Anthropology Commons^™

Pilgrimage, Trade And Empire: A Gis Investigation Of Pre-Hispanic Roads In The Ocoña And Chorunga Valleys Of Peru, Geri Evilla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines Inca imperial expansion into the Ocoña and Chorunga Valleys, through an investigation of precolonial roads and trails. It focuses on the Middle to Late Horizons (700 BCE-1534 CE), with specific attention to the last 100 years, when the region was occupied by the Inca state and experienced a rapid increase in population and architectural development. Data collected in excavations, and pedestrian, and drone surveys were used in geographic information systems, to map pre-Hispanic road systems. A combination of Least Cost Path and viewshed analyses were used to investigate land use patterns and tie this region into the …

E Ho’Omau Mākau, We Will Continue: The Living Sovereign Entities Of Contemporary Hawaiian Songs, Kēhaulani Lagunero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between contemporary Hawaiian mele (songs) and Hawaiian ea (sovereignty), focusing on how mele acts as sovereign living entities representing cultural resilience, identity, and resistance to settler-colonial influences. Through semi-structured interviews with Kānaka Maoli, participant observation at cultural events, and close analysis of mele, I identify that these songs are not only expressions of cultural memory, but also living embodiments of ea—sovereignty because they are alive, and they are alive because they are ea. Drawing from the frameworks of cultural survival, survivance, symbolic power, and defiant indigeneity, I explore how mele actively engage …

The Role Of Imagination In Archaeology: Linking Contemplation And Method At The Amache National Historic Site, Sami Zepponi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeology is both a science and an interpretative process, blending material discovery with imagination to reconstruct past experiences. This research, conducted through the 2024 University of Denver Amache Field School, explores the archaeological imagination and the creative and cognitive engagement that shapes historical interpretation. Using Amache, a WWII Japanese American incarceration site, as a case study, this thesis examines how material culture, landscape modifications, and reflection inform archaeological understanding. This study explores how imagination connects tangible findings to cultural narratives by integrating community-based archaeology, place and landscape theory, and contemplative inquiry. Findings highlight imagination as essential to archaeology, enabling deeper …

Cultural Continuity And Identity Preservation In Diaspora: The Role Of African Pentecostal Churches In Maintaining Traditions Within African Communities In The United States, Olamide T. Awoyemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of African Pentecostal churches in preserving cultural traditions andshaping identities among African diaspora communities in the United States, focusing specifically on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in Tampa, Florida. Through detailed participant observation and in-depth qualitative interviews, this thesis examines how rituals, religious practices, and community engagement within these churches facilitate cultural continuity and identity negotiation among Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants. Findings reveal that these religious institutions serve as critical sites for resisting cultural erasure, navigating the complex tensions between maintaining African heritage and adapting to American society, and providing …

Effects Of Consuming Short-Form Videos On Young Adults’ Fine Motor Skills, Dragon Tanaghon Chew, Jerome Gabriel Gay, Hien Than, Zhi Qin Ko

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

The composition of short-form video (SFV) consumption can affect cognitive abilities, including motor skills. This study addresses a potential concern due to the lack of data. By presenting two experimental designs, the study explores the impact of SFV consumption on the motor skills of young adults. The first experiment employs a between-subjects design, where 60 participants are randomly assigned to two groups, with one group exposed to 30 minutes of SFV content. The second experiment adopts a cross-sectional design based on self-reported historical SFV consumption, where motor skill is compared between groups with low (< 3 hours/day) and high (≥3 hours/day) SFV consumption. Typing performance is used as an indicator of motor skill for the first experiment and finger tapping test is used in the second. The results will compare pre- and post-intervention performance. The findings would enhance practical understanding and illustrate the relationship between social media and motor skills.

Key words: Short-form video, motor …

Patterns Of Late Holocene And Historical Extinctions On Madagascar, Laurie R. Godfrey, Zachary S. Klukkert, Brooke E. Crowley, Robin R. Dawson, Peterson Faina, Benjamin Z. Freed, Evon Hekkala, Cortni Borgerson, Harimanjaka A.M. Rasolonjatovo, Patricia C. Wright, Stephen J. Burns

Department of Anthropology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Around 1000 years ago, Madagascar experienced the collapse of populations of large vertebrates that ultimately resulted in many species going extinct. The factors that led to this collapse appear to have differed regionally, but in some ways, key processes were similar across the island. This review evaluates four hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the loss of large vertebrates on Madagascar: Overkill, aridification, synergy, and subsistence shift. We explore regional differences in the paths to extinction and the significance of a prolonged extinction window across the island. The data suggest that people who arrived early and depended on hunting, …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Opensim Analysis Of The Aymara Indigenous People Performing Ancestral Tasks: Exploring Trends Of Muscle Activity With Tiwanaku Skeletal Indicators, Noah M. Taylor

