between wear pattern and diet/habitat. This study tests, through dental microwear texture analysis, the potential of modern rodent lower incisors to reveal those relationships, and evaluates the extent to which effects of diet and habitat can be parsed from the signal. Microwear texture profiles were created for individual lower rodent incisors (n=430) using confocal profilometry and …

Economies Set In Stone? Magdalenian Lithic Technological Organization And Adaptation In Vasco-Cantabrian Spain, Lisa Marie Fontes

Anthropology ETDs

This hybrid dissertation explores how hunter-gatherer groups who lived during the Initial and Lower Magdalenian archaeological periods (c.17-14,000 uncal. BP) adapted their lithic technological organization to environmental complexity in the Vasco-Cantabrian region of north coastal Spain. Four manuscripts that examine aspects of Last Glacial hunter-gatherer adaptations are presented in this dissertation. The first three have been published or are in press in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Journal of Archaeological Science, and Quaternary International. The last is a completed manuscript that is under review by the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. The first paper focuses on how archaeologists examine …

Ceramic Diversity And Its Relation To Access To Market For Slaves On A Plantation, Rebecca L. Aucoin

Honors Theses

A study of the diversity of ceramics found on a plantation at a slave house in relation to the access to market that slave had could lead to a better understanding of the life and culture of slaves. A high diversity of ceramics at sites might indicate slaves purchased their own ceramics. At a number of sites located in the Natchez District in Mississippi, a study was conducted to identify samples of ceramic sherds to determine if slaves were able to purchase their own dish ware. The results of the study indicated that slaves at Mount Locust Plantation likely had …

Names As A Means Of Inclusion And Transformation: Naming And Transcultural Kinship Among The Wampar, Papua New Guinea, Doris Bacalzo

Pacific Studies

This study examines how naming practices function as strategic tools for identity negotiation and social positioning among children of interethnic marriages in Dzifasing, a Wampar village in Papua New Guinea. Through analysis of transcultural kinship networks, the research investigates how names serve as resources in negotiating belonging, rights, and identities within an increasingly multiethnic environment.

Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 39, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2016 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Naming Relationship And Constructing Hierarchy: Names, Value, And Hierarchy Among The Austronesian Paiwan, Taiwan, Kun-Hui Ku

Pacific Studies

This paper explores the relationship between naming practices and social hierarchy among the Paiwan people of Piuma. It argues that names and the act of naming are central to the reproduction and negotiation of hierarchical relationships, functioning alongside heirlooms and other valuables. The study demonstrates how names serve as dynamic symbols of identity, rank, and political alliance. It underscores the importance of symbolic capital in shaping long-term social and historical trajectories within Paiwan society.

Names Redux: Person, Structure, Change, Lamont Lindstrom, Kun-Hui Ku

Pacific Studies

This study examines the anthropological significance of naming systems, focusing on their dual function in both individuating persons and connecting them to broader social structures.

Totemic Names On Aneityum, Vanuatu, Latham T. Wood

Pacific Studies

This study approaches the understanding of Aneityum social reproduction through acts of nomination. The research analyzes how totemic names function as dual mechanisms for social placement, simultaneously establishing relationships between individuals and physical locations (totemic districts) while embedding them within social groups and relationships.

Naming In Kanak Groups: Names, Relations, And Personal Identity Among The Paicî Kanak (Ponerihouen, New Caledonia), Isabelle Leblic

Pacific Studies

This study examines naming practices, particularly in Kanak groups. Understanding naming systems is important to understanding personal identity, social relations, and local history within a community.

Naming And Name Changing In Postcolonial Madagascar, Denis Regnier

Pacific Studies

This paper examines the cultural significance of name changing among the Betsileo of Madagascar, highlighting its dual role in shaping individual identity and reinforcing collective continuity. This practice fosters a dynamic interplay between memory and legacy, as names circulate between honoring ancestors and acknowledging descendants. Despite the fluidity of personal names over time, the group maintains a visible sense of continuity through this ritualized naming system. The study argues that name changing is a vital mechanism for the ongoing construction of personhood and the temporal cohesion of the descent group.

Nomination And Social Reproduction, Lamont Lindstrom

Pacific Studies

This study challenges traditional anthropological focus on kinship and descent as primary mechanisms for corporate group formation in Pacific Island societies. The research how mechanisms such as nomination, adoption, and name-sharing function as non-descent based methods for group membership, comparing these to corporate shareholding systems.

Namoluk Onomatology: Two Centuries Of Personal Naming Practices, Mac Marshall

Pacific Studies

This paper explores the personal naming practices on Namoluk Atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia, with a focus on how these practices reflect and shape individual identity and social change. The study confirms the singularity of personal names on Namoluk, contrasting this with name-recycling systems found in other Oceanic societies. The study highlights the adaptability of naming as a cultural practice and its role in mediating between tradition and modernity.

Naming And Social Life: The Case Of The Pinuyumayan (Puyuma) People In Eastern Taiwan, Wen-Te Chen

Pacific Studies

This study examines the complex relationship between personal names, personhood, and social life among the Pinuyumayan people of eastern Taiwan, contextualizing their practices within broader cross-cultural naming patterns. By examining naming practices throughout the life course, the research demonstrates how naming systems integrate various social domains including kinship, community organization, and gender relations. This analysis reveals how naming practices serve as critical indicators of social development and cultural values in Pinuyumayan society.

