Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Philadelphia’S Urban Community Gardens: Decolonization, Green Space, And Food Security, Freddie Lin , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

From Crisis To Care: Non-Profit Approaches To Homelessness And Mental Health In Philadelphia Throughout Covid-19, Yomaris Melecio , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In this study, I explore the intersection of homelessness and mental health in Philadelphia through the lens of three non-profit organizations dedicated to addressing these challenges. Central questions guiding this research include: “How do these organizations understand and integrate mental health considerations into their missions and services? How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact their services?” My methodology involves analyzing data from the City of Philadelphia's Office of Homeless Services to understand homelessness trends, while also examining non-profit organizations' responses to COVID-19 challenges. This includes assessing mission alignment, financial management, and service provision through mission statement analysis, financial allocation, and comparing …

The Evolution Of Agrarian Landscapes In The Tropical Andes, Courtney Shadik, Mark B. Bush, Bryan G. Valencia, Angela Rozas-Davila, Daniel Plekhov, Robert D. Breininger, Multiple Additional Authors

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Changes in land-use practices have been a central element of human adaptation to Holocene climate change. Many practices that result in the short-term stabilization of socio-natural systems, however, have longer-term, unanticipated consequences that present cascading challenges for human subsistence strategies and opportunities for subsequent adaptations. Investigating complex sequences of interaction between climate change and human land-use in the past—rather than short-term causes and effects—is therefore essential for understanding processes of adaptation and change, but this approach has been stymied by a lack of suitably-scaled paleoecological data. Through a highresolution paleoecological analysis, we provide a 7000-year history of changing climate and …

Limb Stiffness Increases With Hopping Frequency And Sprinting Speed In Elite Sprinters, Laurent Dorvilier

ALL - Honors Theses

During sprinting and hopping, the lower limbs act as a mechanical spring as it compresses and recoils to store and release elastic potential energy during each step. This is important because for individuals such as high performing sprinters, the stiffer the spring acting limb is, the more efficient it will be for the sprinter to maintain maximal velocity and optimal performance. The basis of this experiment lies in the fact that the mechanics of the lower limbs are modeled using to the mechanics of a spring, therefore, to calculate an approximate limb stiffness, Hooke’s Law can be used. Hooke’s Law …

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: An Analysis Of Medical School Websites V. Trans Patient Experiences, Ray Craig , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Flavors Of Change: Redefining Meat, Masculinity, And Mongolian, Khaliun Enkhbayar , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

There is a saying among Mongolians that Mongolia was built on the four hoofs of livestock. Following this sentiment, Mongolians take pride in being raised on "meat and milk." My thesis explores the multifaceted role of meat in Mongolia, tracing its significance at the intersection of social connections, gender dynamics, and national identity against the backdrop of rapid socio-economic transformations over the past century.

In my research project, I followed a thread of changes that Mongolians have come to accept as their everyday reality. The past 100 years have been characterized by a widespread shift from a nomadic to a …

Left Out In The Cold: Care, Neglect, And Homelessness In Anchorage, Alaska, Natalie C. Fraser , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In the Summers of 2022 and 2023, Anchorage, Alaska closed all low-barrier emergency homeless shelters, forcing approximately 250 people to camp, unsheltered, throughout the city. The city’s actions spawned a crisis as people were left without food, water, or medical services, yet also sparked massive volunteer mobilization of mutual aid. This ethnographic study is based on three months of fieldwork grounded in participant observation at 3rd & Ingra, a large homeless encampment on the edge of downtown Anchorage. I studied three groups of people–policymakers, nonprofit employees, and volunteers–in order to understand how each of these groups conceptualizes homelessness and justifies …

Between Here And There: Vietnamese Identity Formation In The United States, Nancy Vu , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

My thesis looks at the processes of identity formation within the Vietnamese diasporic community, who sought refuge in the United States shortly after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. It draws on semi-structured interviews with Vietnamese community members from Arizona and California, textual analysis of Vietnamese magazines and written work by Vietnamese writers, and auto-ethnography informed by my family history and personal experiences in the Vietnamese community. My analysis brings together insights from different scholarly traditions that explore identity, memory, materiality, and migration. After an overview of the histories of Vietnamese migration and integration to the United States, …

Stains Of Emotion: Stories Carved By The Sun, Lucy Umland

Montserrat Annual Writing Prize

This work consists of a series of creation myths crafted in the style of Eduardo Galeano's Genesis from the Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 1. The myths delve into the origins of freckles, wrinkles, laughter, and tears. Each tale uses symbolism, anthropomorphism, and fragmented, nonlinear timelines reminiscent of Galeano's work. Through poetic language and metaphor, the myths explore themes of love, loss, gender roles, cultural diversity, and unity. Analysis reveals the stylistic choices inspired by Galeano's writing. Themes are interwoven throughout the myths, portraying the shared human experience across diverse cultures while emphasizing the enduring nature of storytelling.

