Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Economic Development In Legacy Cities: Current And Emerging Challenges And Opportunities, Neil Reid, Sujata Shetty, Jane Adade

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

As manufacturing employment has declined in the traditional manufacturing regions over the past decades, many communities have experienced population loss and overall economic decline. Local economic development professionals have had to grapple with long-term structural changes in the economy as well as short-term jolts. To gain insights into the changing landscape of economic development, we interviewed economic development practitioners in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The interviews focused on their perception of current and emerging challenges and opportunities with respect to economic development in their respective communities. Having identified the major challenges and opportunities, we asked them to articulate the …

Vaccines At The Intersection Of Religion And Politics, Charles Downey

Master's Theses

Vaccine hesitancy – a delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite their availability – is a rising threat to global health and has increased in recent years in higher income countries. This is a complex phenomenon with the potential to undo decades of progress toward eradicating communicable diseases. The recent COVID-19 pandemic introduced a new wave of vaccine hesitancy, with evangelical Christians as leading actors in the movement away from vaccines in the United States. The present study investigated factors related to vaccine hesitancy and sources of health-related information among members of evangelical Christian churches in and around Hattiesburg, …

Displacement, Social Justice, And The Right To The City: A Review And Critical Reflections In The 21st Century, Tara Fitzgerald, Brij Maharaj

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper aims to review the literature and themes relating to displacement, social justice, and the right to the city in the 21st century. Displacement, in its various forms, is central to understanding the human rights abuses and livelihood implications when urban rights are revoked, forcing inhabitants to the periphery, and is the focus of this paper. Whereas the city’s services, resources, and opportunities should be a collective right advanced by local authorities for all who occupy urban space, displacements lead to resettlement and impoverishment, especially as livelihoods are disrupted. Urban renewal, through mega-projects, clean-up campaigns, and speculative gentrification processes, …

The Perceived Community And Environmental Impacts Of Development Around Bear Lake, Alexander Theophilus, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Publications

Bear Lake is a popular recreation and tourist destination split between the borders of northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho. Bear Lake’s beaches, watersports, and other outdoor recreation opportunities have attracted tourists for decades. Communities around Bear Lake include Garden City and Laketown, Utah, as well as Paris, Montpelier, Fish Haven, St. Charles, and Bennington, Idaho. Additionally, Bear Lake lies in close proximity to larger metropolitan areas along the Wasatch Front of Utah, such as Salt Lake City and Logan.

Bear Lake Project Overview, Charlotte Williams, Alexander Theophilus

Publications

Bear Lake is a popular recreation and tourist destination split between the borders of northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho. Bear Lake's beaches, watersports, and other outdoor recreation opportunities have attracted tourists for decades. Communities around Bear Lake include Garden City and Laketown, Utah, as well as Paris, Montpelier, Fish Haven, St. Charles, and Bennington, Idaho. Additionally, Bear Lake lies in close proximity to larger metropolitan areas along the Wasatch Front of Utah, such as Salt Lake City and Logan.

An Xrf Elemental Analysis Of Prosser Molded Beads From Southwest Oregon, Michele Hoferitza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Glass beads were brought to the North American continent by European explorers and traders beginning in the 17^th century. Native Americans quickly adopted beads as trade commodities and personal ornaments. Prosser beads were made predominately in France and Bohemia from the 1860’s to the 1970’s and can be found in archaeological contexts from coast to coast. In this study, elemental analysis using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) technology is used to determine if there is a way to chemically discern where and when the beads were made.

Statistical analysis of three categories of elements was done to determine whether the creation …

Stratigraphic Evidence For Indigenous Use Of Fire As A Dryland Agricultural Landscape Management Tool On The Northern Colorado Plateau, Mariah Walzer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

While documented in ethnography and traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous burning practices are rarely recognized in the archaeological record of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. I analyzed charcoal from an arroyo wall to understand the relationship between Indigenous farmers and fire at the Cub Creek archaeological site (AD 300-1300) in Dinosaur National Monument. The size, shape, and amount of charcoal in each sediment layer indicates the fuel types (woody or grassy) and relative size and/or intensity of fires. I compared my data to a precipitation reconstruction for the area to evaluate the influence of climate on fire activity. The results …