Master's Theses

The Tiwanaku civilization (AD 500-1100) of the Andean highlands exhibited occupational specialization in communities, with archeological evidence suggesting the existence of labor- and residential-communities, or “taskscapes”, based on an individual’s livelihood. Prior bioarcheological studies have examined Tiwanaku skeletal remains for musculoskeletal stress markers, osteoarthritis, and cross-sectional geometry to infer activity patterns. Their descendants, the Aymara Indigenous people, currently live in the same highlands and until recently lived a lifestyle like their ancestors. Over the past 20 years, the global quinoa demand has risen, thrusting the Aymara into globalization and moving them away from the traditional tasks previously performed. This study …

Political Sociology, Talha C. Issevenler

Open Educational Resources

This open-access textbook on political sociology introduces and problematizes the classical categories and parameters of the field. It explores the main approaches to the state and governance, while conceptualizing a turn toward network power. Specific chapters address political spacetime, violence, secrecy, social movements, politicization, interdisciplinarity, media, biopolitics, and event-analysis. Multimedia pedagogical exercises accompany the conceptual exposition.

Exploring Early Childhood Development Programming In Kenya’S Arid And Semi-Arid Lands, Phyllis Magoma, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kaniala, Barack Aoko, Moses Wesala, Joyce Marangu, Susan Nyamanya, Margaret Kabue, Anil Khamis, Esther Chongwo

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Promoting high-quality early childhood development (ECD) is vital for individuals’ physical and social well-being and yields significant societal returns. However, children in marginalised regions like Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) face significant barriers to accessing quality ECD services.

Aim: This study aimed to document existing ECD services in Kenya’s ASAL areas, including their availability, types and key characteristics; identify gaps in their provision and propose solutions to enhance access and quality. Setting: This qualitative study was conducted in 10 ASAL counties in Kenya.

Methods: Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 103 key informants, including pre-primary …

Down Syndrome In Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, And Future Directions, Eimear Mcglinchey, Salina Tewolde, Amanda He, Juan Fortea, Lingani Mbakile-Mahlanza, Ayda Tefera, Emmanuel Epenge, Jason Hassenstab, Rachel Maina, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION: As life expectancy improves for people with Down syndrome (DS) in Africa, the risk of developing DS-associated Alzheimer’s disease (DSAD) will rise. There is a pressing need to plan for this emerging challenge, particularly in the context of existing health and social disparities.

METHODS: This work emerged from a pan-African collaboration, including discussions at the Brain Ageing and Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries conference held in Nairobi in 2024, where stakeholders identified regional priorities for DS and dementia care.

RESULTS: Limited epidemiological, cognitive, biomarker data, delayed diagnoses, and gaps in specialized services may impact access …

Ecological Grief Among Farmers And Pastoralists In Ethiopia And Kenya, Syed Shabab Wahid, Christine Musyimi, Benjamin Oestericher, Linda Khakali, Lauren Carruth, Emily Mendenhall, Edna Bosire

Brain and Mind Institute

Climate change is a major cause of mental distress worldwide. In many ways, climate change has become a chronic disaster, while in other ways each acute event can accumulate and present challenges within and between communities. A growing body of evidence indicates that a changing climate can precipitate a cluster of negative affective states scholars call “ecological grief.” Ecological grief reflects psychological responses to climate changes and destruction of nature, species, culturally significant or sacred spaces. Until now, ecological grief has been conceptualized as a psychological response connected primarily to the destruction of the natural environment, and has not fully …

Alloparenting And Male Infant Care Behaviors In Varecia Rubra (Red-Ruffed Lemur), Noelle Wilcox

University Honors Theses

Nonhuman primates are known for their complex social structures that sometimes includes cooperative breeding strategies. In recent years there has been an increase in investigating alloparenting (infant care provided by an adult or subadult that is not a genetic parent) and male infant care, and how such behaviors contribute to the overall assistance to the extreme energetic investment and costs of the mother for the rearing of offspring. There is also debate to how male care has evolved in the primate clade, be it through the theory of kin selection or theory of mutualism. However, there is not enough research …

Cultural Ecologies And Local Policies: A Comparative Analysis, Alexis M. Gonzalez

University Honors Theses

In recent years, the role of arts and culture in economic development, community outreach, and local government has become focused on as a field of study. However, this is a new field of academic study, and there have not been many systematic comparative analyses of the role of arts and culture at the local level. Indeed, there is limited information at the state and federal level as well. Historically undervalued and underrepresented, yet with a streak of elitism involved, arts and culture is now being looked at as a major economic driver and social connector by policymakers at all levels …