Serving The Voiceless: Analyzing Local Organizations For Immigrant Empowerment, Daniel Kabithe, Acia Diallo, Kiya Demps, Chance Brown, Aliyah Whitfield

Undergraduate Research Events

This research project delves into the landscape of community organizations that serve the immigrant population in Louisville, Kentucky, focusing on 6 key entities: La Casita Center, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Catholic Charities of Louisville, English Conversation Club, Backside Learning Center, and American Community Center. Through a combination of interviews, phone calls and research, we discovered the roles, missions, and offered services by each organization. Through these methods, we identified some of the critical needs within the immigrant community and examined how these organizations address them. Additionally, we discovered that not only did our research highlight the importance of the services provided, …

An Introduction To The Yanomami Humanitarian Crisis And An Interview With Carlos Messiass On Contemporary Brazilian Indigenous Issues, Ethan Mccullough

Departmental Student Research

The following document covers how the rise of Jair Bolsonaro, based around a coalition of expansionist cattle ranchers and extractive industry representatives, has led to the massive explosion of illegal gold mining within the Yanomami in the Amazon. This increase in mining has led to a rapid increase of malnutrition, malaria, and mercury poisoning within the Yanomami population, as well as a significant rise in violence and human rights abuses. Other topics covered include, the previous increase of illegal mining on Yanomami land in the 1980s, Bolsonaro's anti-Indigenous rhetoric while campaigning for presidency, the role of the U.S. in Operation …

Beyond The Classroom: Examining The Impact Of An After-School Program On Latineimmigrant Youth In Philadelphia, Lucia Navarro , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Tribal Relations And Nagpra: Consciousness, Connectedness, And Cause, Rylee S. Lalonde

All NMU Master's Theses

Native American Grave Protection Act (NAGPRA) was enacted in 1990 as a way for federally recognized tribes to bring home Ancestors and belongings that have been held captive in universities, museums, and government agencies. This thesis examines if NAGPRA helps Tribal nations in their goals for repatriation and protection as intended. By connecting with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPO) from Anishinaabe Tribes in the State of Michigan via survey and interview, this study demonstrates that Indigenous voices are important, especially in writing their own history. This thesis sought to answer the questions: Does NAGPRA harm or help tribes? Where are …

The Diy Ethic In Richmond, Virginia’S Underground Music Community, Calvin Sloan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project seeks to examine Richmond, Virginia’s underground music community through the analytical perspective of sociocultural anthropology. I argue that Richmond’s underground music community is guided by a governing ideology I refer to as the “DIY ethic”. The application of the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic helps to explain the community’s unique practices, including moshing and the formation of new, niche genres. This ethnographic approach includes interviews with community members and my own firsthand observations of music venues and other subcultural spaces. This research is part of my undergraduate honors project at the College of William & Mary.

Accounting For The Gift: Theology And Ethics In Accounting, Daniel Sebastian

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

Accounting is often assumed to be a neutral presentation of the facts of economic activities and actions. Its double-entry system means that it is always in balance and comports to the rigor of mathematical formulas, and it is taken to be a matter of empirical counting that lends it certainty as well. The dissertation argues that this description of accounting is inadequate. Accounting is better seen as a political tool and technology for producing trust that can help resolve social conflicts. As such, accounting is not value-neutral but carries within it a particular sociality that has moral implications. These moral …

Varecia Rubra (Red Ruffed Lemur) Diel Activity And Calling At Andranobe, Masoala National Park, Madagascar, Hannah Elena Hilden-Reid

Dissertations and Theses

With respect to the natural variation in abiotic and biotic conditions present between daytime and nighttime periods, many animal species show evolutionary adaptations specialized for diurnality, nocturnality, or crepuscularity. Biologists have traditionally viewed categorizations of this kind as fixed within taxonomic groups, emphasizing how intricately species’ survival is contingent on the ability to adapt to low light, high light, or twilight conditions. However, movement away from such distinct temporal niche categories began within chronobiological studies following the discovery of more flexible patterns of activity in numerous taxa during the late 1970s. This shift generated increased interest in elucidating the complex …

#Dusomething! A Qualitative Exploratory Study To Identify Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement In Du's Response To Sexual Harassment And Assault, Alejandro Cerón, Amanda Cali, Briana Cox, Camille Cruz, Camryn Evans, Cyndal Groskopf, Ashley Joplin, Clayton Kempf, Kēhaulani Lagunero, Jayvyn Jakai Lewis, Aili Limstrom, Gray Messersmith, Cal Quayle, Yadira Quintero, Michael Sze, Aaron Toussaint, Sami Zepponi

Anthropology: Undergraduate Student Scholarship

The purpose of this course-based research project was to identify where DU has made progress in its response to sexual harassment, identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement, with the hope that the results will support the DU community’s efforts to prevent, address, and eradicate sexual harassment.

