Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Folklore And Zooarchaeology: Nonhuman Animal's Representation In The Historical Narrative, Nicholas Miller

Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology

It has been argued before that archaeology and folklore go hand-in-hand, with a variety of scholarship and studies focusing on landscapes and monuments in reference to this pair; however, this research argues for a different approach. As the title suggests, this paper engages with folklore topics and zooarchaeological data to argue that faunal remains (along with landscapes and monuments) are intertwined and cannot be separated from the historical narrative. While faunal evidence helps provide scientific explanations of the natural interconnectedness of humans and nonhuman animals, folklore aids in creating and developing cultural understandings. By exploring the relationship between humans and …

Characteristic And Defining Markers Of Pcos, Chawki A. Belhadi

Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most frequently occurring endocrine disorders in women. The syndrome is diagnosed through a heterogeneous combination of androgen excess, anovulation, and ovarian dysfunction and is characterized by a host of resulting markers. This paper will paint the overall diagnostic picture of the condition and review a number of these markers to build an essential picture of PCOS. It will concentrate first on its principal metabolic markers then describe its physical, neurological and psychobehavioral markers. Each section will then abstract an essential picture from the data it presents. Finally, the review will conclude with …

Juvenile Play Behavior In Cohabitating Captive Siamangs (Symphalangus Syndactylus) And Orangutans (Pongo Abelii), Jo Gansemer

Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology

This research looks at the social play habits of a juvenile orangutan and juvenile siamang housed together at the San Diego Zoo, hypothesizing that the juvenile apes would prefer heterospecific juveniles as play partners over conspecific adults in the absence of conspecific juveniles. Using the San Diego Ape Cam for ten hours of focal animal sampling, the activity budgets for the juveniles were assembled, with emphasis on the rates of social versus solo play. The study confirmed, in this specific context, that the apes preferred heterospecific juvenile play to conspecific play with adults.

One Day At A Time, Four Decades Apart: An Analysis Of The Doxic, Mimetic, And Diagnostic Performances In The Original And Rebooted Pilots Of The Classic Norman Lear Show, Katrina Frank

Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology

In the modern era, it has become easier than ever to watch serial shows, whether they air on primetime television or are released on subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services. However, the lack of Latinx representation in these shows is severely lacking. This is why shows like the rebooted Norman Lear classic One Day at a Time are so important to the audiences it reaches. Shows with Latinx actors and storylines can impact the way their Latinx audience members view themselves and break the stereotypes associated with them (Contreras 2021).

By analyzing several scenes from both the 1975 and 2017 pilot episodes …

The Question Of Design In The Context Of The First Australian Nations: Designing Reparations Through Decolonial Architecture, Eli Abamonte

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Forget about tourist postcards and picture-perfect landscapes. Australia's true heart beats in the ancient stories of the Indigenous communities that tell them, their vibrant cultural tapestry woven beneath the surface. My research dives into this tapestry, not as an Architect with blueprints imposing my own vision, but as a student with an open ear and collaborative spirit. Australia’s vastness holds countless stories, but my research led me deep into the heart of East Arnhem Land, where ancient legends whisper in the wind and the Yolngu people dwell. Anthropologists like Bruno Descola shattered my singular view of the world, revealing a …

Mexican Money Laundering In The United States: Analysis And Proposals For Reform, Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Charles Lewis, William R. Yaworsky

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explains some of the mechanisms through which corruption by high-level Mexican politicians and other organized crime members is facilitated in the United States through money laundering operations. The analysis is based on information contained in court records related to key money laundering cases, as well as in news articles and reports from law enforcement agencies. These materials highlight the interrelationships among U.S. drug use, cartel activities in Mexico, human rights abuses, Mexican political corruption, and money laundering in the United States. This work demonstrates the pervasive use of legitimate businesses and fronts in the United States as a …

Evaluating Neanderthal Depopulation With Direct Neanderthal And Châtelperronian Radiocarbon Data, Thomas K. Lyman

Honors Thesis

Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) inhabited Eurasia approximately 350,000 years ago before experiencing population decline and disappearing from the archaeological record around 40,000 years ago (Yaworsky et al. 1). Radiocarbon dating has played a major role in establishing the timing of the last Neanderthals by both dating their skeletal remains and animal bones associated with their material culture. Widely discussed in the context of the last Neanderthals are the Châtelperronian stratigraphic layers as they possibly contain the last of Neanderthal material culture in regions of France and Spain. Whether the Châtelperronian should be attributed to Neanderthals or Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) …

Picturing Consumer Culture, Cultural Hybridity, And Womanhood: Farah Al Qasimi’S Photographs From 2012 To 2020, Minji Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Farah Al Qasimi’s 2012-2020 color photographs, arguing that this work presents a distinctive and salient critique of domesticity, material culture, and womanhood in the UAE. Through her lens as a woman and a culturally hybrid subject, Al Qasimi explores the tensions of modernization, globalization, consumerism, and gender.

