Anthropology Commons^™

Reconstructing Prehistoric Human/Plant Relationships At Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico Through A Microfossil Analysis Of Dental Calculus, Daniel James King

Theses and Dissertations

As part of a multinational project and with the help of other professionals, I gathered and analyzed 110 samples of dental calculus (fossilized plaque) from human remains discovered at Paquimé and the Convento site in the Casas Grandes River valley to identify various microfossils still present in the silica matrix. Once identified, I used the results to reconstruct human/plant relationships present during the Viejo (700-1250 CE) and Medio (1250-1450 CE) periods in and around Paquimé. My data suggest that maize was used throughout both time periods, supplemented by wild plants, and possible marine resources. Further, evidence for cultural food modification …

Tourism And Ethnicity In Insular Southeast Asia: Eating, Praying, Loving And Beyond, Kathleen M. Adams

Anthropology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The late 20th century landscape of tourism and ethnicity studies in insular Southeast Asia has tended to emphasize a set of dominant themes, including ethnic commoditization in tourism and tourist arts; the politics of touristic ethnicity; tourism and cultural development; and the performative dimension of inter- and intra-ethnic touristic encounters. How have these earlier research themes transformed in our current era of intensified neoliberalism, cyber-connectivity and mobility? This article draws from the title of the blockbuster 2010 film Eat Pray Love (partially set in Bali) to highlight several emergent 21st century themes that bear relevance for our understanding of the …

The Price Of Cosmopolitanism: Globalization, Class Structure, And Language Endangerment In Shanghai, Fang Xu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the last two decades, Shanghai has experienced an unprecedented transformation, as China’s economic globalization and urban expansion have increased rapidly. Looking beyond statistics and architectural spectacles, I examine a seemingly personal choice in Shanghai, speaking Putonghua Mandarin, the official language, or the Shanghai dialect. This study contextualizes the contested urban linguistic space, and illustrates the political, social, and cultural conditions in this China’s globalizing city.

Through archival research, fifty in-depth interviews, two hundred and fifty survey questionnaires, and ethnographic fieldwork in Shanghai in the fall and winter of 2013, I document the impact of three sets of state policies …

A Means To An End: Articulations Of Diasporic Blackness, Class And Survival Among Female Afro-Caribbean Service Workers In New York City, Christine A. Pinnock

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the oral histories and personal narratives of Afro-Caribbean women who migrated to New York from 1961-2008 and explores how they articulate and negotiate multiple identities surrounding diasporic Blackness, class, and gender. This dissertation studies Afro-Caribbean women in the spaces they live namely, the Northeast Bronx, New York City, and Westchester and takes an interdisciplinary approach to theorize Afro-Caribbean women's experiences. Based on ethnographic research conducted over two and a half years, this study explores the challenges of Afro-Caribbean women working in the service sector who perform as: domestics, healthcare workers, retail workers, and food service workers and …

Designing & Assessing An Ethical Global Service Learning Experience, Alexandra M. Jones, Chelsey Peterson, Casey L. Janko

Celebration of Learning

We discuss a service-learning experience in a developing country that we designed to be ethical not only for the people we served, but also for the students who served. We assessed the students' intercultural sensitivities and skills before, during, and after their participation in the SLE, and present our findings.

How Liberal Korean And Taiwanese Textbooks Portray Their Countries’ “Economic Miracles”, Frances Chan

Student Work

A 2015-2016 William Prize for best essay in East Asian Studies was awarded to Frances Chan (Timothy Dwight College '16) for her essay submitted to the Department of History, “How Liberal Korean and Taiwanese Textbooks Portray their Countries’ “Economic Miracles”.” (Peter C. Perdue, Professor of History, advisor.)

Frances Chan’s essay “How Liberal Korean and Taiwanese Textbooks Portray their Countries’ “Economic Miracles,” is a fascinating exploration of the creation of historical memory as seen in textbooks on the history of postwar economic development in Korea and Taiwan. Drawing on her remarkable linguistic skills in both Korean and …

Editor's Introduction, Jr. Aguilar

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

The Appearance And The Reality Of Quid Pro Quo Corruption: An Empirical Investigation, Christopher Robertson, D. Alex Winkelman, Kelly Bergstrand, Darren Modzelewski

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications - Archive

The Supreme Court says that campaign finance regulations are unconstitutional unless they target “quid pro quo” corruption or its appearance. To test those appearances, we fielded two studies. First, in a highly realistic simulation, three grand juries deliberated on charges that a campaign spender bribed a Congressperson. Second, 1271 representative online respondents considered whether to convict, with five variables manipulated randomly. In both studies, jurors found quid pro quo corruption for behaviors they believed to be common. This research suggests that Supreme Court decisions were wrongly decided, and that Congress and the states have greater authority to regulate campaign finance. …

Brame, Lawrence R. (Fa 861), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 861. Collection consists of Negro spirituals collected from individuals in Kentucky. Song lyrics are provided along with the names of sources who provided each song. This project was conducted by Lawrence R. Brame for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Bryant, Patty M. (Fa 862), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 862. Paper: “The Poisonous Bite of the Blue Gummed [Negro].” Scholarly (chiefly from North Carolina) and local (chiefly from Mississippi) examples of the folk belief are provided. This project was conducted by Patty M. Bryant, a student at Western Kentucky University for a course in folk studies.