Addressing The Great Salt Lake Desiccation: Exploring Support For Alternative Frameworks On Rights Of Nature And Multispecies Justice, Sadie Braddock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Currently, there is a lack of social science research on the Great Salt Lake – a shrinking lake that faces potential ecological collapse as more water is taken upstream for human uses before it can get to the lake. The drying lake has received national attention, as it will lead to a loss of wildlife habitat, contribute to public health concerns, and impact Utah’s economy. In response to this issue, environmental scientists and activists have pressured policymakers to prioritize actions to conserve water for the lake. However, while polices have been implemented, water saved from these efforts are not guaranteed …

Unlocking The Past: The Raetian Culture And The Frankfurth Legacy At The Milwaukee Public Museum, Mikayla Fehring

Theses and Dissertations

The cultural group called the Raetians, also known as the Fritzens-Sanzeno Culture, inhabited the Tirol area of the Alps (modern day north-east Italy and south-west Austria) between the 6th century BCE and the 1st century CE. Defined largely based on their material culture, which incorporated elements borrowed from the Etruscans and the continental Celts, the Raetians were eventually annexed by the Roman empire. German American antiquarian William Frankfurth excavated Raetian remains in various locations in the Tirol in the late 19th century. Following his unexpected death in Vienna in 1891, several crates of artifacts from his excavations were shipped back …

Organic Residue Analysis And Archaeology: A Critical Evaluation Of Ora Methods, Christopher James Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTORGANIC RESIDUE ANALYSIS AND ARCHAEOLOGY: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF ORA METHODS by Christopher James Rowe The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2024 Under the Supervision of Professor Bettina Arnold

In recent years the field of archaeology has been increasingly interested in applying hard science techniques to different aspects of ancient life in new ways. One area of research that has been pushing the boundaries of hard science applications to understanding past societies is the archaeology of ancient alcohol. The rise of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) has resulted in increased interdisciplinary collaborations between anthropologists, archaeologists, biochemists and other ancillary disciplines interested in revealing …

“This Knowledge Bears With It Certain Responsibilities To God And Our Fellow Men”: Missionary Motivations, Collecting Behavior, And The J.H. Wenberg Collection At The Milwaukee Public Museum, Hailey Lorenzen

Theses and Dissertations

Missionaries have contributed greatly to the ethnographic collections of museums, yet the connection between ethnographic objects and the Christian project that prompted their collection is often lost in the museum record. This thesis aims to reconcile a collection at the Milwaukee Public Museum (Accession Number 24531) with the evangelization work of its collectors, Joseph Hugo and Edna Wenberg. From 1902 to 1920, J.H. Wenberg served as a colporteur and missionary across South America; during that time, he developed a passionate interest in the Aymara of Bolivia and became an advocate for Indigenous people within the Methodist Church. This thesis combines …

A Non-Invasive Approach To Historic Cemetery Studies In Milwaukee And Germany: Was The American Dream Worth It?, Bryan John Schutte

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tests a non-invasive approach using readily accessible historic cemetery data to examine 19th-century immigration to the United States, with a focus on the narrative of the American Dream. This narrative, which is embedded within modern American culture and history, is an inspiring tale of people, mainly immigrants, starting over in a new country and creating a better life for themselves and their posterity. What motivates immigration is the idea that anybody can achieve the American Dream. But is this true? Are immigrants necessarily going to have a better life in a new country? What do we know about …

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Human Decomposition Evaluation: A Standardized Approach For Staging And Scoring Morphological Features Using Artificial Intelligence, Phillip D. Ditto

Masters Theses

Anthropological estimates of the post-mortem interval (PMI) or the time since an individual died depend on understanding the morphological features of the body present at the time of examination. Such changes may include skin color, bloating, or mummification that are assumed to occur sequentially from the time of death until skeletonization, broadly indicating how long a person may have been deceased. However, there are no standards or even agreed-upon stages in which these morphological changes are observed, given the number of factors influencing human decomposition over time. This lack of standards makes the observer's reliability of morphological decomposition traits and …

Paths Of Least Resistance: A Geospatial Analysis Of The Integration Of Mississippian Communities In The Northwest Arkansas Ozarks, Joseph Jilek