Extinction Anxiety As Zeitgeist: An Examination Of The Cultural Anxiety Surrounding Extinction Threats, Spencer J. Kett

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis examines extinction anxiety as a zeitgeist that manifests through nuclear war anxiety and climate change anxiety. I define extinction anxiety as the cultural mood of anxiousness surrounding extinction threats in the past, present, and future. I use Monika Krause’s sociological conception of zeitgeist to understand these anxieties as a cultural mood. I demonstrate using Jean-Paul Sartre’s conceptualization of materially derived subjectivity, how these moods of anxiousness are internalized through material conditions. I build my concept of extinction anxiety by comparing and contrasting the mood of anxiousness surrounding nuclear war during the Cold War and the current mood of …

Editor's Introduction, Marc R. Loustau Ph.D.

Journal of Global Catholicism

Introduction by Managing Editor Marc Roscoe Loustau to Towards an Economic Anthropology of Catholicism in the Age of Pope Francis

Hesitation Towards The Covid-19 Vaccine In The United States: A Digital Ethnographic Study [Vacilación Ante La Vacuna Contra El Covid-19 En Estados Unidos De América: Un Estudio Etnográfico Digital], Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Following the authorization of the use of COVID-19 vaccines in babies age 6 months through children 4 years old in the United States, some individuals (parents, pediatricians, and communicators) framed COVID-19 vac-cination as an issue of access, while many others expressed hesitancy, and some resisted recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this context, this study aimed to explore: 1) divergent reactions to the authorization of COVID-19 vaccine use in children aged 6 months to 4 years; and 2) opposing logics underlying attitudes towards pro-vaccination, anti-vaccination, and vaccine hesitancy regarding COVID-19 vaccines. To achieve this, a …

Knyaw/Karen Womanhood, Generational Healing And The Interplay Of Faith, Genocide, Gender Roles, And Education In The Face Of Health Diagnosis, Moo Law Eh Soe

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

During the fall semester of 2023, my honors project aimed to provide representation and shed light on the challenges Knyaw/Karen women encounter as part of their womanhood in traditional and Western communities. The issues are emphasized when these women receive life-altering health diagnosis that not only alters their identities but also requires them to step beyond the invisible parameters of what it means to be a Knyaw/Karen woman. It's worth noting that all the women I interviewed were immigrants from the Thai-Burma Border refugee Camps where Indigenous Knyaw people have been facing at least 70 years of genocide. The project …

Theoretical Foundations For Archaeological Pedagogy With Digital 3d, Virtual, Augmented, And Mixed Reality Technologies, Peter J. Cobb, Elvan Cobb, Jiafang Liang, Ryushi Kiyama, Jeremy Ng

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology is inherently a visual and spatial discipline and thus we should strive to center student learning within visual and spatial media. Apart from museum work, site visits, and fieldtrips, the traditional tools of the classroom, however, tend to only convey textual or two-dimensional abstractions of primary archaeological data. The latest digital 3D and eXtended Reality (XR) technologies (Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed) hold the potential for engagement with information in ways that more closely represent the true three-dimensional and visual nature of archaeological objects, spaces, and landscapes. This should allow for an embodied mode of interaction that significantly improves understandings …

American Association For Anatomy Recommendations For The Management Of Legacy Anatomical Collections, Jon Cornwall, Thomas H. Champney, Carlina De La Cova, Dominic Hall, Sabine Hildebrandt, Jason C. Mussell, Andreas Winkelmann, Valerie B. Deleon

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Collections of human remains in scientific and private institutions have a long tradition, though throughout history there has often been variable regard for the respect and dignity that these tissues demand. Recent public scandals around the use of human remains, coupled with an increasing community awareness around accountability in such instances, forces scholars to confront the ethical and moral concerns associated with these collections. This includes specific focus on the acquisition, storage, use, and disposition of these remains, which were often collected with no consent and with little knowledge, or concern, about the individual or their respective culture and practices …

