Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons^™

Community Identity, Rebecca F. Aronhalt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Community Identity: Abstract

El propósito de esta investigación fue identificar la identidad de la comunidad latina alrededor del vecindario de ¨North Hill¨ en Akron, Ohio, según los ciudadanos latinos que viven allí. Tiene valor describir esta comunidad porque es un componente de la comunidad entero de Akron que es menos visible. Entendiendo cómo ellos se ven a si mismos me ayudó, como estudiante de español en la Universidad de Akron, a entender mejor la tela compleja de la ciudad. Para conseguir esta información, hice entrevistas en español con seis adultos latinos que viven en North Hill. Utilicé un método narrativo …

May You Walk In Beauty: The Decline Of Navajo Land And Culture, Jocelyn Catterson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Navajo homeland, Dinetah, is bordered by four mountains that are sacred to the Navajo people: two in Colorado, one in New Mexico, and one in Arizona. Historically, Navajo medicine men have traveled to these mountains to renew prayers and collect medicinal herbs. Today, the mountains, which exist outside of the reservation boundaries, are used for resource extraction and various recreational pursuits. While many Navajo are fighting for the protection of these sacred lands and their traditional culture, others are disinterested. Traditional practices and beliefs are slowly disappearing within the Navajo Nation. The land-use issues associated with these sacred mountains …

The Increase On Nonconsensual Bride Kidnapping In Kyrgyzstan, Amna Nawaz

UROP Posters

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the country of Kyrgyzstan has had an unprecedented jump in bride kidnapping. The number of occurrences has skyrocketed and with that so has the severity of the violence. In this time women are taken, with no prior indication of when or how, and forced to marry their kidnappers. This non-consensual practice has morphed for reasons unknown. To stop the increasingly abysmal state of women’s rights in Kyrgyzstan, and in countries all of over the world, we must discover why people turned towards violence and lack of consent in the 1990’s.

To determine the …

A Research Framework For The Geographic Study Of Exotic Pet Mammals In The Usa, Gabrielle C. Tegeder

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Exotic animals are not well-represented in geographic studies, even in the emerging sub-field of animal geography. With the dearth of exotic animal studies, and the relevance of exotic pets in the public consciousness and in the news, a basic, introductory study such as this is necessary to begin examining the myriad ways in which exotic pets intersect with, and have influence in, both the site and situation of modern human-oriented environments.

Exotic pet attack incidents and both state and federal laws regarding the private ownership of exotic mammals as pets were examined in detail within the scope of this research. …

The Impact Of Acculturation On Perceptions Of Elder Abuse And Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Elderly Polynesians, Myra Halaevalu Te’O Aukusitino

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was conducted to determine whether or not acculturation affects the process of help-seeking patterns and behaviors for Polynesian victims of elder abuse. The researcher utilized a quantitative correlation design to employ structured survey measures to collect statistical data to determine the impact of acculturation on perception of elder abuse and help-seeking behaviors among elderly Polynesians. Acculturation was measured using the Polynesian Self-Identify Acculturation Scale and the 13 case scenarios developed by Moon and Williams. The study looked at the extent to which elderly Polynesians perceived that the scenarios depicted abusive situations, and to what extent they indicated …

Perceptions Of Empty Nest Mothers From Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds With Boomerang Kids, Banning Kent Lary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a growing number of young people are failing to launch into self-sufficiency, a characteristic of adulthood recognized by most cultural groups. These "boomerang children" return home and interrupt the life course development of their "empty nest" mothers who must suspend plans for self-development. How mothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds cope with this countertransitional phenomenon while preparing their children for successful relaunch is not well known. Elder's life course paradigm provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. Perceptions were collected from an ethnically diverse group of 23 empty nest mothers with 30 boomerang children and seven …

The Native American Organic Garden: Using Service Learning As A Site Of Resistance To The Boarding School Tradition, Donna Chollett

Anthropology Publications

As educators, we owe it to our students to enable them to transgress structural impediments and to create sustainable alternatives from the margins of the industrial agro-food system. Policies of assimilation, allotment, and enclosure of the Native American commons and ecosystems brought devastation to Native cultures. Dependence on government commodities replaced Native food sovereignty and contributed to malnutrition, obesity, and diabetes as diets responded to corporately produced and processed foods. Young people often feel disempowered and ask how they might confront such formidable forces as corporate control of our agro-food system, destruction of natural resources, and threats to human health. …