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the Mississippi period (ca. AD 1050-1500), native groups occupying bluff shelters in the Northwest Arkansas Ozarks constructed three similarly sized mound-and-plaza centers: Goforth-Saindon (3BE0245), Collins (3WA0001), and Huntsville (3MA0022). Similarities in size and number of mounds suggests none rose to a position of power over the other and each integrated a separate community. Previous research hypothesizes that communities in emergent complex societies such as these are best defined by those who you interact with regularly, with mound centers less than a day’s travel from each other likely integrating the same communities. This study uses least-cost analysis, generating likely travel …

Winter Texans: A Study Of Community And Belonging In An Overlooked Border Identity In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Belinda D. Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study centers around a population of retired Anglos who migrate to South Texas border towns in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (locally known as The Valley) from October through March each year. Many travel in recreational vehicles (RVs) and hail from the United States and Canada to set up home in one of The Valley’s RV parks. They are called Winter Texans by themselves and locals. Scholarly research focused on Winter Texans explores how they are motivated to move because of lower costs of living (Murray 2020), how they travel for medical reasons, and their use of Mexican health …

“Not Like Your Abuelos”: A (Fe)Minist/Autoethnographic Approach To Vernacular Religious Belief And Traditionalization, Ciara Bernal

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis I explore how vernacular Mexican Catholicism is practiced, explained, and passed down within my family. I look at vernacular religious belief and traditionalization as an integrated process that impacts the practices, beliefs, and stories of my family. I include myself as a subject of this research, conducting autoethnography within each chapter. I utilize reflexive and vulnerable writing practices to accomplish this.

My overarching research questions for this thesis are: How has Mexican-Catholicism shaped the relationships, stories, and beliefs of my family members? What can Chicana feminist perspectives add to the study of vernacular religious belief and family …

Notes On The Future Possibilities Of Engaged Anthropological Research: Why Decolonizing Anthropology Needs Black Diasporic Feminist Theory And Methodologies, Meryleen Mena

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

While in the past decade there have been more ethnographic accounts that shed light on minoritized stories and demystify the specific challenges that women and femmes experience during their research, much is desired to prepare students and junior scholars from marginalized identities for fieldwork research. Reflecting on a moment of precarity in the context of pre-impeachment São Paulo, I explain why the integration of Black diasporic feminist thought, method, and praxis is critical to further decolonizing efforts in anthropology. Beyond reflection, this narrative calls for sustained politically active engagement to establish an anthropology of liberation.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Special Issue

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The Decline Of Republican Democracy And Rise Of The Techno-Authoritarian State: Reading Dystopian Novels In Hindi Literature, Manindra Nath Thakur

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In the past few decades, the nature of capitalism has changed fast as it has lost its philosophical justification based on the principle of the common good. There have been many avatars of the idea of the “common good”: “white man’s burden to civilize the world,” “welfarism,” and “neoliberal concept of freedom of choice.” Capitalism now seems to have moved in a new direction, however, and it has failed to produce any further philosophical justification for its existence as a mode of production despite generating unprecedented economic inequality. Consequently, there is a rising tension between capitalism and democracy in societies …

Spaces Of Progress And The Challenge Of “Mindfulness” In A Postcolonial World, M. Satish Kumar

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Progress implied both change and improvement in the colonial and postcolonial world. Such a concept of progress came to be enshrined in specific geographical places. The notions of development and underdevelopment in the postcolonial context thereafter supplanted this idea. Over time, while the structures of colonial domination dissolved, those of embedded regional inequalities came to be deeply entrenched, thereby urging for Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach to “mindfulness” in a “postcapitalist,” postcolonial world. The key question is whether postcolonialism has reached an impasse in its delivery and deployment of ideas across the widening gulf between the spaces of progress and stagnancy. …

The Adaptation Wedge: Capacity-Building Scenarios For India’S Cities, Jagan Shah

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

The increasing frequency and severity of floods, heat waves, and storm surges impacting global cities, combined with the growing morbidity in public health, necessitates prompt and effective climate action. Adaptation and mitigation require adequate and appropriate institutional, technical, and societal capacities—all of which are in short supply in most low- and middle-income country cities that are experiencing growth while suffering vulnerabilities. Although national governments are alerted to climate risk and the imperatives of planning, financing, and managing climate transitions, their responses to capacity constraints and approaches to capacity building display neither urgency nor scale. We use a scenario-building methodology to …