Pleistocene Footprints Show Intensive Use Of Lake Margin Habitats By Homo Erectus Groups, N. T. Roach, K G. Hatala, K R. Ostrofsky, Brian Villmoare, J. S. Reeves, A. Du, D. R. Braun, J. W.K. Harris, A. K. Behrensmeyer, B. G. Richmond

Anthropology Faculty Research

Reconstructing hominin paleoecology is critical for understanding our ancestorsâ € diets, social organizations and interactions with other animals. Most paleoecological models lack fine-scale resolution due to fossil hominin scarcity and the time-Averaged accumulation of faunal assemblages. Here we present data from 481 fossil tracks from northwestern Kenya, including 97 hominin footprints attributed to Homo erectus. These tracks are found in multiple sedimentary layers spanning approximately 20 thousand years. Taphonomic experiments show that each of these trackways represents minutes to no more than a few days in the lives of the individuals moving across these paleolandscapes. The geology and associated vertebrate …

Neighborhood Perceptions Of Proximal Industries In Progress Village, Fl, Laura E. Baum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Progress Village, a historically Black neighborhood outside of Tampa, FL, encountered structural violence that included construction of an adjacent phosphogypsum stack. Why the neighborhood signed a legal agreement with the stack’s operating industry and the impacts of this decision provides a lesson in critical environmental justice. Theories of urban political ecology frame exploration of resident priorities, relationships with industry, risk perceptions, and health concerns. Utilizing activist anthropology, this thesis aims to be mutually beneficial to scholarly and neighborhood development. Ultimately, this research demonstrates how southern gradualism, racism, and a trend towards isolationism created today’s striving, yet marginalized and divided community. …

Growth, And Development Of Care For Leprosy Sufferers Provided By Religious Institutions From The First Century Ad To The Middle Ages, Philippa Juliet Meek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to outline the causes, symptoms, and treatments related to leprosy, and how it can be diagnosed in patients and identified in human remains. The thesis also aims to demonstrate the ways in which care for leprosy sufferers developed as the disease became more prevalent and more commonly, and correctly identified. It analyses the social stigmas inflicted upon sufferers, and the medical care and attention provided for them by religious institutions when other groups or organisations shunned those suffering from leprosy. The rationale for this study is to identify trends surrounding the social stigmas attached to leprosy and …

Conceiving Of Contraception: St. Louis Women's Perspectives On Family Planning & Contraception, Priya Suri

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

This work highlights the stories women weave as they make their contraceptive decisions. It included their perceptions regarding cultural, religious, and economic barriers. Fifty-one women were interviewed using a semi-structured interview style of about thirty-eight questions in the South Grand St. Louis Planned Parenthood. Contraception itself was primarily thought of as a scientific technology; however, in the context of family planning, it took on social meanings that reflected preparedness in life, financial security, religious viewpoints and the ability to choose. Women expressed varying levels of religious influence. Discussing how each woman understands her own relationship with religion, God, and/or her …

One Step Forward, Twelve Steps Back: Examining Alcoholics Anonymous And Its Neo-Colonial Implications For Men In Cuenca, Ecuador, Jason Tinero

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

This study, based on one month of ethnographic fieldwork and qualitative interviews, examines how Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) functioned at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility for men in southern Ecuador. I argue that, because A.A. has its roots in the United States and in distinctly American interpretations of Judeo-Christian doctrines, many of the key features of the twelve steps and its therapeutics are irreconcilable with aspects of Ecuadorian culture with regards to cultural identity, issues of masculinity and machismo, and religion. Many of the twelve steps and the goal of ultimate abstinence in A.A. do not align well with these …

Science, Symptoms, And Support Groups:Adhd In The American Cultural Context, Kealy D. Fallon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a cultural analysis of the behaviorally- and psychiatrically-defined disorder ADHD, socio-historically contextualizing it in the United States and exploring ethnographically how people affected by it talk about and organize their experience of its symptoms.

Population Genetic Analysis Of The Critically Endangered Black-And-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Variegata) In Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, Amanda Mancini

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine the efficacy of Ranomafana National Park (RNP) in preserving genetic diversity and gene flow in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). Results indicate that RNP successfully promotes gene flow between V. variegata groups, although genetic diversity at this site is low compared to other lemur taxa.

Total Energy Expenditure In Captive Sapajus Apella, Wren Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Primates expend approximately 50% less energy (kcal/day) for their body size than other eutherians. Using the doubly labeled water method, I investigated total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity in Sapajus apella. S. apella TEE was similar (p=0.67) to other platyrrhines, but 54% lower than expected for body mass.

Molesky, Constance H. And Gayle Wilson (Fa 858), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 858. This collection includes a paper discussing the Shakers and the craftsmanship found in their furniture designs of the region and period. Concentrates on the Shaker community at South Union, but includes general information about Shakers and specific specimens from Pleasant Hill. Black and white photos of furniture are included in the collection. This project was conducted by Constance H. Molesky and Gayle Wilson for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Kubic, Ruth (Fa 860), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 860. Collected Cherokee Indian legends passed down by oral tradition. Collected from Mary Jeffries, daughter of a full-blood Cherokee, who also provided examples that can be found in the paper. This project was conducted by Ruth Kubic for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.