Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons^™

The Girl With The Peanut Necklace: Experiences Of Infertility And In Vitro Fertilization In China, Ruoxi Yu

Student Work

A 2014-2015 William Prize for best essay in East Asian Studies was awarded to Ruoxi Yu (Berkeley College '15) for her essay submitted to the Department of Anthropology, “The Girl with the Peanut Necklace: Experiences of Infertility and in vitro Fertilization in China.” (Marcia Inhorn, William K. Lanman Jr. Professor of Anthropology, advisor; Susan Brownell, Professor of Anthropology at USML, secondary reader.)

Ruoxi Yu’s essay, “The Girl with the Peanut Necklace: Experiences of Infertility and in vitro Fertilization in China,” situates original research within the history of the one-child birth control policy and the tension between the …

Bridging The Gap: The St. Cloud Somali Community’S View Of Illness And Disease In A Western Society & Its Effects On Patient Care, Jeffry J. Anderson, Sinloria C. Macrae, Katee A. Meckeler, Jennifer N. Yang, Sheng Xiong

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

In this ethnographic study, we looked at how the Somali people view illness and disease in a Western society. In addition, we looked at how differing views and cultural practices affected their treatment and interpretation of Western medicine. Due to the ongoing increase of Somali people in the United States, this topic is important in showcasing the difficulties that newcomers face when it comes to medicine and how these experiences shape their view of Western medicine. These difficulties include language barriers and cultural differences. Our main focus was on the St. Cloud area due to its close proximity to the …

Opinions On Divorce In Georgia Between Different Demographic Groups, Rachel A. Melcher

Honors College Theses

Divorce has always been a divisive topic; indeed, divorce rates differ wildly among members of different demographic groups. What of their opinions, though? What are the differences in opinions on divorce in Georgia between separate different demographic groups? My research suggests that the different lines of thought are drawn largely on religious and ethnic lines, rather than such factors as gender, age or annual household income.

Osteology Of A Burial Vessel From The Late Prehistoric/Early Contact Period Pine Harbor Site (9mc64), Amanda C. Shively

Honors College Theses

This research focuses on osteological examination of a single urn-burial’s contents from Pine Harbor (9MC64), a late prehistoric to early contact period archaeological site excavated on the coast of Georgia in 1978. Analysis generated from this study seeks to shed light on burial demographics and practices of its native occupants.

To The Savannah Irish: An Ethnohistory Of The Culture From 1812-1880, Sarah A. Ryniker

Honors College Theses

Between the years of 1812-1880, the Savannah Irish created and maintained an identity based on the Irish ideologies of separatism, independence, and egalitarianism. Through an analysis of Hibernian Society archival toasts and semi-structured interviews, the social, economic, and political institutions which influenced the Savannah-Irish culture emerged. While many aspects of Irish life in Savannah are left to be explored, this research serves to illuminate the creation of identity in the public space between Savannah and the Irish through social, economic, and political means.

Global Flows And The Globalization Of Nothing: Synthesizing The Incongruous, Elliott H. Valentine

Black & Gold

Increasingly pertinent in contemporary society, globalization is a force that promises to change the way people interact with others in almost all aspects of life. As scholars attempt to theorize about such situations, disparate perspectives about the dynamics and possibilities of globalization arise. In order to develop a more comprehensive theory of globalization, this piece engages the theory of global flows and the five “-scapes” as presented in Arjun Appadurai’s Modernity at Large (1996), as well as George Ritzer’s conception of the globalization of nothing as presented in The Globalization of Nothing 2 (2007). A rich synthesis of these two …

Variable Models For Organization Of Earthworking Communities In Upper Purus, Southwestern Amazonia: Archaeological And Ethnographic Perspectives, Sanna Saunaluoma, Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

State Healthcare And Yanomami Transformations: A Symmetrical Ethnography, Alejandro Reig

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

An Emerging Alliance Of Ranchers And Farmers In The Brazilian Amazon, Ryan Thomas Adams

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Children's Instrumentality And Agency In Amazonia, Daniela Peluso

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Being And Becoming: On Conditions Of Existence In The Amazon, Dan Rosengren

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Musical Body Of The Universe: Unity And Multiplicity In The Spiritualized Cosmos Of The Hohodene, Robin M. Wright

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Shamans Of The Foye Tree: Gender, Power And Healing Among Chilean Mapuche, Hyejin Nah

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

China Grows Organic, Gabriella Padgett

Collection of Engaged Learning

In the past two decades, the growth of the organic industry in China has exploded as China reacts to poor food quality and global market demands, as well as heightened environmental degradation. This paper explores the rise of the organic movement, the causes for its success, and the importance of its continued growth.