Dating In Dharamsala The Tibetan Exile Dating Experience, Ben Kingstone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By studying the younger generation’s dating culture in the Tibetan exile community of Dharamsala, I hoped to glean a deeper insight into how cultural values effected interpersonal relationships in an everyday context, and in doing so hoped to find a bit about the unique qualities of Tibetan culture. I came in with many ideas of different themes, from Buddhist values and their effect on the dating culture, to the effect of assimilation on imported Tibetan ideas about dating and relationships. What I ultimately found had very little to do with Buddhist ideas and had far larger implications about the effects …

Layers Of Home: Dharamsala And The Changing Home Of Tibetans, Lydia Talen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

McLeod Ganj, a major suburb of Dharamsala, has been the home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile for the past 54 years. The arrival of His Holiness caused a surge of development in McLeod Ganj. My independent study project studies the resulting changes in the physical infrastructure, the way people use space in McLeod Ganj and whether Tibetans perceive McLeod Ganj as their home. I hope to further understand the complexity and fluidity of the idea of home, specifically for Tibetan refugees, through the examination of physical changes in McLeod Ganj.

"Race Becomes Biology": Co-Occurring Oral And Systemic Disease As Embodiment Of Structural Violence In An American Skeletal Sample, Rieti G. Gengo

Masters Theses

In recent years, a large number of biomedical studies have demonstrated that the bacteria that contribute to periodontal disease can migrate outside the oral cavity, causing a host of systemic infections. Yet, to date, only one bioarchaeological investigation has addressed this co-occurring disease process in a past population. The results of this thesis confirm the bioarchaeological visibility of the correlation between oral and systemic disease based on data derived from a sample of white and black adults from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection. Vertical recessions and porous remodeling of the alveolar crest were examined to identify periodontitis. Periosteal …

Participatory Democracy In The Chinese Cyber World: Case Studies From Weibo, Duyi Li

Master's Theses

This thesis discusses features of citizen communication on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, and its relationship to participatory democracy in China. Weibo is a complex social space due to the interplay of different forces and social actors. On the one hand, Weibo provides the space for bottom-up political participation: it expands the horizontal discursive space where plural discourses coexist and interact; provides a social sphere where counter-discourses are created; a space where the culture of resistance is formed; and serves as an alternative source for information. On the other hand, the vertical political control of the state, and the …

Have Dominicans Surpassed Puerto Ricans To Become New York City’S Largest Latino Nationality? An Analysis Of Latino Population Data From The 2013 American Community Survey For New York City And The Metropolitan Area, Laird W. Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines three data sets from the recently released American Community Survey (ACS) of 2013 to estimate the population sizes of the largest Latino national sub groups in New York City and in the City’s surrounding counties.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The data released by IPUMS in November 2014 from American Community Survey for 2013, and analyzed here, …

Demographic, Economic And Social Transformations In The Colombian-Origin Population Of The New York City Metropolitan Area, 1990 - 2010, Laird W. Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic aspects of the Colombian-origin population of the New York City area between 1990 and 2010.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The demographic, social, and economic indicators considered in this report were influenced by decline of immigration from Colombia to the region after 2000. Like most immigrant groups before them Colombians are ambitious, hard workers, …

Did One Veil Give Women A Better Life?, Mary C. Westermann

Student Publications

Unfortunately, a young woman in Renaissance Florence did not have many options for her future. A woman's family usually decided whether she would be able to get married or would have to enter the convent, but sometimes she was able to make this choice. In this paper, I look at the lives of wives and nuns to analyze how their lives differed in responsibilities and freedoms, but also to see how all women had similar restrictions and expectations placed upon them.

The Problem Of State Intervention In Post-Abolition Slavery: A Critique Of Consensus, Anthony Talbott, David Watkins

Political Science Faculty Publications

Slavery is now illegal by all states and under international law. Contrary to the hopes of abolitionists, this state of affairs has transformed rather than eradicated slavery as an institution. Furthermore, responses by states to post-abolition forms of slavery have often been less than ideal. This paper begins by comparing two state responses to slavery in the early 20th century: the federal peonage trials in Montgomery, Alabama from 1903-1905, and the federal response to an alleged epidemic of “white slavery” from 1909-1910, culminating in the passage of the White Slave-Traffic Act. Taken together, these responses engender pessimism about the state …

