Anthropology Commons^™

Hallucinogenic Neoshamanism As Antimodernism: Development And Ethical Considerations, Ethan Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Humans have been using hallucinogenic plants and fungi for thousands of years. Historically, people around the world have made use of these substances to aid in their spiritual development. Studies of the usage of hallucinogens in indigenous societies often use the term “shamanism” to characterize the associated system of belief and ritual practices. In popular understanding, shamanism is a religious system that features highly ritualized performances in which a practitioner (shaman) utilizes an altered state of consciousness to gain access to realms inhabited by spirits with the intent of recruiting their help to resolve a problem, cure a patient, correct …

Anthropology In 3d: The Use Of Photogrammetry In The Preservation And Dissemination Of Ethnographic Art, Alexander Spindler

Honors Projects

Photogrammetry is an effective tool used by archaeologists in museums and organizations by creating a 3D model from overlapping photos. This project involved a collection of ethnographic artifacts from Papua New Guinea that are currently housed in the Grand Valley State University Anthropology Department. This essay reviews the process and results of this project. Artifacts were photographed and 3D models were created using the Agisoft Metashape program. Models are disseminated via the Sketchfab website with proper cultural information. Artifacts originate from Sepik River tribes and were designed originally for the tourist industry. This project shows the utility of photogrammetry in …

Delineation Of Cancer Service Areas Anchored By Major Cancer Centers In The United States, Changzhen Wang, Fahui Wang, Tracy Onega

Faculty Publications

Defining a reliable geographic unit pertaining to cancer care is essential in its assessment, planning, and management. This study aims to delineate and characterize the cancer service areas (CSA) accounting for the presence of major cancer centers in the United States. We used the Medicare enrollment and claims from January 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015 to build a spatial network from patients with cancer to cancer care facilities that provided inpatient and outpatient care of cancer-directed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. After excluding those without clinical care or outside of the United States, we identified 94 NCI-designated and other academic …

Moral Distress, Burnout, And Moral Injury In Healthcare Professionals, Sophia Gibson

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

For doctors and other health care professionals, experiences of care too often involve burnout and moral distress. Making both visible to begin addressing them takes up the main concern of my thesis. Burnout and moral distress swallow a life. Suddenly you aren’t going on that shopping trip with friends, you can forget about going to that movie or play. You are too tired to drag yourself out of bed, instead getting caught in a cycle of sleep and work with no time for a break or even to process what happened last shift. Who’s going to have a nice relaxing …

Reconsidering Scales And The Binary In Forensic Anthropology: A Critical Analysis Of Morphoscopic Data Utilized In Sex Estimation Standards., Bailey N. Watson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This research explores sex estimation standards used in forensic anthropology in an effort to further the conversation about forensic anthropology's binary-focused language and methods. Discussions regarding sex estimation methodology are important in light of gender variance in the general population. Presently, there is minimal published research on the identification of gender non-conforming individuals in forensic anthropology.

Two researchers individually assigned scores to features associated with sexual dimorphism in the os coxae according to existing methods for 253 individuals, equally represented by self- reported males and females. These data were statistically analyzed for correlation and overlap between features.

Results mainly point …

Quantification Of Dental Fissures Through Occlusal Topography Analysis, Duru Erkan

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Narrow, deep, and elaborate dental fissures are widely believed to increase the predisposition of enamel to develop carious lesions as these surfaces are thought to be ideal for cariogenic bacteria to adhere to. Therefore, dentists prescribe sealants as a preventative measure for patients with such fissures to avoid tooth decay. Yet to date, there is no objective data supporting the notion that fissure morphology actually affects caries susceptibility, nor is there a quantifiable, clinically practical method to characterize fissure patterns expected to increase risk of caries disease.

In this study, three new methods to quantitatively characterize fissure pattern in mandibular …

Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Subsistence Practices At The Lake Roberts Vista Site (La71877) Gila National Forest, New Mexico, Laura A. Benedict

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This work examines the faunal subsistence practices at Lake Roberts Vista, a small Mimbres pueblo with a pithouse component occupied during the Late Pithouse to Classic Mimbres periods (A.D. 550-1130). It is in the Sapillo Valley, a tributary to the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico. Inhabitants consumed mostly deer and rabbits throughout their occupation. Evidence suggests a decline in Artiodactyla resource abundance in later years based on a declining Artiodactyl Index and an increasing fragmentation rate of Artiodactyla bones. Inhabitants captured more cottontails than jackrabbits throughout their occupation.