Le Mieux? French Healthcare's Toll On Nutritional Decisions, Mehdi Hami

Collection of Engaged Learning

This project involves interviewing French taxpayers in an attempt to see if there is a connection between nutritional decisions and the amount of taxes in France. France has the best healthcare system in the world but also some of the highest taxes. This study takes into consideration the quantitative but also the qualitative data from participants so as to understand the personal effects of taxes upon nutritional decisions.

An Exploration Of Gender Roles And The Traditional Dual Gendered Parenting Model Within Co-Fathered Families, Zoe Dearborn Geyman

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

In this paper I develop a working theory of gender as a constantly performed state of social mimicry that evolves in response to one’s lived experience. Through analysis of transcript selections from the daily lives of two co-fathered families and relevant literature, I explore the gendered realities of gay parents, and introduce work, in this case referring to professional labor and its associated identities, as key to the gendering process. In the paper I also address the malleability of family units, and explore the ways in which gay fathers negotiate pressures to conform to the traditionally gendered family model. Ultimately, …

"It Takes Time To Shift Historical Paradigms": Changes In Structure, Governance, Perception, And Practice During A Decade Of Child Welfare Policy Reform In Florida, Amy Catherine Vargo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored changes in structure, governance, perception and practice within Florida's child welfare system over a ten-year period (2001-2011) inclusive of two concurrent, statewide reform efforts: the privatization of child welfare services and implementation of a Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration. Using an anthropological perspective and holistic approach, the child welfare system is presented as a type of meta-organizational culture inclusive of subsystems and subcultures which are all embedded in historical and socioeconomic context that involves alternations between child safety and family preservation approaches to care.

Guided by a grounded theory approach to qualitative data analysis, content analysis of child …

To Veil Or Not To Veil: A Loaded Question, Lisa R. Rivoli

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

What all Americans should know about women in the Muslim world is that Muslim women are increasingly prohibited through legal measures to choose for themselves whether or not to veil, which reduces their agency and perpetuates the harmful idea that all Muslim women need saving.This paper takes a look at political and legislative interventions on veiling in several countries.

Muslim Women Political Leaders And Electoral Participation In Muslim-Majority Countries, Abby M. Rolland

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

This paper focuses on Muslim women political leaders and their agency in the modern world. While some Muslim women have a difficult time participating politically, others actively act in policy and government. Culture, identity, location, and political parties are some of the factors leading to different levels of participation from Muslim women in various countries.

Education, Crystal C. Gray

Eddie Mabry Diversity Award

Education is a spoken word poem that explores many aspects of the African American struggle within (self-knowledge). It starts with an African American college student who is disappointed with the lack of courses about her culture. Most curricula in the United States tend to be from a Eurocentric perspective, leaving out a multitude of information about people of color. All groups of people of color have unique experiences, however, African Americans have the most known (or perhaps I should say, unknown) history. The standard explanation of their existence is often limited to the start of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, when …

Negotiating Trans Activism In Guatemala City: The Case Of Redmmutrans, Maria Alejandra Wundram Pimentel

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this ethnographic project is to investigate how the activists in REDMMUTRANS, a trans women rights activist group in Guatemala City, understand their individual and collective identity as trans. By analyzing the way REDMMUTRANS navigates and negotiates national and transnational discourses on gender, this thesis takes particular attention to the influence that activist practice has had in individual's adoption of 'trans' as an identity category. By looking at the way REDMMUTRANS's members construct their collective identity, I explore the interactions between the transnational development industry, localized experiences, and activist practice has in constructing what 'trans' means in the …

La Vida Es Un Conflicto, Pero Hay Que Llevar Soluciones: La Resolución De Conflicto En Comunidades Rurales De San Ramón Nicaragua A Través De Facilitadores Judiciales Rurales Y Mediación, Marlee Raible

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In rural parts of Nicaragua historically there has not been a lot of access to the justice system. Conflicts have been going unresolved for years leading to a high amount of violence as people take justice into their own hands. The recent implementation of the Rural Judicial Facilitators Program (RJFP) is an effort to provide access to justice directly in rural communities. These facilitators are trained to use mediation as their principal method to resolve conflict.