Rebetiko In Nyc: New Ideas Of Greek Diaspora, Mihalis Alisandratos

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores ideas of Greekness within the modern rebetiko space of New York City through the use of both ethnographic and reflexive techniques. Combining thick description, interview analysis, and extensive self reflection, this thesis endeavors to better understand how Greek American rebetiko musicians in NY today conceive of their experience in diaspora.

Human Experience In The Immersive Experience Economy, Beliz Yuksel Inal

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the growing trend of immersive experiences, examining how they are designed and experienced. It compares the artistic Machine Hallucination and the commercial Van Gogh Immersive Experience examples. Analyzing audience engagement and social contexts, the research aims to understand the impact of immersive experiences on individuals and society.

Archaeomalacological Studies In The North Atlantic Islands, Kelly A. Mclafferty

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis expands upon the archaeomalacological narrative of the North Atlantic islands (the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Orkney) from the mid-8^th through the 20^th century. The main objectives are to identify exploited mollusk populations and ecological zones; investigate the roles of mollusk exploitation; contribute to laboratory methods of marine shell.

In The Doha International Airport, A Forest, Paulina Bianca Ocampo

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

In the Doha International Airport, a forest calls is a poem about a culture of deep ecology in a context of coloniality, brain drain, and my own part in it. Despite over 300 years of colonization in the Philippines and the colonization of our own education system, a certain deep ecology continues to thrive in the belief of spirits in nature. Among Filipinos, even in the thick of the Anthropocene, a sense of respect and fear for nature continues to exist. It is common, for example, for Filipinos to ask these spirits for permission to pass through forested areas. However, …

Towards A Sustainable Planet: Review Of ‘Global Environmental Politics’ By Kütting And Herman (2018), Mona Safizadeh

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Global Environmental Politics by Kütting and Herman (2018) explores our planet's complex challenges, urging collective action for sustainability. Across 13 chapters, the book explores sustainable consumption, the role of technology, and the impact of evolving economies on global politics. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors, offering insights for stakeholders to navigate toward a healthier future.

Beneath The Mask: The Performance Of Blackness And Economies Of Caricature In American Fiction, Terri Bowles

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

In American Fiction (2023), written for the screen and directed by Cord Jefferson, satire, drama and comedy frame a knife-sharp examination of America’s cultural reproductions of stereotype and caricature. The film, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, explores the fraught professional position of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a professor-author pressed to write a bestseller amid family upheaval and financial strain. Monk’s resulting novel, a gritty send-up of urban tropism drafted in a fit of fury and frustration, exploits America’s fixation on commodifying and flattening Blackness—and becomes an instant hit. This review explores the film’s interrogations of race, class and …

Can Marketing Transcend Entrenched Gender Biases?, Thinh Nguyen

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Through a feminist lens, Maclaran and Chatzidakis (2022) challenge conventional assumptions about gender, emphasizing its performative nature shaped by social practices rather than inherent traits. This commentary extends analyses of key themes such as gender performativity, the male gaze, and subject-object binaries within marketing. It critiques how marketing strategies reinforce existing power imbalances and systemic biases rooted in historical narratives. The writing also reflects on media interpretations of gender issues through films like 'Turning Red' and 'Barbie'. By contextualizing gendered marketing within broader societal frameworks, this writing contributes to ongoing dialogues in media studies, sociology, and gender studies, highlighting the …

Toils, Troubles, And Travesties Of Representation, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Deniz Atik

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Rapid Increase Of Female But Not Male Obesity: Analysis Of The 2023 Vanuatu Health Transition Project Survey On Aneityum, Matthew Christian, Olivia Lasalle, Zhiqiao Huang, Hannah Chen, Ricky Chen, J. Koji Lum