Entering God’S Family: The Adoption Of Christian Names In The Early Bunun Presbyterian Church, Eastern Taiwan, Chun-Wei Fang

Pacific Studies

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in eastern Taiwan, this paper reconsiders the Bunun naming system, exploring how the adoption of Christian names among the Bunun reflects not passive cultural assimilation but active engagement with social change. This case study contributes to broader discussions on indigenization, religious conversion, and the role of naming in mediating cultural continuity and change.

“I Am A Grandparent And My Name Is Good”: Status, Food, And Gender Among The Kelabit Of Sarawak, Monica Janowski

Pacific Studies

This study examines the complex address and reference system of the Kelabit people of Central Borneo, focusing on how naming practices reflect and reinforce kinship structures, gender differentiation, and social status. The research analyzes how the elaborate Kelabit naming system, distinct from other Apo Duat groups, emphasizes parental and grandparental roles. The study also demonstrates how the Kelabit system has evolved uniquely while maintaining connections to traditional environmental relationships. This analysis reveals how naming practices serve as key indicators of social organization and cultural identity in Kelabit society.

Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Into The Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Of Acculturation, Stress, And Refugee Family Functioning, Kieu Anh T. Do

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and …

Evaluating The Environmental Effectiveness Of Grassroots Environmental Stewardship Organizations In Maryland, Sarah Close, Dana R. Fisher, William Yagatich, Anya Galli Robertson

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Small organizations that conduct environmental stewardship projects often lack access to the research capacity, funding, or tools needed to evaluate scientifically the environmental effectiveness of the measures they undertake. Still, evaluation of environmental effectiveness, defined here as the implementation of specific local goals, is prudent where projects are carried out with environmental stewardship goals in mind. We propose and test a process for evaluating environmental effectiveness of stewardship programs in a rigorous, yet feasible, approach through analysis of archived documents, program materials, and project inventories, as well as a survey of program participants. Using three franchises of the Watershed Stewards …

Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (Tapas) Program: A High School Study Abroad Program For District 128, Michaela Kendzior

Capstone Collection

As colleges begin to internationalize campuses and global competencies continue to become a demand in the workforce, secondary schools should also aim to internationalize the curriculum and offer international education opportunities to their students. In an effort to do this, I have created the Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (TAPAS) Program for Community High School District 128 in Illinois. The TAPAS program is a 20-day summer intensive cultural and language immersion program created to maximize learning potential in D128 students. While the program’s focus is on Spanish language and culture education, the orientation and instructional activities have been designed …

La Minga As A Model Of Food Justice? : A Thesis On The Motivations And Practices Of Immigrant And Native-Citizen Growers At La Minga Cooperative Farm In Prospect, Ky., Tyler Austin Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Progressive and radical stakeholders in the local food system call for forms of agricultural production and distribution that dialectically oppose the dominant paradigm of corporate-controlled agribusiness. This ethnographic research engages with the question of whether La Minga is a model of food justice. I collected ethnographic data from May 2015 to March 2016 via informal conversations and semi-structured interviews with members of the farm as well as secondary data gleaned from literature on anarchism, political economy, and food and agriculture. La Minga serves as a small-scale example of immigrants and native-citizens exercising their human right to produce healthy, culturally-appropriate food …

Setting The Table In 19th Century St. Louis: The Utility Of Glass Tableware Analysis In The Archaeology Of Domesticity And Consumerism, Grace Lynn Gronniger

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The historical archaeology of domesticity and consumption relies heavily on the analysis of ceramic tableware artifacts. Few archaeologists have seriously incorporated analyses of glass tableware into this body of research, even though glass tableware was intensively marketed and is a common and durable domestic artifact class. My research addresses this problem through a study of glass tableware from Victorian Age (1830s – 1900s) residential sites in St. Louis, Missouri. This is done, in part, by adapting methods of historic ceramic artifact analysis to the analysis of historic glassware. Applying it in a historical archaeological study of household consumption in relation …

The Impact Of Mycobacterium Leprae: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Of The Paleopathological Literature, Mallory Alexis Schreier

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Leprosy, caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis, is a chronic, infectious disease that eventually causes disfiguring skin lesions, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. Even though leprosy has been nearly eliminated in many parts of the world today, it remains endemic in India, Myanmar, Nepal, Brazil, and a few African countries. Unfortunately, this infectious disease is not limited to just modern populations. In the past, leprosy spread globally and was a pervasive, degenerating disease. The literature traces leprosy back to 1550 BCE although there is possible skeletal evidence of leprosy in Rajasthan, India from 2000 BCE, suggesting …

Reading Between The Lines: Indicators Of Developmental Stress In Prehistoric Ohio Valley Children From Linear Enamel Hypoplasias, Emily Moes

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A large body of research in bioarchaeology focuses on the changes in the human skeleton associated with the introduction of agriculture. It is assumed that the intensification of agriculture results in an increase in physiological stress and poor health. However, previous studies have shown that stress experiences cannot be generalized by subsistence strategy and prevalence comparisons alone. Rather, age-at and duration of stress events are necessary to construct patterns of health.

Linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH) of subadult permanent dentition serve as a proxy for understanding health and stress in archaeological populations. LEH are defects in enamel, characterized by an increased …