This study exposes perceptions of mediation and the RJFP from community members, facilitators, and judiciaries. It discusses the key role of the facilitator in …

Muslim Women And United States Healthcare: Challenges To Access And Navigation, Dayna M. Seeger

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

This paper offers an analysis of the interactions of Muslim women in the US healthcare system in order to unpack challenges and propose potential accommodations. Islam may inform values or considerations in the context of other cultural factors or present Muslim women with specific challenges in seeking healthcare based on Islamic teachings or social constructs. This paper examines these factors by elaborating on an overview of Muslim interpretations of healthcare using religious authorities, text from the Qur’an, and social norms. It then delves into challenges faced by Muslim women in the US healthcare system and the implications of those challenges …

Stoning In Iran: A Sexist And Overlooked Practice, Megan R. Haugh

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

This paper seeks to dissect and expose the ancient practice of stoning in Iran, and to analyze the injustices that are built into this punishment.

Kittens And Nutella: Why Women Join Isis, Samantha K. Smith

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

On February 18, 2015 CNN published a reported stating that Western women were leaving their homes to join ISIS because of a social media campaign featuring pictures of kittens and Nutella. This reported propagated the notion that women who join jihadist organizations are brainwashed or feeble minded. The reality is not so simple. This paper explores the motives women may have for joining ISIS through comparison to the motivations that drove women to partake in other violent jihadist organizations' activities.

“Doce Pasos” En La Dirección Correcta: La Adaptación Cultural De Prácticas Terapéuticas En Un Centro De Rehabilitación Para Hombres Ecuatorianos, Jason Tinero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto se trata de cómo un centro de rehabilitación ha adaptado sus prácticas terapéuticas para hombres de la cultura ecuatoriana. El programa de tratamiento está basado en el programa norteamericano de los Doce Pasos, asociado con Alcohólicos o Narcóticos Anónimos. Según el marco de la psicología cultural, las prácticas terapéuticas no pueden generalizarse interculturalmente; entonces, hay que corresponder las terapias para la sociedad misma. La cultura ecuatoriana está marcada por tres rasgos sobresalientes: la religión católica y la espiritualidad, el machismo y la intimidad de la familia nuclear. A través de observaciones de terapias, entrevistas con terapistas y usuarios …

The Effect Of Cultural Competence On The Acquisition Of French T/V Pronouns, Stacey C. Latimer

Open Access Theses

The appropriate use of Tu/Vous French pronouns in everyday situations proves to be an ongoing challenge not only for native speakers but also for learners of the language. The complexity of the use of these pronouns goes beyond grammatical conjugation as it necessitates a consideration of the sociolinguistic and pragmatic situation with which one is presented. As a result, students with less exposure to T/V pronoun usage in the French culture will consequently have more difficulty in understanding the proper use of these pronouns. ^ Although some studies have looked at students' use of T/V pronouns in online interactions (Belz …

Becoming Kin: Modernity, Authenticity, And The Construction Of Spiritual Relatedness In An Evangelical Parachurch Ministry, Brad Codr

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation explores how families are formed and spiritual kinship is created by members of the Body of Christ evangelical parachurch ministry at one public university in the United States. Spiritual relatedness is used to conceptualize members' social relationships and demonstrate the diverse forms of Christian community that emerge in the lives of young adults. Results from this study provide an alternative perspective to social science literature labeling Christianity as an individualistic belief system. It also contributes to continuing dialogue within the anthropology of Christianity, which seeks to describe and understand what it means to be Christian. I argue that …

Kwakwaka’Wakw “Clam Gardens”: Motive And Agency In Traditional Northwest Coast Mariculture, Douglas Deur, Adam Dick, Kim Recalma-Clutesi, Nancy J. Turner

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America actively managed natural resources in diverse ways to enhance their productivity and proximity. Among those practices that have escaped the attention of anthropologists until recently is the traditional management of intertidal clam beds, which Northwest Coast peoples have enhanced through techniques such as selective harvests, the removal of shells and other debris, and the mechanical aeration of the soil matrix. In some cases, harvesters also removed stones or even created stone revetments that served to laterally expand sediments suitable for clam production into previously unusable portions of the tidal zone. …

Issue 66, Spring 2015, Society Of Bead Researchers

The Bead Forum: Newsletter of the Society of Bead Researchers

Imitations of Natural Objects Made for the African Trade by the French Factory Bapterosses, by Marie-José Opper and Craig Eady.