"When The Tide Is Out, The Table Is Set": Shellfish Harvesting Throughout The Holocene At Labouchere Bay, Southeast Alaska, Mark R. Williams

Anthropology ETDs

“When the tide is out, the table is set” is a familiar saying among Native communities on the Northwest Coast of North America. This phrase encapsulates traditional ecological knowledge passed down for generations concerning intertidal marine resources. Recent archaeological excavations of shellfish gathering camps at Labouchere Bay confirm that ancient people may have followed similar principles throughout the Holocene (c.9,500 -2,500 years ago). For millennia, shellfish have been a highly reliable food source that helped support sedentary fisher-hunter-gatherer settlements. Although shellfish habitats represent highly predictable foraging opportunities, optimal foraging strategies must be carefully managed to avoid overharvesting. Collecting just enough …

Brazil's Orthodox Church Rising: Living Authentic Tradition In Brazil's Middle Class, Anastasia M. Theodoropoulos

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation examines middle-class religiosity in Brazil through an analysis of the birth of a new religious organization, the Brazilian Orthodox Church. I investigate how the performance of “authentic tradition” (tradição verdadeira) orients and authenticates new middle-class subjectivities. In considering the unprecedented recent boom of middle classes worldwide, I explore how and why members of the growing Brazilian middle class, whose livelihoods are increasingly oriented around international finance capital and foreign corporate marketing, locate sources of the authentic beyond given, national boundaries. Through participant observation and interviews with middle-class congregants, I analyze how aligning with the “authentic tradition” …

Combating Frailty: Application Of A Modified Skeletal Frailty Index In Modern Military And Civilian Populations., Emily M. Frazier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conceptualizing, quantifying, and evaluating frailty in human skeletal remains is critical to understanding and interpreting physiological health and stress among past populations. While many researchers focus on frailty in bioarchaeological samples, developing models for mortality risk and individual- and population-specific indices of stress, no current methods directly address frailty in forensic contexts. This study considers the applicability of a modified index for assessing frailty in forensic anthropology by comparing distributions of 8 biomarkers of stress (linear enamel hypoplasia; periodontal disease; caries; osteoarthritis; intervertebral disc disease; rotator cuff disorder; antemortem fracture; and surgical procedure) using the original skeletal frailty index (SFI) …

Reconstructing Bison And Mammoth Migration During The Late Pleistocene And Early Holocene Of Central Texas Using Strontium Isotopes, Joshua John Porter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the Late Pleistocene (LP; past 130,000 years), over two-thirds of large mammal (>45kg) species went extinct globally. While the role of humans is hotly debated, the effect of these extinctions is growing clearer; the extinctions resulted in widespread and lasting faunal community reorganization. However, the impact of these extinctions on dietary and migratory behavior within faunal communities is unknown. Our study examines the impact of the megafaunal extinctions on the dietary and migratory behavior of surviving Bison individuals in Texas using carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopes. Strontium isotopes are incorporated into mammalian enamel during their tooth development and …

Tooth Crown Morphology And Testosterone Transfer In Female Members Of Opposite-Sex Dizygotic Twin Pairs, Randall Feezell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The twin testosterone transfer (TTT) hypothesis posits that females gestated with male co-twins develop more masculine phenotypes due to in-utero androgen exposure. Research has shown co-gestational effects to be associated with increased deciduous and permanent tooth size in females belonging to opposite-sex dizygotic twin pairs (OSF) as compared with females belonging to same-sex monozygotic (MZF) and dizygotic (SSF) twin pairs and female siblings. This study evaluates whether the TTT hypothesis explains patterns of dental morphological variation, namely differences between OSF and other females (SSF, MZF, female siblings) in a contemporary sample that includes both deciduous and permanent data. This work …

Is The Ivory Tower Made Of Glass?: Examining Work Experiences Of Women Faculty At Butler University, Erin Elizabeth Mahan

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The guiding research question for this study is: “What are the structural, cultural, and situational factors that affect women faculty’s experience at Butler University?” While this project focuses broadly on women as an identifying group, it also requires attention to the intersectionality of individuals’ experience as issues such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disabilities are also factors shaping women’s experiences. The information from this study draws attention to the experiences that women faculty have related to their gender and potentially facilitate change starting at Butler University. This paper will discuss the experiences of women faculty at Butler University regarding …

Teaching Old Calipers New Tricks: Using Craniometrics For Ancestry Admixture Estimation Via Fuzzy Math, Kristi Carnahan

Master's Theses

Cranial measurements have been a cornerstone of physical anthropology since its formation as a discipline in the early 1900s. However, most other ancestry determination methods come with a significant epistemological issue: they differentiate individuals into discrete categories without accounting for the issue of admixture. Advances in data mining and analysis techniques can now be used to help resolve this issue through soft computing, also known as “fuzzy math”. This type of advanced computational math requires specialized knowledge in computer programming, statistics, and data analysis techniques unless one is using computer programs specially designed to run these analyses.

