Anthropology Commons^™

Giving A Voice To The Powerless: Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation As A Tool For Inclusive Development Through Microfinance, Evan T. Burke

Capstone Collection

The greatest experts on the situation of the marginalized peoples of the world are the marginalized communities themselves. This paper explores how participatory monitoring & evaluation can be a powerful tool for giving voices to marginalized communities, ensuring that the voices of beneficiaries and local stakeholders are heard and inform sustainable project design. It analyzes a participatory monitoring and evaluation methodology implemented for women’s credit cooperatives in Gujarat, India by the Human Development & Research Centre, and examines lessons to be learned to design evaluations facilitating inclusive development.

Strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of microfinance have evolved along with …

Community Scholars Program Reunion - Frankfort, Kentucky (Fa 741), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 741. This collection contains information and documentation about the Community Scholars Program Reunion held on 16 June 2012 at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Community Scholars Program - Mccracken County, Kentucky (Fa 737), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 737. This collection contains information and documentation about the Community Scholars Program’s workshops held in McCracken County, Kentucky during the summer of 2008. Thecollection chiefly features projects completed by program participants.

Community Scholars Program - Caldwell County, Kentucky (Fa 739), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 739. This collection contains information and documentation about the Community Scholars Program’s workshops held in Caldwell County, Kentucky in 2008. The collection exclusively features a project about Amerindian culture completed by participant Melissa Earnest.

Community Scholars Program - Johnson County, Kentucy (Fa 738), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Collection 738. This collection contains information and documentation about the Community Scholars Program’s workshops held in Johnson County, Kentucky during the summer of 2003. The collection focuses on the overview of the program held in Paintsville.

Morton, Joe (Fa 814), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 814. Paper titled “Folk Beliefs and Superstitions,” prepared by Joe Morton for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Morton includes field notes consisting of index cards documenting folk beliefs and superstitions that he collected from informants across Kentucky.

Transformation Of Sympathies: Gendered Mediation Of Jordanian Education Reform For A Knowledge Economy, Rebecca Hodges

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In Jordan, teaching is widely considered “the best job for a woman” because it is accommodating and culturally appropriate for a wife and mother. Public secondary schools and comprehensive (K-12) schools in Jordan are predominantly gender-segregated, with female teachers and staff serving as models of professionalism and womanhood for generations of young girls. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan faces rising youth unemployment and pressures for democratization, and has responded with the explicitly transformational Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy (ERFKE) to overhaul the centralized public education system. ERFKE’s curricular goals include multilingualism, technological fluency, democratic participation, cooperation and teamwork, critical …

Interrogating The Superlative Sufferer: Experiencing Obstetric Fistula And Treatment Seeking In Niger, Alison Heller

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Niger is considered the poorest country in the world and has the world’s highest total fertility rate. This confluence of extreme poverty and pronatalism (in principle and in practice) situates Niger as a prime site for exploring maternal morbidities, particularly experiences of obstetric fistula, a birthing injury caused by prolonged obstructed labor that results in chronic incontinence of urine and/or feces. This fieldwork was carried out over the course of one year (in addition to two summers) at four fistula centers with one hundred women with fistula as well as thirty-eight family members, husbands, and fistula professionals. In this dissertation …

From Tibetan Refugees To Transmigrants: Negotiating Cultural Continuity And Economic Mobility Through Migration, Namgyal Choedup

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATIONThis dissertation research, funded by International Dissertation Research Fellowship from Social Science Research Council, investigates how a group of people, who continues to valorize their “statelessness”, critically and actively engages with the powers and policies of host nation-states and international geopolitics to negotiate their individual and collective goals of socio-economic mobility and cultural continuity. Through the study of lived experiences of three generations of Tibetan exiles living as “stateless” people in India, the study investigates historical and contemporary expressions of nation-state, homeland, cultural and ethnic identity within the Tibetan exile communities in India with reference to two …

Culture And Cognition: The Role Culture Plays In Cognitive Development In Rural Tanzania, Eileen Seissen