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Globally, obesity rates are continuing to increase and countries in the midst of modernization are most vulnerable. Developing nations are undergoing a health transition alongside rapid economic modernization. The nation of Vanuatu, like other Pacific island countries, is experiencing such a transition marked by decreased cases of infectious disease and increased incidence of chronic and non-communicable diseases. Aneityum is a small and sparsely populated island in Vanuatu and is behind more developed islands in its transition. This present study is the latest in a multi-year project examining health in Vanuatu as it undergoes a health transition with an increased prevalence …

Archaic Burials In The Necropolis Of Aigai And The Manufacturing Of Significance In Archaeology, Abigail Chapman

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The excavation of Ancient Aigai, modern Vergina in Greece, has unearthed a wealth of archaeological treasures, including Macedonian tombs attributed to Philip II and Alexander the Great. However, the manufactured significance imposed on these excavations has shaped the contemporary understanding of Archaic burial practices in Aigai. This paper aims to understand how the constructed narratives surrounding these excavations influence current ideas on burial customs in Aigai during the Archaic period. By analyzing the layout of the city and its necropolis, scholarship can gain valuable insights into the social structure of Archaic Macedonia. This can help to develop a more complete …

Where The Ancestors Sleep: Radiocarbon Dating Of Bioapatite From La Consentida, Oaxaca, Robert Mitchell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to refine the chronology of the burial sequence at the Early Formative Period (2000–1000 BCE) site of La Consentida in Oaxaca, Mexico. Previously, the chronology of mortuary spaces at La Consentida was supported by nine radiocarbon dates (2020–1510 cal BCE) from secure contexts, including charcoal, carbonized material from pottery, and two human bone samples processed together using R_combine to establish a single direct date for human remains at the site. This thesis study dated bioapatite from nine sets of adult human remains found in the two known mortuary contexts at La Consentida and two carbon-rich sediment samples …

Seeking Steatite: Analyzing The Spatial Distribution Of Southern California Arrow Shaft Straighteners, Christina Angela Livingston

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Arrow shaft straighteners are ground stone tools used in the production of arrows. Over the years, before Spanish colonialism, California Natives formed arrow shaft straighteners using various types of stone, such as granite or basalt. My thesis will focus on the arrow shaft straighteners made out of steatite. Steatite, or soapstone, is a metamorphic rock that is smooth to the touch. The smoothness makes steatite very easy to carve and modify. In California, there are many main sources of steatite. For my thesis, I will focus only on four of these sources: Inyo County, Santa Catalina Island, Sierra Pelona, and …

An Analysis Of The Friezes At Huaca Del Dragón, Morgan Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The archaeological site of Huaca del Dragón, located near modern Trujillo, Peru, was constructed by the Chimú civilization in the tenth or eleventh century CE. The site is named for the low-relief imagery that decorates its walls, the central motifs of which are interpreted as dragons and rainbows. These images diverge from much of the visual and material culture produced by the Chimú. Interpretations of the imagery at Huaca del Dragón have been debated by scholars for decades. While the relief decoration seems enigmatic, this analysis considers both iconography and style to argue that the friezes reflect on a visual …

The Old Copper Complex In Sheboygan County, Wisconsin: Giving New Life To Legacy Collections At The Milwaukee Public Museum Through Typology And Provenience, Timothy Piatek

Theses and Dissertations

The Old Copper Complex of the Middle and Late Archaic periods in Wisconsin is poorlyunderstood by archaeologists. The Milwaukee Public Museum and the Sheboygan County Historical Society and Museum contain some of the largest collections of copper artifacts found in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin dating to the Old Copper Complex. This thesis applied a modified version of a copper artifact recording schema to objects at each museum, providing robust descriptions of legacy collections, and allowing for cross-collection comparisons. Objects at the Milwaukee Public Museum are also assigned potential provenience through a detailed study of known archaeological site records within the Wisconsin …

Care Among Strangers: Empathy And Care At A Midwest Crisis Hotline, Angela Jacksack

Theses and Dissertations

Crisis hotlines are a rapidly expanding phenomenon in the United States. Since the rebranding of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988 more people than ever are aware of, and using, hotlines. This paper focuses on a small, Midwestern crisis hotline and the listeners who volunteered at it. Much of my analysis throughout relies on anthropological writings on empathy, as well as the philosophical writings of Nel Noddings. The majority of my research focuses on the construction of care within the hotline, particularly through the use of empathy. Using participant observation and interviews, I outline the volunteers’ use of empathy to …