This project compiled …

Contextualizing The 2019 “Chile Despertó” Movement: The Impact Of Historical Relational Processes On Mobilization And Repression, Tanya Leon

International Studies (MA) Theses

To expand our theoretical and empirical understanding of mobilization and repression in Latin America, this thesis asks three critical questions. Are economic indicators sufficient predictors of social movement emergence in Latin America? What other factors contribute to large-scale mobilization in Latin America? How do government’s respond to large-scale Latin American social movements? Specifically, when, and why do democratic governments choose to employ repression against social movements? Accordingly, I construct a quantitative model to test the correlation between rise in protest and worsened economic conditions. I apply it to a comprehensive dataset of political events in multiple South American countries throughout …

Elemental Analysis Of Mangrove Unslipped Pottery From The Paynes Creek Salt Works Using A Portable Xrf Machine, Brigid Clarey

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 21: Wallace & The Doorway To The Universe, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

An important yet largely unrecognized theme in the thought of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) was his insistence that all dependably-reported phenomena, even those of aberrant nature, were worthy of a respectful kind of attention: that is, a kind which did not automatically banish difficult subjects to the realm of myth or superstition. In this work, Wallace’s philosophy in this direction is documented, and linked to the world of post-Age-of-Enlightenment revisionism.

Interdisciplinary Studies Masters Degree In Anthropological & Science Based Education, Robert Porter

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to develop anthropological and science-based curricula that will emphasize a place-based approach while actively engaging students in their education. I developed two curricula for elementary aged students in San Bernardino. The first curriculum was based anthropologically on the local history of indigenous groups and early San Bernardino history. The second was based on paleontology here in California with a focus on dinosaurs and fossils.

To improve and validate the curricula I sent the examples to educational experts and had them critique the lessons and information provided. Then I used their input to improve the …

Teaching Pedagogy Of Online Vs In-Person Learning: Relative To Osteology, Erik M. Schulz

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

With the COVID-19 global pandemic and the increasing need for a better way to teach on a global scale, this study focuses on a possible alternative to standard teaching that would address these issues. This research study examines the effectiveness of using 3D-scanned images vs cast bones in teaching human osteology. There are two main teaching concepts examined: the first examines the pedagogy of teaching and assessing if a 3D or online virtual classroom assessment compares favorably to a more traditional method of teaching osteology and other similar courses in a hands-on setting. The second consideration is to assess the …

Serendipityblah, Amanda Linn Kunkel

English Theses & Dissertations

So, you’ve stumbled upon my neck of the woods, where the weird and fantastical reside. Wit and humor may save you here but beware of what draws near. Beneath the bright and smiling facade, you may find the danse macabre. Within these pages you’ll find magic and wonder, darkness, and failure. The setting is post-March 2020 in Norfolk, Virginia. An urban city at the heart of Hampton Roads where the lines between reality and otherworldliness blur. Witches protect ghosts in a downtown Abbey. The fae break new ground in the art district of Ghent. Even Death stalks the halls of …

Locating A Marketplace At The Ancient Maya City Of Lakamha’, Mexico Using The Configurational Approach, Jonathan Roldan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In some cases, plazas that undergo archaeological testing for marketplace activity are identified using a method known as the configurational approach. This preliminary research method compares plaza locations to a list of associated features, often treated as a list of criteria. However, this approach has been criticized for its speculative nature and the equifinality of the results. Additionally, some argue that these “criteria” are only a list of assumptions. Until now, the configurational approach has received little attention due to its limitations and speculative nature, yet it remains an integral part of the preliminary process in marketplace research. This project …

Bts Army: Melampaui Narasi Stigmatisasi Identitas Perempuan Penggemar, Jasmine Floretta Vasthia Devi

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Decades have passed, but female fans who like male idols are still stigmatized, judged, and reduced to exist in society and popular culture. This is also what happened to ARMY, fans of the male idol group BTS. The research uses a qualitative research methodology elaborated through a feminist perspective to discuss how ARMYs are stigmatized because of the perceived inferiority of women and the existence of male domination in society, and also their love for the male group, regarded as the subordinated male group within the circle of hegemonic masculinity. However, the stigma and gender stereotypes attached to them were …

Kalimat Interogatif Dialek Gyeongsang Dalam Reply 1997, Adinda Noviana Carlissa, Putu Pramania Adnyana

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The Gyeongsang dialect is phonologically and morphologically unique, yet current research generally focuses only on its prosody characteristics. Research related to language style and sentence-final ending in the Gyeongsang dialect has received less attention. Therefore, this study focuses on sentence-final ending or jeongyeol eomi in Korean interrogative sentences to fill the research gap. This research is qualitative research with a descriptive analysis method. Data is collected from the Korean drama Reply 1997 from the first three episodes. The result shows that a closed-ended interrogative sentence is the type of interrogative sentence most commonly used in the data, while the most …