“Education Should Be Number One”: Life Stories Of Migrant Crèche Teachers And Their Impact On The Early Childhood Education Of Vulnerable Youth, Romi Messer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project seeks to identify, examine, and analyze how the life experiences of African migrant women manifest in the aspirations, visions, and goals for their school children’s education and integration in society. The study focuses on the teachers and young children at the Union of Refugee Women’s Children Care Centre, an organization that provides early childhood education to children in refugee and economically disadvantaged communities. In this paper I explore how life experiences influence the curriculum and daily activities at the crèche as well as which skills the teachers find essential to pass on to the refugee and economically disadvantaged …

Dreaming Larger Than Life: Perceptions Of South African Black Wealth And Aspirations Of Success Among Young Adults At Wiggins Secondary School, Mikaela Zetley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project seeks to understand the aspirations and understandings of success of young adults at Wiggins Secondary School and how their dreams are impacted by their perceptions of black wealth as well as their social environment and experiences. By examining the way the students interact with black wealth, it is possible to better comprehend the influence of black wealth and ideas of middle class-ness on their definitions of success. This will further inform an understanding of the means by which they hope to live out their dreams. Specifically, I also investigate the impact of role models on definitions of success …

The Ecology Of Infancy And Early Childhood In Rural Senegal; A Five Year Old Can Boot But Not Foot, An Exploration Of Where Biology Meets Culture, Heather Mills

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project explores the life stages of infancy and early childhood in the village of Ndiane in the Thies region of Senegal. I will discuss how biology meets culture to influence children, parenting styles, and expectations of the life stage. How does ecology, the interaction of physical, biological and cultural landscapes, characterize childhood and the intertwined belief systems that influence parenting? The information was gathered using a combination of participant observation and free list interviews.

Empowered For A Better Future: An Analysis Of Women’S Empowerment Through Gulu Women’S Economic Development And Globalization (Gwed-­‐G) Organization In Gulu, Uganda, Jessica Wightman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to determine the motivating factors that women in Gulu District, Uganda have for joining empowerment programs, how their perception about their own empowerment has changed over time, and the role one non-­‐ governmental organization (NGO) has played in assisting in these women’s empowerment. Data was gathered through 12 personal, semi-­‐structured interviews with the assistance of a translator when necessary. Ten of the subjects currently participate in empowerment programs through Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-­‐G), a local NGO. The two remaining subjects are staff members at GWED-­‐G and served as key informants to this study. The …

Rough Hands: Family Conceptions Of Rural Morocco’S Agricultural Labor, A Case Study, Leah Kahler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Conceptions of success for people in any capitalist context are tangled with social hierarchies of work. The rural women of Morocco have been specifically singled out as the objects discourses about their domestic and agricultural work, agency, gender identity and role, and their use of private and public space ownership. This project will examine the justifications, conceptions, and satisfaction with rural-agricultural work in a small-scale family farm in Morocco’s Al Hoceima province. Using the case study approach, I will live with a family in Sidi Bouafif and work alongside the family for an eight-day fieldwork period. Through participant observation and …

Human Trafficking In Morocco: A Focus On Sub-Saharan Migrant Women, Ladarrien Gillette

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to report on the situation of exploited and trafficked Sub-Saharan migrant women in Morocco. With the lack of legal framework to recognize or combat human trafficking my research focuses on the broader context of trafficking as a means to exploit mostly women in regards to sexual assault. Since the crime is not explicitly defined within Moroccan penal code there are no specific organizations dealing with survivors of trafficking but there are a few that indirectly address women migrants. The irregular situation of migrants in Morocco makes their involvement with being trafficked more complicated than …

The Cult Of Campus: An Analysis Of Gettysburg College Students’ Fixation On The Physical Aspects Of Their Campus, Jeffrey L. Lauck

Student Publications

This research paper takes a critical look at how Gettysburg College students interacted with a select few areas on and off the campus grounds both in the 1920s and the 2010s. This work focuses specifically on how these interactions have changed or remained the same. The majority of research was collected through Gettysburg College publications like The Blister and Cannon Bawl, which can be found in the Special Collections at Gettysburg College's Musselman Library.

Clothing And Social Movements: The Politics Of Dressing In Colonized Tibet, Dicky Yangzom

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines the relationship between clothing and social movements. Taking the case of Lhakar in the Tibetan Freedom Movement, it explores how Tibetans in Tibet and those in exile imagine national belonging. Second, it delineates how the multiple uses of clothing, both by the colonizing state and the colonial movement articulates its importance in serving as a symbolic boundary in nationalist identity formation. Lastly, using methods of visual analysis, the research explains how the convergence between clothing, social movements, and social media creates a non-violent transnational social movement.