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper examines the perceived difference of cognition in a Tanzanian classroom. It also examines the effects culture has on cognition. It aims to answer the questions: What role does Tanzanian culture play in shaping the cognitive skills of its children? And, from an American trainers perspective, within an experiential learning environment, what cognitive differences are perceived in abstract thinking, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving? Nine American trainers, one Tanzanian trainer, and one Tanzanian student participated in my study. Each participant filled out a questionnaire geared toward understanding their training methods and perceptions of participant's skills and abilities. After …

Reinventing The Role Of Children And Youth In Post-Conflict Peacebuilding, Amirah M. Alias

Capstone Collection

This paper underlines the roles of children and youth in post-conflict peacebuilding and the reinvention of their roles from participants of peacebuilding to active facilitators of post-conflict peacebuilding. The reinvention is based on the re-interpretation of the traditional roles of children and youth in post-conflict peacebuilding and the analysis of children and youth peacebuilding programs. The re-interpretation will suggest that children and youth take on a more active role, if not, a leadership role in peacebuilding programs conducted for children and youth. This paper will look at the historical and contextual information about Nigeria's inter-religious conflict and a youth peacebuilding …

Paleoepidemiology Of Intestinal Parasites And Lice In Pre-Columbian South America *, Adauto Araujo, Karl J. Reinhard, Daniela Leles, Luciana Sianto, Alena Iniguez, Martin Fugassa, Berrnardo Arriaza, Nancy Orellana, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

Karl Reinhard Publications

Some human parasites originated in prehominid ancestors in Africa. Nematode species, such as Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm), hookworms and Trichuris trichiura are shared by humans and other close phylogenetic primates (Pan and Gorilla), showing that they infected a common ancestor to this group. When humans migrated from Africa to other continents they carried these parasites wherever climate conditions allowed parasite transmission from host to host. Other parasites, however, were acquired throughout human biological and social evolutive history when new territories were occupied. Paleoparasitology data is a valuable source to recover emergence and disappearance of parasite infections through analysis of archaeological remains. …

Diet And Parasitism At Dust Devil Cave, Karl J. Reinhard, J Richard Ambler, Magdalene Mcguffie

Karl Reinhard Publications

Human parasitism has obvious relationships to group size and composition, mobility, subsistence patterns, and rates of culture change. At their best, human endoparasites may be annoying; at their worst, some can cause death. Thus, an overall view of the parasite load of a prehistoric population can yield insights useful in interpreting past lifeways. With these thoughts in mind, we undertook a study of Desha Complex (6800-4800 B .C.) human feces recovered from Dust Devil Cave in southern Utah.

Philosopher's Stone: The Faustian Geist Of Development, Salikyu Sangtam

Dissertations

The present study juxtaposes scientific rationality with polyphonic rationality in respect to societal development. This is done to illuminate how scientific rationality provides a narrow and truncated view of development. In order to explicate the exclusion of polyphonic rationalities/knowledges in favor of scientific rationality, several development scholarships are examined along with an episode of developmental scheme and two episodes of development programs. This is done to expound (note: ‘→’ = influences) how scientific rationality → scholarships → organizational/institutional schemes, such as the MDGs → actual applications of development schemes, such as transmigration and compulsory villagization. The present inquest, …

The Use And Application Of Photogrammetry For The In-Field Documentation Of Archaeological Features: Three Case Studies From The Great Plains And Southeastern Alaska, Michael Chodoronek

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This master’s thesis is comprised of two stand-alone technical papers united by a common theme. These papers explore the use and adaptation of a new software program, PhotoScan by Agisoft, and the use of non-traditional photogrammetry as a technique that should be incorporated into standard archaeological field practice. The PhotoScan program allows for rapid and accurate capture of photogrammatic information in a multitude of settings. The studies presented in this thesis were conducted between 2013 and 2015, over the course of which multiple advancements have brought the technology to new heights in the streamlined production of 3D representations of features …

An Ethnography Of Taste: Craft Beer Culture In Hattiesburg, Yingkun Hou

Master's Theses

This thesis studies the craft beer culture in Hattiesburg in order to answer the research question: Is taste what draws people to this culture? Beyond conducting classic participant-observation, I deployed the method of sensory activated participant-observation in my fieldwork. In so doing, this research centers the perspective and the data collected on the senses, especially the taste of craft beer. The purpose of this research is to add to our knowledge of the anthropology of the senses and contribute to the literature on the anthropology of taste.