Infrastructure From Below: Mediasi Dan Politik Pembangunan Infrastruktur Air Di Kota Balikpapan, Muhammad Althaf Nandiati Yusfid

Antropologi Indonesia

The city of Balikpapan is experiencing a water crisis. The discrepancy between the city's water supply and Balikpapan's demography put pressure towards the city's capability of supporting its own citizens. This issue is exacerbated by the development of Indonesia's New Capital (IKN) which is located just outside Balikpapan. Therefore, the development of water infrastructure is imperative for the city. Yet, there's no recent visible development of water infrastructure in the city. However, I argue that water infrastructure development actually exists, though in a subtle form. The informal water suppliers that are prevalent in the city is tied with how the …

Corny Landscapes: Strategi Adaptasi Petani Gorontalo Dalam Menghadapi Kebijakan Agropolitan Jagung, Vaisnava Vidia Mahatma

Antropologi Indonesia

The corn agropolitan policy implemented in Gorontalo in the early 2000s brought significant changes to the lives of local farmers. This paper explores the impact of the policy on the social and economic aspects of farmers' lives. The most notable change is the shift from subsistence practices to market-oriented production, creating what Eric Wolf describes as the peasant dilemma. Furthermore, the policy has triggered the emergence of middlemen and private actors who exploit the agricultural sector, trapping farmers in persistent poverty and precarious working conditions. This study employs qualitative methods with an ethnographic approach, including direct observation and interviews conducted …

Subjektivitas Anak Muda Adat Dan Partisipasi Ritual Dange Di Kayaan Mendalam, Maria Rosaria Amadea Wedyarsa, Windy Aulia Zahra

Antropologi Indonesia

A Great amount of anthropology literature regarding rituals might focus on the differentiation between the sacred and the formal in reviewing religious practice. However, this article tries to explore the perspective of the indigenous youth in seeing the non-formal aspect of ritual such as party aspects, joyfulness, and dimensions of affective-aesthetic satisfaction. With the methods of ethnographic fieldwork, through observation and interviews, we argue that indigenous youth in Kayaan Mendalaam, Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan, build their attachment towards adat ritual through various social practices rather than through formalistic commitment to ritual. This form of practice was the expression and …

From Australian Influence To Rohingya Refugees: A Systematic Literature Review Of Asylum Seekers And Refugees In Indonesia, Bilal Dewansyah

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

The fact that Indonesia hosts asylum seekers and refugees attracted not only policy debate and media attention but also academic research. However, no systematic review has been conducted to assess the scholarly literature on this topic. This article is intended to fill this gap by presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) on asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia. As a result, I found five major themes in the reviewed literature: (1) the focus on the Indonesia – Australia relationship; (2) people smuggling; (3) refugees’ journey and living conditions in Indonesia; (4) Rohingya refugees; (5) legal protection and refugee status. However, …

Born Too Soon: Every Story Counts: Lessons In Ethical, Inclusive Storytelling From Born Too Soon, Mary V. Kinney, Amy Reid, Mercy Juma, Anna Gruending, Olufunke Bolaji, Doris Mollel, Denise Suguitani, Silke Mader, Karen Walker, Marleen Temmerman, Joy Lawn

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Storytelling is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool in public health communication, particularly for addressing complex and stigmatized health issues. In the context of pregnancy and childbirth, personal narratives have proven effective in shaping perceptions, empowering women, complementing health education, and driving policy and legal reforms. Preterm birth remains a significant global challenge, and lived experiences of affected families offer critical insights that illuminate systemic gaps and advocate for the rights of babies, mothers, families, and healthcare workers. The Born Too Soon 2023 campaign placed people—especially women, families, communities, and healthcare workers—at the core of its advocacy efforts. This commentary …

Decoding The Plant Metabolome: A Metabolomics Approach To Guereza (Colobus Guereza) Feeding Ecology In Kibale National Park, Uganda, Emma Grace Thurau

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Plant metabolites, an elusive and diverse group of plant chemicals, represent a complex chemical interplay between plants and herbivores. Plants contain essential nutrients necessary for herbivore survival, yet herbivore consumption results in negative fitness consequences to a plant. This relationship has triggered a coevolutionary arms race in which plants have evolved chemical defenses to prevent herbivore consumption and herbivores, in response, have evolved their own counter-adaptations. This arms race has led to the diverse numbers of herbivores and plants observed today; therefore, these plant metabolites act as a signature of evolution through their influence on herbivore adaptations. Plant metabolites are …