Penggambaran Sosok-Sosok Ideal Masa Jawa Kuno: Tinjauan Relief Gua Selomangleng Tulungagung, Nainunis Aulia Izza

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This study examines Ancient Java’s ideal figures based on seven panels of the Arjunawiwaha story from Selomangleng Tulungagung Cave. The discussion focuses on the use of archaeological data, which are reliefs, statues, and the description of ideal figures from Ancient Java Kakawin. The results show that all the figures in the Selomangleng Tulungagung Cave depicted the protagonist figures from Arjunawiwaha without showing the antagonist. The protagonist figures consist of God Indra, Arjuna, Nymphs, Soldiers, and God Shiva disguised as a sage. The protagonist figures displayed the ideal concept of figures related to their role. The relief depicted the stratification of …

Strategi Adaptasi Komunitas Sedulur Sikep Di Desa Klopoduwur Blora Pada Era Globalisasi, Nurmalya Ayu Dyani, Yuhastina Yuhastina, Nurhadi Nurhadi

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The sedulur sikep community is a collection of individuals who practice the sedulur sikep teachings, which contain the noble values of life, such as the value of humanity, the value of love for the homeland, and the value of love for the universe. The sedulur sikep community also has traditions and customs as its local wisdom. Globalization marked by the development of science and technology causes changes in various aspects of the life of the sedulur sikep community, such as changes in the religious system, changes in increasingly modern technology, and changes in traditions or customs. This article aims to …

Terjemahan Beranotasi Dongeng La Sorcière De La Rue Mouffetard Dalam Bahasa Indonesia, Rifqi Ayu Everina, Myrna Laksman-Huntley

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

An annotated translation is a translation with notes or annotations of the equivalent selected in the target language with the aim of being accountable for the equivalent. This study examines a tale entitled “la Sorcière de la Rue Mouffetard” written by Pierre Gripari. This study employs qualitative methods and a comparative model to discuss translation problems and their solutions using translation strategies from Molina and Albir (2002). The use of interjection, idioms, and words containing culture is the problem in this fairy tale translation of language and cultural elements. Various dictionaries and websites are used both in the process of …

Makna Naketi Dalam Pandangan Masyarakat Dawan: Kajian Berperspektif Pastoral, Wasti Juningsi Benu

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This research aims to describe and analyze the meaning of naketi in the view of the Dawan community in Soe City. This research is motivated by the fact that Dawan people tend to practice naketi to overcome the crisis or ongoing problems experienced. The study employs descriptive research methods with qualitative approaches. Data collection uses interview methods and library studies. The data is analyzed using a pastoral theory of meaning and function. The results of the analysis show that the practice of naketi is a form functioning as pastoral counseling based on Dawan community culture. Naketi, in the view of …

Suara Perempuan Dalam Lagu Paduan Suara Dialita, Dyah Paramita Saraswati

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The women, who survived the 1965 tragedy and had been political prisoners because they were thought to have ties to the Indonesian Communist Party, had been silenced for a long time. Those female survivors then spoke through songs in the Dialita Choir. What they do is a form of women’s writing which is an attempt to include women in historical narratives. This study aims to analyze their act as a form of feminine writing that can be seen through the lyrics of a song sung by the Dialita Choir. The lyrics from the Dialita Choir are treated as text. The …

Life After Steel: How Covid-19 Shed Light On Canton Township's Industrial Past, Daniel D. Dillon

Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review

Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the ways in which life carries on, whether this manifests in the forms of altering how people interact or how individuals work to further career goals. In the field of archaeology, attending an accredited field school takes central importance to developing much-needed skills; however, the virus made such opportunities nonexistent. Seeking a remedy for this rapidly-changing situation, I decided to make the decision to run a “field school” in my parents’ backyard. What was uncovered went beyond the nearly 300 recovered artifacts, extending into the largely unexplored history of Canton Township, Washington, Pennsylvania. Just …

A Fusion Of Microscopy Technique In Human Coprolite Analysis: The Dyck Cliff Dwelling And The Arid West Cave, William Darwin Hertzel

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

In the two papers that comprise this thesis, I will discuss the dietary complexes of two separate Southwestern archaeological sites excavated in the 20th century through the medium of coprolite analysis. The fusion of microscopy techniques in this project expands the capability of observation and identification of microremains and their use in reconstructing the dietary habits of past peoples. I intend to highlight the value of integrating three separate methods of microscopy for the identification of diet and any practices for using that information to narrow down a coprologically unstudied site location for samples of lost provenience. Additionally, this project …