Kin Selection, Raymond Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

When Hamilton (1964) published his theory of inclusive fitness it had no immediate impact in the social and behavioral sciences, even though ethnographers knew kinship to be a universally fundamental factor in human social organization, especially in egalitarian societies in which humans have spent nearly all their evolutionary history. In many ways, it was a theory that perhaps anthropologists should have devised: Anthropologists knew kinship fundamentally structured cooperation, identity, coalition formation, resource exchange, marriage, and group membership in traditional societies. It was not until 1974 with the publication of Wilson’s Sociobiology (1975) and especially Richard Alexander’s The Evolution of Social …

Introduction: A Legacy Of Raised Expectations, Leif Stenberg, Christa Salamandra

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Breastfeeding With The Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank, Marykate Bodnar

Masters Theses

Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo is home to one of only 15 certified breast milk banks in the United States. Women have shared breast milk for centuries through wet nurses, but this institutionalized and regulated version of sharing is distinct from previous forms. Breastfeeding has become a symbol of successful motherhood; donor milk adds a new dimension to this aspect of idealized motherhood. This study explores how the milk bank works: its organizational structure within a hospital, how donors are selected, and how recipients qualify for donor milk. It is grounded in Feminist and Medical Anthropology literature. Using semi-structured interviews …

Playing With Fire: An Ethnographic Look At How Polyamory Functions In The Central Florida Burner Community, Maleia Mikesell

HIM 1990-2015

This thesis asks the question as to whether polyamory functions as a community glue or solvent for the Central Florida Burner Community. It explores the definition of polyamory and how it relates to the Burner counter-culture. This thesis explores what polyamory's effects are on the individual and community levels for those who participate in it. The findings concluded that overall the participants reported a perceived positive impact on both the individual level and on community cohesion in this case. The participants also revealed that the environment Burning Man provides is generally open and welcoming of polyamory.

The Performance Of Health? Motivations Behind University Students' Decisions To Wear Athletic Attire, Shannon Payne

HIM 1990-2015

"Athleisure" is a relatively new term to the American lexicon, a portmanteau used to describe athletic clothing used for leisure purposes. Recent studies show a disconnect between consumers' desire to purchase athletic attire and the percentage of Americans considered "active to a healthy level and beyond." While athletic wear sales skyrocket, reported levels of inactivity have slowly increased in recent years. These trends indicate a phenomenon in which consumers prioritize ownership of athletic wear over athletics. In this research, I set out to answer the following research questions: How do university students interpret and understand the purchase and wearing of …

The Culture Of Sustainability At Southern Miss, Amy J. Ball

Honors Theses

The sustainability movement has been studied in general before, but little research has been done on topic of the sustainability movement at universities. This study aims to contribute to the larger conversation on sustainability by looking at the ideas and motivations behind participation in the movement among students at the University of Southern Mississippi. This is done primarily through interviews performed by the researcher with a number of students in a club on campus dedicated to spreading knowledge of and participation in sustainable activities, known as the Sustainability Advocates. Background information about the sustainability movement on campus is provided by …

From Romance To Reality: Images Of Pacific Islanders Across Time And Space, Nancy Lutkehaus, Judith Schachter

Pacific Studies

This article examines the enduring legacy and evolving dynamics of Western representations of the Pacific and its peoples, from early European voyages to contemporary media. This issue marks a shift in disciplinary focus, with anthropologists contributing to a field previously dominated by literary and cultural historians. Through analyses of visual culture, media, and transoceanic connections, the collection interrogates the commodification of culture and the hegemonic influence of Western narratives, while also illuminating the creative and critical responses of Pacific communities navigating these representations in a globalized world.