Repatriation In The Modern Museum World: Practical Problems Surrounding Decolonization Of Collections, Rachel M. Sudbeck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Museums are home to many artifacts that allow us to learn about and understand people from around the world. However, many artifacts kept in Western (primarily North American and European) museums have origins steeped in colonial ideas of cultural superiority and collections acquired through ethically questionable means. Many institutions have been working to decolonize their collections by evaluating their objects' cultural origins and repatriating some pieces when possible. By repatriating (returning) objects of cultural patrimony as specified by laws such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), museums uphold their ethical duties and improve the quality of …

Sensitive Developmental Windows In Craniofacial And Dental Fluctuating Asymmetry, Emily Moes

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation examines early life environments and changes in skeletal and dental tissues by focusing on plasticity reflected in fluctuating asymmetry (FA). Chapter 2 shows that microscopic enamel defects on canines are associated with craniofacial FA in two colonial Mexican cemeteries. Chapters 3 and 4 use data from dental casts and associated health records from a 20th century longitudinal growth study. I compare dental FA in the deciduous (chapter 3) and permanent (chapter 4) dentition to sociocultural and environmental stressors. In their prenatal and childhood environments, females’ dental plasticity may be more responsive to frailty or chronic stresses while males …

Lucy Through The Years -- Temporal Trends In The Australopithecus Dentition, Olivia Ervin

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Australopithecus afarensis, an extinct human ancestor (ca. 3.75 – 2.95 million years ago) first distinguished in 1978, has a dense fossil record. Until recently, A. afarensis fossils were primarily known from two locations, Laetoli, Tanzania, and Hadar, Ethiopia, that are approximately 1750 kilometers apart. Additionally, there is no temporal overlap between the sites; fossils from Laetoli are older than 3.5 Ma and those from Hadar stretch from 3.4 – 3.0 Ma. For some tooth positions, the Laetoli and Hadar fossils subtly differ in size and shape. Previous research indicated that some of these differences could be attributable to evolutionary change, …

Bipedalism Is A Balancing Act: Talus Landmarking In Facultative Bipedal Primates, Anita Patane

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Obligate bipedal locomotion, mandatorily walking on two legs, is vastly important as it is the fundamental precursor to the human lineage; it precedes tool usage and language. Chimpanzees, our closest living ancestors for the human ancestral condition, are often the proxy and are the dominant subject of human bipedalism studies. There are additional species, such as arboreal Black Spider Monkeys (Ateles paniscus) who habitually travel through the trees bipedally. These facultative bipedal primates (FBP) introduce a new lens to how modern human talus and calcaneus’ mobility has adapted to environmental shifts such as the transition from arboreal to …

Microfaunal Remains From The Ryan-Harley Site, Savanna Caylor

Honors Theses

The Ryan Harley site is located in the Wacissa River basin in northern Florida. It is one of the few sites in the southeastern United States to contain a Suwannee point artifact. Several excavations in 2015 and 2017 showed extinct and extant faunal remains within and around the Suwannee component. The geoarchaeological data showed that whether these remains were in situ or not is inconclusive. This paper will focus on the microfloral and faunal remains to draw conclusions about the environment encountered during the Younger Dryas (12,900-11,700 cal B.P). The relationship between floral and faunal species present will help to …

Evaluating The Integration Of Traditional And Western Medicine In Rural Ghana: The Role Of Healers And The Government, T. Nicole Lemon

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

A question of pressing importance for the healthcare system in Ghana is the integration between biomedical physicians, who are unreachable for many rural citizens, and traditional healers, who fill in the gaps in access for rural and non-rural citizens seeking care, and are oftentimes the preferred choice. The care offered by each system is derived from differing paradigms, with the biomedical related to Westernized practices and the healing related to holistic, traditional approaches. Integration of these systems would allow for more acknowledgment and communication between these two different kinds of providers, which in turn would improve the quality of care …

Across The Snake River Plain: Terminal Pleistocene, Early Holocene, And Early Middle Holocene Land-Use In Southeast Idaho, Jennifer Finn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The range of mobility demonstrated to overcome challenges with resource distribution is a hallmark of hunter-gatherer societies. Previous studies in southeast Idaho have investigated the possibility that precontact human movement was impacted by climatic differences. According to preliminary studies on regional obsidian toolstone conveyance, land use patterns were already changing throughout the early Holocene due to increased aridity. However, the geographical distribution of Northern Side-notched projectile points suggests a significant expansion in mobility at the early Holocene/middle Holocene transition. This thesis tests the hypothesis that precontact early middle Holocene human mobility in the study area was conditioned by environmental factors …