Anthropomorphism In Aesop's Fables, Nasih Alam

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Generally, Aesop’s The Complete Fables is considered didactic for children. In my paper, I discuss how Aesop represents nonhumans in his fables and how they could negatively affect the psychology of children aged 7-12 if we as parents, teachers and legal guardians do not become conscious of its problematic didactic function. I show that most of the anthropomorphized animals in The Complete Fables have anthropocentric and provide environmentally harmful rhetorics. In order to keep the required length of paper in mind, I have limited myself to five tales from Aesop’s The Complete Fables, to show how and where the rhetoric …

Challenges To Reindeer, Reciprocity, And Indigenous Sami Sovereignty Amidst The Impact Of Green Energy Developments, Lisa Heikka-Huber

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

The Indigenous people of Europe known as the Sami, (also spelled Saami) many of whom live throughout the world, have continued to maintain active nomadic communities today as their ancestors did. A wide spanning region of Northern Europe’s Arctic Zone or Sampi often referred to as Fennoscandia, encompasses four countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula (Roland & Löffler, 2012). The nomadic Sami people follow the migration pathways of their reindeer herds through the wilderness bi-annually. This paper will discuss many perspectives, including the battle Sami people and other Indigenous communities have endured while combating green energy development from …

Forging Identity: Learning About Craft Production And Identity Through The Analysis Of Hand-Made Nails, Linda Zuniga

Anthropology and Sociology Student Research

Nails may not seem exciting. After all, their function is self-evident: nails hold things together. On closer examination, however, nails are quite useful. They can help to determine a site’s chronology, reveal variability in commodity consumption, and reflect the economic activities that occurred in an historic village. Here, I present the analysis of nails from Stoddartsville, a 19th century milling village in northeast Pennsylvania. Different blacksmiths introduce subtle variability into the finished form of a nail, yielding differences in attributes such as nail head length, nail head thickness, and number of head facets. I used these attributes to determine the …

Gaining Insight Into Lithic Technology In Eastern Pennsylvania Through The Study Of An Amateur Collection, Khori Newlander, Linda Zuniga

Anthropology and Sociology Faculty Research

The farm fields of east-central Pennsylvania contain an abundance of artifacts that span much of regional prehistory. Not surprisingly, many of these artifacts have been collected by local amateurs. Here, we analyze an assemblage of projectile points collected from the Kramer Farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. We explore how morphometric attributes (e.g., size, shape), indices of retouch, and raw material vary in relation to projectile point type. Our analysis provides insight into projectile point design, lithic resource preferences, technological organization, and land use. Despite the imperfections that often characterize amateur collections and the controversy that surrounds their study, our analysis demonstrates …

Not Just Playing With Toys: Enculturation And Identity In A Historic Village In Northeast Pennsylvania, Amarah Karlick

Anthropology and Sociology Student Research

The archaeology of early industrial communities can yield material evidence of the pervasive, interrelated impacts of industrialization on work and domestic life. Archaeologists and historians investigating industrial communities have increasingly pivoted from a focus on great men and firsts in technological development to the local sociocultural contexts and consequences of industrialization. Here, I use the study of toys from Stoddartsville, a milling village in northeast Pennsylvania, to examine the lived experiences of children during the mid-nineteenth century. I suggest that children learned powerful lessons about identity, especially gender, as they played with toys at Stoddartsville. These lessons cemented the social …

“It’S Always An Admixture Of So Many Identities”: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Indigenous Kalasha Cultural Identity, Fahad Riaz Choudhry Dr, Karen Jennifer Golden, Miriam Sang-Ah Park

The Qualitative Report

This case study examined how an Indigenous Kalasha participant in northern Pakistan makes sense of his multi-faceted identity. The interpretative phenomenological analysis method was used to analyze data from an in-depth, single person case study. Our selected participant was a 36-year-old male postgraduate student from an Indigenous marginalized tribe, which is an ethnic and religious minority group in the northern Hindukush mountain region of Pakistan. Results are presented in four superordinate themes: (1) Identity: admixture of a number of identities, (2) Changing culture and its psychological impact, (3) Cultural protective factors against psychological problems and (4) Mental health perspective. …

Queer Rural Youth Online: A Digital Ethnography, Joseph Robert Burns

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 within Queer subcommunities on the social media sites Reddit and Twitter (now known as X) and data collected from interviews with Queer rural youth members of these communities. The data reveal that social media use directly influences the lives and actions of Queer rural youth, who use the space to build social connections, shape their personal identities, and seek advice pertaining to their in-person lives and decisions. By using these spaces, Queer rural youth build both bonding and bridging social capital, learn to subvert restrictions to their Internet access, …