To Pot Or Not To Pot: Understanding Technological Investment In Ceramics And Marine Mammal Oil Rendering In Kodiak, Alaska, Elizabeth Groat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Why do groups choose to use certain technologies, but not others? This study focuses on an especially confusing instance of this question: the adoption of pottery in Kodiak, Alaska. This event was strange for two reasons. First, by AD 1500, when Alutiiq ancestors in the Kodiak Archipelago began making pottery, their neighbors on the mainland had already been doing it for centuries—so why did they wait so long? Second, pottery is also only found in the south of the islands—so why did some people use it, but not others? Whale and seal are more abundant in southern Kodiak, so one …

Remembering, Forgetting, And Artifact Deposition In Late Prehistoric Florida, Andrew Bowen

Master's Theses

Material culture plays a fundamental role in memory processes. Artifacts are an important means of both connecting with and cutting ties with a real or imagined past. They can be reminders or symbols of connection to other people, places, things, powers, or memories, making them key components within networks and relations. The way materials are deposited or destroyed often follows specific customs or responds to environmental factors. Specific situations, like interactions with outside groups or socio-political changes, prompt particular depositional events. During the Mississippi period, such circumstances were prevalent throughout the Southeast. By treating artifacts in specific ways during deposition, …

Tek Seng Bio Temple As A Symbol Of History And Locality Of The Chinese Indonesian Community In Cikarang, Harry Farinuddin, Didik Pradjoko

International Review of Humanities Studies

This article examines Tek Seng Bio (德圣庙) Temple within the context of the temple as the symbol of local history among Chinese Indonesians in Cikarang. Established in 1900 by Tjio Lo Weh (蒋維内) from Fujian, the temple marked the inception of a Chinese settlement in North Cikarang. Unique in its devotion to Lín Tài Shī Gōng/Liem Tay Soe Kong (林太师公) as their main deity, Tek Seng Bio Temple originally functioned as a private familial place of worship. However, its transition to a public worship house faced challenges in 1967, with Presidential Instruction Number 14 imposing restrictions on Chinese religious practices, …

Orality Inheritance Of Makalelon Wakan Song: Oral Tradition Of Tontemboan Minahasa, Arter Jodi Senduk

International Review of Humanities Studies

This research discusses about an oral tradition of Makalelon song of Tontemboan Minahasa ethnicity. This Makalelon Wakan is an originally traditional sub-ethnic song of Tontemboan Minahasa with lyrics in Tontemboan, Manado Malay and Indonesian, entitled 1) Minta Doa, 2 Tumembo Meko, 3) Di bawah Sinar, 4) Si Pisok Matelew-telew, 5) Sungguh Ibu, 6) Saaku Tumanei, 7) Bila Malam Tiba, 8 E Po’ok-po’ok, and 9) Saaku Cabow still continue being sung by the Minahasan people until now. From the research result, it is found that the Makalelon song has been the form of supplications and …

Approach Of Biography Of Objects: A Passage From Profane To Sacred, Fierda Al Jahra, Irmawati Marwoto

International Review of Humanities Studies

This paper discusses the life journey of buildings through the Biography of Things approach taken through a case study of the Bouwploeg building which is currently the Cut Meutia Mosque. The change from an office building as a profane building to a mosque as a sacred building is the reason for the biography of things approach. This research uses the main data in the form of the Cut Meutia Mosque building, which is still standing in Menteng, Central Jakarta. The research method used in this research is based on the K. R. Dark framework which consists of data sources, data, …

Building Empathy And Unveiling Reality: The Role Of Metaphor And Simile In Max Havelaar, Barbara Elisabeth Lucia Pesulima

International Review of Humanities Studies

In Indonesia Multatuli's Max Havelaar is regarded as a powerful indictment of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. Extensive research has explored the novel's historical context, social critique, and its influence on Indonesian nationalism, but less attention has been paid to the literary devices that give the novel its enduring emotional power. This paper fills this gap by examining how metaphor and simile presented in the dialogs found in the novel function as key instruments in shaping the reader's experience. Existing studies of Max Havelaar often delve into the novel's historical background, its scathing critique of Dutch colonial practices, and its role …