Law Without Recognition: The Lack Of Judicial Discretion To Consider Individual Lives And Legal Equities In United States Immigration Law, John Clark Salyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Law is not separate and apart from society but exists as a unique institution within society both being directed by social change and affecting social change. The history of U.S. immigration law shows that immigrants were welcomed or rejected depending on economic, political, and social factors (such as racial attitudes) and the legal definitions of what sorts of immigration were permissible or excludable differed over time. Since the 1990s, hostile attitudes towards certain immigrants have been represented in laws to a greater and greater extent, most significantly with the 1996 amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. As a result …

Millennial Libertarians: The Rebirth Of A Movement And The Transformation Of U.S. Political Culture, Kaja Tretjak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the contemporary resurgence of libertarianism in the U.S., exploring a rapidly expanding, transnational network of hundreds of thousands liberty movement participants connected through student groups, community organizations, and established institutions, as well as through social media and a vast array of online forums. Grounded in 32 months of ethnographic fieldwork and over 200 interviews, it documents the rise of a profound disenchantment, particularly among millennials, with state-based solutions to pressing contemporary problems and, more broadly, with the nation-state project itself. Drawing on first-hand accounts ranging from elite boardrooms and think tank conference rooms, to political demonstrations and …

"Till Death Us Do Part: The Evolution Of Monogamy, Kirsten Glaeser

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

With statistics indicating that one out of every two marriages in the United States ends in a divorce, the validity of monogamous marriages has come under fire. Are humans truly capable of maintaining monogamous marriages or are they constraining their sexuality by doing so? The research entails two different perspectives while analyzing human monogamy; monogamy as a mating pattern and monogamy as a marriage pattern. The reason being that monogamy is solely not an evolved phenomenon but also a socialized one throughout most cultures. While analyzing monogamy as a mating pattern, several occurrences throughout our evolution allowed humans the ability …

Investigating Changing Moral Boundaries Through Tattooing, Nikolas L. Proehl

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study examines undergoing tattooing as a basis for understanding moral passage. Moral passage occurs when a social act undergoes a transformation from an undesirable or deviant act, to one that is generally tolerated or accepted by the greater society. Interviews were conducted with individuals who have undergone tattooing, and their experiences and encounters with others in social settings were documented and analyzed. Results indicate that while individuals often undergo tattooing because of their attraction to its deviant connotations, many of these same individuals do not identify themselves as deviant. At the same time, persons with tattoos typically find toleration …

Threatening The Fabric Of Our Society: Divorce In Modern Societies, Kirsten Glaeser

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

With fifty percent of marriages ending in a divorce, it is a prevalent occurrence within modern day society. Divorce has become a reality for some families, allowing society to readjust and reconstruct the family paradigm. Despite the negativity that once plagued a recently divorced familie, divorce has become such a common situation within society that the effects are no longer as drastic as they once were; society has learned how to interact with and incorporate divorced families. Society itself is also not as affected by a divorce because it contributes to a couple’s definition of commitment. With the increase of …

Parenting Behaviors, Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, And Problem Behavior: The Role Of Self-Esteem And School Adjustment Difficulties Among Chinese Adolescents, Cixin Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Wenzhen Li, Stephan M. Wilson, Kevin Bush, Gary Peterson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Cross-sectional data from 589 Chinese adolescents were used to investigate whether parenting behaviors are directly or indirectly (through self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties) associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Structural equation modeling results showed that school adjustment difficulties fully mediated the relations between two parenting behaviors (parental punitiveness and paternal monitoring) and adolescent problem behavior and partially mediated the relation between maternal monitoring and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent self-esteem partially mediated the relations between maternal punitiveness and adolescent depressive symptoms and fully mediated the relations between parental support and adolescent depressive symptoms. Parental love withdrawal was not significantly …

Emerging From The Shadows: Civil War, Human Rights, And Peacebuilding Among Peasants And Indigenous Peoples In Colombia And Peru In The Late 20th And Early 21st Centuries, Charles A. Flowerday

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Peacebuilding in Colombia and Peru following their late-20^th and early 21^st century civil wars is a challenging proposition. In this study, it becomes necessary as indigenous peoples and peasants resist domination by extractive industries and governments in their thrall. Whether they protest nonviolently or rebel in arms, they are targeted for human-rights violations, especially murder, disappearance and displacement. The armed actors, state, insurgency, paramilitaries or drug traffickers, destroy civic institutions (local or regional government) and the civil (nonprofit) sector and replace them with their own authoritarian versions. Therefore, peacebuilding has emphasized rebuilding civic institutions, civil society and local …