Jack London’S Pacific Voyage Of Transformation: An Anthropologist Looks At The Cruise Of The Snark (1911), Nancy Lutkehaus

Pacific Studies

This article examines the transformative impact of Jack London’s Pacific voyage aboard the Snark on his views of race and colonialism. Through encounters with both Pacific Islanders and white colonial settlers—missionaries, labor recruiters, and self-styled expatriates—London’s writings reveal a shift in his racial perceptions and self-representation. The Snark voyage played a pivotal role in reshaping London’s literary and ideological engagement with the Pacific and its peoples.

Romanticism And Reality On The Gc: Transnational Māori On The Gold Coast, Sarina Pearson

Pacific Studies

This essay examines the controversy surrounding The GC, a New Zealand reality television series that follows young Māori living on Australia’s Gold Coast, and the cultural debates it sparked about Māori identity, representation, and modernity. By analyzing the show’s reception and its challenge to dominant visual and cultural narratives, the essay explores how primitivism continues to shape public discourse and how Māori media productions can disrupt and redefine the boundaries of indigenous representation.

Representations Of Pacific Islander Identity: Ours And Theirs, Kirsten Mcgavin

Pacific Studies

This article explores how Pacific Islander identities—particularly within diasporic communities in Australia—are shaped through the interplay between stereotypical media portrayals and lived cultural realities. While Western tourism and media have long perpetuated romanticized images of Pacific “paradise,” these depictions often obscure the diversity and complexity of actual Island life. Through case studies—including climate change rallies, community gatherings, and online forums—the article examines how Islanders respond to, resist, and sometimes repurpose outsider stereotypes to articulate self-representations that are both grounded and adaptive. The study highlights the dynamic processes of identity formation in the Pacific diaspora and the ongoing negotiation between authenticity …

Representation As Disaster: Mapping Islands, Climate Change, And Displacement In Oceania, Wolfgang Kempf

Pacific Studies

This study critically examines how Pacific islands and island states are represented at the intersection of global media and popular scientific communication in the context of climate change and sea-level rise. This work contributes to broader scholarship on the media’s role in shaping public understanding of climate change and highlights the need for more accurate, context-sensitive portrayals of island futures.

Anthropophagi In New-York And Other Voyagers, Maria Lepowsky

Pacific Studies

This chapter continues the exploration of maritime cultures of contact by following the post-shipwreck adventures of voyagers in the Pacific in the nineteenth century. The chapter also examines the literary and cultural afterlives of Pacific travel narratives, particularly those of Benjamin Morrell and Thomas Jacobs, whose depictions of islanders influenced canonical works by Poe and Melville. These narratives reveal the contradictory perceptions American sailors held of Pacific peoples—ranging from “cannibal savages” to noble and intelligent individuals—and the enduring tropes of the “noble savage” and “civilized native.” By tracing these voyages and representations, the chapter highlights the early emergence of a …

Imagining The Marshall Islands, Laurence M. Carucci

Pacific Studies

As anthropologists have developed a more critical eye, earlier assumptions about the privileged position of anthropological texts have been dismissed as elitist, self-serving, and paternalistic. Perhaps James Clifford was the first to recognize the limitations of such possessiveness toward these imagined others, but his call for a broader view has been taken up by many in the field. Here, I consider the images of three interlopers, none of them anthropologists, as they each, in separate historical contexts and different positional circumstances, come to imagine Marshall Islanders as certain types of others. A consideration of these accounts reveals a good deal …

Oh, Those Poor Islanders And Threats To An Idyllic Life On A Beautiful Island!, Juliana Flinn

Pacific Studies

This essay examines the representation of Pollap, a Micronesian atoll, in popular media and internet sources, highlighting the contrast between anthropological perspectives and public portrayals. While scholars emphasize indigenous agency and the adaptive use of external influences, popular media—ranging from Peace Corps blogs to disaster reports—often depict islanders through romanticized or victimized lenses. These portrayals reflect more about Western cultural fantasies and assumptions than about the lived realities of Pollapese people. Romantic narratives emphasize idyllic simplicity and harmony with nature, while disaster coverage frames islanders as helpless and dependent on external aid. Notably absent are accounts of local responses or …