http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/topic/17/anthropology Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 14 May 2026 17:18:33 -0400 Thu, 14 May 2026 17:18:33 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity By Margaret R. Devlin - While the history of ethnography in Russia dates back to the Kievan Rus era, modern ethnographic production in Russia developed in the 17th century and expanded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries as interest in folktales and in the lives and natures of Russian peasants exploded amongst the Russian elite. This paper briefly explores the history of Russian ethnography before examining the Russian concepts of narod (народ, the people) and narodnost (народность, the Russian soul). This work examines the folklore collections of Alexander Afanasev and his process of editing... Thu, 08 Apr 2021 03:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1876/cultural-misrepresentation-of-the-east-in-nicholas-roerichs-art By Arundhati Kalyan - Nicholas Roerich was inspired by the mystical concept of “Shambhala”—a utopian expanse of endless truth, knowledge and peace—and his paintings of Asia in the period 1923-1947 attempt to portray the pursuit of this utopian land in diverse Eastern traditions. While several scholars have praised his work for its unconventional style and unique message, I argue that his art fails to live up to the true nature of Eastern cultures and religions and instead distorts them. Through a detailed analysis of a selection of Roerich’s paintings from this period, I show that cultural... Fri, 12 Feb 2021 11:12 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1876/cultural-misrepresentation-of-the-east-in-nicholas-roerichs-art http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities By Georgia H. Vance - This paper explores the spatial expression of the female gender in early Mesopotamian cities from c. 2334-1595 B.C.E. Gender in Mesopotamia has been widely studied socially but not spatially, and here I aim to provide a consideration of gender through the framework of a public/private divide. Predominantly, a sensory archaeological methodology is applied to the urban environment as reconstructed by both textual and archaeological sources. This method employs Shepperson’s ‘archaeosensorium’ from Sunlight and Shade in the First Cities (2017) to study identifiable gendered spaces... Tue, 17 Nov 2020 08:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1831/challenging-the-dichotomy-between-natural-and-cultural-in-museums-a-case-study-of-bird-symbolism-and-human-origins By David Lichty - Many natural history museums use the categories of “cultural” and “natural” as a means of separating exhibition content. This article challenges this practice and the inherent paradigm that supports it. By dismissing the integral connection between these categories, it is possible to overlook humanity's role in the manipulation of the environment and how the environment has affected the development of human culture and human evolution. This article argues that it is essential for museums to design exhibitions without separating culture and nature, thereby informing our... Thu, 05 Nov 2020 07:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1831/challenging-the-dichotomy-between-natural-and-cultural-in-museums-a-case-study-of-bird-symbolism-and-human-origins http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity By Ella Agoos - Since the European invasion of Latin America in the sixteenth century, the concept of indigeneity has been inherently political. In what can only be described as an ongoing ethnocide, colonial powers did everything they could to stomp out the rich diversity of indigenous cultures throughout the land while imposing their Western Christian values upon colonized groups. After centuries of being denied their own culture, indigenous groups now struggle to preserve their surviving cultural practices. One such element of culture that many indigenous peoples see as tied directly to their identities is... Mon, 07 Sep 2020 10:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1780/the-social-construction-of-female-genital-mutilation By Esme Trahair - On November 20th, 2018, a federal judge in Michigan ruled that the Female Genital Mutilation Act 1996, which federally prohibits female genital mutilation (FGM/C) in the United States, was unconstitutional within the context of a case that has presented the first legal challenge to this law in US history.[1] His ruling set a new precedent, and it captured media interest because of its potential implications for this contentious practice. However, one of the most interesting aspects of the media coverage of this case is the way in which FGM/C is spoken about, rather than the judgement itself. Pam... Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1780/the-social-construction-of-female-genital-mutilation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1761/fringe-religion-and-the-far-right-dangerous-behavior-patterns-among-christian-millennialists By Naomi E. Pearson - Radical thinking among the far-right is a growing security problem for modern western society. Over the past several decades anti-government ideologies have been gaining legitimacy due to controversial interactions between Millennialist fringe religious groups and law enforcement agencies which have produced tragic outcomes and recruited new followers to far-right causes. Historically, interactions between Millennialist ‘New Religions’ or ‘Fringe Religious Groups’ and law enforcement have resulted in an escalation of conflict and a tragic loss of life. This paper will conduct... Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1761/fringe-religion-and-the-far-right-dangerous-behavior-patterns-among-christian-millennialists http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1760/discourse-public-space-and-the-politics-of-korean-comfort-women-implications-for-east-asian-relations By Ann W. Kim - The issue of “comfort women,” sex slaves utilized by the Japanese army during World War II, is treated in this paper as a collective memory in the consciousness of South Koreans. Differing narratives of this historical event, and the emphasis placed on it, serves as the underlying basis for increased present tensions between the governments of South Korea and Japan. To understand the complexity of these painful experiences as a collective memory requires a discussion on the impact of colonization as well as contemporary problems regarding a whitewashing of history and the utilization... Wed, 20 Feb 2019 08:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1760/discourse-public-space-and-the-politics-of-korean-comfort-women-implications-for-east-asian-relations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1748/studying-ancient-dna-to-understand-contemporary-disease By Wafaa Khatau - The study of DNA and genetics has always been a large mystery to many scientists. The current Ancient DNA (aDNA) research on human history is more complex than what can be inferred from modern DNA research. Scientists and researchers are constantly using modern day populations, and modern DNA to make inferences about past populations (Haber et al., 2016). With the new technologies available in ancient DNA, the study of past diseases and populations is more easily conducted with little to no contamination. Studying aDNA does not only tell us about current and past disease, but can also shed light... Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:07 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1748/studying-ancient-dna-to-understand-contemporary-disease http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1730/native-design-in-modern-fashion-the-transformations-of-native-american-flower-beadwork By Jianing Zhao - What happens to flower beadwork when its application is transformed from traditional clothing decoration, to painting on the wall, and back to embroidery on high-end fashion garments? What happens to Native women, when their bodies are lost, violated, and heal; when their art is celebrated, stolen, and reclaimed? This paper traces the movement of Native American (particularly Métis) flower beadwork through time and space, from the traditional beadwork in moccasins in the Walking with Our Sisters project, to experimental uses in paintings such as Water Song, and eventually to the problematic... Tue, 13 Mar 2018 11:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1730/native-design-in-modern-fashion-the-transformations-of-native-american-flower-beadwork http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1729/japan-at-work-in-the-21st-century-an-analysis-of-developing-labor-practices-in-japan-and-institutional-barriers-to-reform By Gregory A. Fedorov - Devastated by an economic collapse at the end of the 20th century, Japan’s economy entered a decade long period of stagnation. Now, Japan has found stable leadership, but attempts at new economic growth have fallen through. A combination of public desire for economic security through lifetime employment, reliance on “economic bureaucracy” of large corporations and pressure from international powers have left Prime Minister Shinzo Abe few options for fulfilling his “Abenomics” dream. Japanese leaders have continuously attempted to restructure the economy in an effort... Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:44 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1729/japan-at-work-in-the-21st-century-an-analysis-of-developing-labor-practices-in-japan-and-institutional-barriers-to-reform http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1669/cacao-cravings-europes-assimilation-and-europeanization-of-chocolate-drinking-from-mesoamerica-1492-1700-ce By James C. Miller - Chocolate is a foodstuff that many people in the modern world take for granted; the sweet treat can today be found plentifully and cheaply in practically any store all across the globe, especially in the Euro-American world. Despite its commonplace, most people do not know exactly where the addictive confection came from and how it became a near staple of industrialized, modern societies. Many in the ‘Western World’ would be surprised to learn the true origins of chocolate and how it first became a European craze. Chocolate was a confection made mostly from powder that originated from... Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:08 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1669/cacao-cravings-europes-assimilation-and-europeanization-of-chocolate-drinking-from-mesoamerica-1492-1700-ce http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1655/the-modern-and-the-traditional-african-women-and-colonial-morality By Rabah Omer - Modernity and tradition are used as contradictory and exclusive concepts where the former indicates progress and the latter indicates a past without contemporary legitimacy. Modernity characteristically denotes a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the transition from feudalism and agrarian structure to capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its institutions with their systems of surveillance (Barker 2005, 444). Conceptually, however, modernity refers to the modern era. For a while in the eighteenth century, culture was... Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:27 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1655/the-modern-and-the-traditional-african-women-and-colonial-morality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1538/a-general-theory-of-buzzwords-synergistic-meta-linguistic-paradigm-shifts By Brahm Capoor - Liz Lemon, frazzled executive producer of a struggling sketch comedy show and main character of the NBC comedy 30 Rock is trying to convince her boss, Jack Donaghy, that it makes sense to send the show’s staff to Miami for a week. This is no meager request, and will require a convincing presentation. When this is pointed out to her, she smiles and confidently claims that she can sell this. The camera cuts to her and her assistant standing in Donaghy’s opulent office, in front of his imposing desk, as she confidently recites a string of important sounding, vaguely corporate phrases: &... Thu, 16 Feb 2017 09:07 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1538/a-general-theory-of-buzzwords-synergistic-meta-linguistic-paradigm-shifts http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape By Rona Y. Ji - The sheer number of distinct dialects present within the country has long complicated Chinese language standardization and language policy. Furthermore, China’s history with colonial powers throughout the past three centuries has led to a distinct divide between language standardization in Northern China and Southern China. Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to promote Mandarin as the primary language of the People’s Republic of China, Cantonese has been one of several dialects that has experienced special allowances from the Chinese government due to the colonial... Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1408/exploiting-the-poor-and-powerless-forced-labor-systems-in-the-early-and-later-modern-world By Drew Liquerman - Our world has witnessed significant shifts, transformations, and evolution in government systems, the balance of power among nations, economics, the rights of men and women, and social structures and relationships over the past 500 years. However, the plight of the poor and powerless worker has remained static. Societies blessed by climate, latitude, disease resistance, powerful militaries, and a little bit of luck have used this opportunity to exploit others. Throughout recorded history, nations and cultures have taken advantage of the cheap or free labor of conquered areas or the downtrodden... Sat, 14 May 2016 07:46 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1408/exploiting-the-poor-and-powerless-forced-labor-systems-in-the-early-and-later-modern-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1381/mega-events-and-the-neoliberal-production-of-space-in-rio-de-janeiro By Sam Smith - Sporting mega-events in Rio de Janeiro, including the 2014 World Cup and the upcoming 2016 Olympics, employ particular tactics of spatio-temporal scale-making to produce a utopic atmosphere of global camaraderie, modern urban development, and sporting revelry. However, these spectacular representations simultaneously work to obscure the recognition of the violence of infrastructural development, as securitization and privatization facilitate the mass displacement of residents of Rio’s urban slums. This article traces the implications of both material and discursive processes associated with... Wed, 23 Mar 2016 08:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1381/mega-events-and-the-neoliberal-production-of-space-in-rio-de-janeiro http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1579/first-the-land-and-then-the-language-linguistic-imperialism-in-transjordan-and-palestine By Kate Pashby - In Jordan, a state renowned for medical tourism, all physicians are proficient in English because medical classes are taught in English, indicating that English, rather than Jordan's official language of Arabic, is the prestige language of Jordanian medicine. As a result, Jordanians who have access to English through wealth and education receive more opportunities than those without access. These language ideologies come from Jordan's history as a British mandate. This paper applies the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis to a set of primary sources, Palestine and Transjordan administrative... Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1579/first-the-land-and-then-the-language-linguistic-imperialism-in-transjordan-and-palestine http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1300/the-dead-bodies-of-the-west-african-ebola-epidemic-understanding-the-importance-of-traditional-burial-practices By Jamie J. Shah - Images from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa (top left to bottom right) A burial team lowers the body of an Ebola victim into a grave in a safe and dignified process in Monrovia, Liberia; health workers prepare to remove the body of a suspected Ebola victim from his home in Liberia while (next photo) family members hold a small Christian ceremony outside; health workers disinfect one another after carrying an Ebola victim in Conakry, Guinea (all preceeding photos: UNMEER/Martine Perret [license:ND2]); a 10-year old boy, suspected to be sick with Ebola after his mother and younger brother... Mon, 09 Nov 2015 10:06 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1300/the-dead-bodies-of-the-west-african-ebola-epidemic-understanding-the-importance-of-traditional-burial-practices http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1234/re-understanding-pompeii-a-history-of-our-interpretation-of-the-lost-city By Annelies Van De Ven - The catastrophic demise of the Oscan-Roman city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. left its mark on our collective psyche. Its remains have long been a staple of archaeology and ancient history curricula while its demise is described in countless books and has served as inspiration for artists since ancient times. Two motifs that recur in discussions of the ancient city are those of mortality and sexuality, both themes that oscillate between the realms of fascination and taboo. This paper will use cognitive methodologies within archaeology to analyse the layers of semantic baggage that have been loaded onto... Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1234/re-understanding-pompeii-a-history-of-our-interpretation-of-the-lost-city http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1331/a-tale-of-garbage By Ian McTaggart - In 1973, an American archaeologist named Dr. William Rathje sought to create a method that would help his students understand the intricacies of archaeological fieldwork. Dr. Rathje recognized that his students at the University of Arizona were having a difficult time understanding cultural remains from the past (Rathje, 1979, p. 4), so his idea was to use contemporary cultural material waste as a study tool. He named this method "The Garbage Project." Given that the project took place during 1970s and students of the time were far removed from potsherds and post holes, it made sense to articulate... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1331/a-tale-of-garbage http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1060/discussing-refugee-women-speechlessness-helplessness-and-bodies-as-facts By Marion Provencher Langlois - “Not all silences are equal,” writes Michel-Rolph Trouillot (1997, p.27). Not everyone, I add, possesses the power to silence a person or a group of people. In this research paper, I use gender as an analytical tool to examine the way refugee women are silenced through the transformation of their bodies into facts, which as a result turns them into the most helpless and speechless of all refugees. In the first part of this essay, I give an overview of the creation of the Convention relating to the status of Refugees, adopted in 1951. I briefly comment on how it has been introduced... Tue, 25 Aug 2015 05:17 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1060/discussing-refugee-women-speechlessness-helplessness-and-bodies-as-facts http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1006/the-researcher-at-the-dance-epistemology-ethics-and-the-ethnographer By Christopher T. McMaster - Before the ethnographer can enter the field of research, indeed, before the researcher can interpret data from the field, he or she must first be aware of how knowledge and meaning are made. The epistemological lens the ethnographer uses will have crucial implications on the hows and the whys—not only of the research itself—but on the role of the researcher. This essay will argue (with the assistance of two young parents, one salmon, and a farm yard full of dancers) that the only ethical ethnography is critical, and the responsibility of the ethnographer is to actively participate... Fri, 06 Mar 2015 04:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1006/the-researcher-at-the-dance-epistemology-ethics-and-the-ethnographer http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/952/edmonton-hiphop-kulture-techniques-of-self-and-cultural-sustainability By Diana Pearson - The word culture is rich with complex meanings and despite its use in common speech little is known about it and even less about the practices that contribute to ‘its’ continued existence, what might be called cultural sustainability. Edmonton Hiphop Kulture:Techniques of Self and Cultural Sustainability1 documents the role of techniques of self, defined as the daily practices an individual uses to transform his or her body, soul, thought and conduct of being (Foucault, 1988, p. 18), in the development and maintenance of Hiphop Kulture in Edmonton, Alberta. Using a Critical Constructivist... Tue, 30 Sep 2014 04:37 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/952/edmonton-hiphop-kulture-techniques-of-self-and-cultural-sustainability http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/879/making-sense-of-memes-where-they-came-from-and-why-we-keep-clicking-them By Marion Provencher Langlois - The word meme has changed since its creation by Dawkins. It now refers, in Internet language, to pictures, sounds, videos or websites that are shared or reproduced from person to person through social media and user-generated content websites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Tumblr, Reddit, etc. This examination considers Internet memes that are composed of an image, either an illustration or a photograph, accompanied by text. Under this form only what is written changes. This way, a new story or a new joke is created, however with the restriction of having to use the same image and the same framework... Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:45 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/879/making-sense-of-memes-where-they-came-from-and-why-we-keep-clicking-them http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/812/covariation-in-limb-limb-and-limb-trunk-proportions-in-whites-and-blacks-and-males-in-females-using-the-hamann-todd-collection-cleveland-museum-of-natural-history By Amanda Kittoe - Stature estimation is traditionally an important consideration in physical anthropology and archaeology and is especially pertinent in the realm of forensics. The most widely used resource for estimating living stature from the length of long bones is the research of Trotter and Gleser (1952) (White, 2000). They studied the relationship between bone length and stature of American Blacks and Whites1 from the Terry Collection at the National Museum of Natural History. They also used records of the causalities from the Korean War (Trotter and Gleser, 1952). Their research is an important basis for... Fri, 22 Nov 2013 02:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/812/covariation-in-limb-limb-and-limb-trunk-proportions-in-whites-and-blacks-and-males-in-females-using-the-hamann-todd-collection-cleveland-museum-of-natural-history http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/799/ape-fracture-patterns-show-higher-incidence-in-more-arboreal-species By Sarah Hoffman - First, the percentages of individuals that had long bone fractures, including fractures of the radius, ulna, humerus, tibia, fibula, and femur, out of the total population for each species were compared. Additionally, among those individuals with long bone fractures the percentages that had long bone fractures of specifically the upper limb were compared among species. The results showed a general trend toward higher incidence in long bone fractures among the more arboreal species. However, comparison of proportions of upper limb fractures shows that chimpanzees have the highest ratio of upper... Thu, 21 Nov 2013 11:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/799/ape-fracture-patterns-show-higher-incidence-in-more-arboreal-species http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/769/rural-urban-migration-and-agricultural-transformation-in-india-observing-the-impact-on-childhood-migration-from-bihar-to-new-delhi By Daniel A. Rosenblum - This paper addresses the agricultural transformations occurring in India in relation to the migration of children from rural to urban centers. With a shifting system of landholding, climatic changes, increasing mechanization and industrialization of agriculture, and new development projects, the agrarian system in rural India is rapidly changing. Based on fieldwork conducted in India, interviews with local experts and urban/rural informants, this paper draws connections between the transformations occuring in the agricultural sector with the increase in the number of children running away to major... Mon, 07 Oct 2013 11:57 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/769/rural-urban-migration-and-agricultural-transformation-in-india-observing-the-impact-on-childhood-migration-from-bihar-to-new-delhi http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/669/a-couchsurfing-ethnography-traveling-and-connection-in-a-commodified-world By CiCi Siyue Liu - The past decades have seen significant expansion in the markets for commercial tourism, offering high-cost accommodation, luxury services, and resort getaways for the Western consumer. In the context of high expenditure-and-profit tourism, forms of alternative tourism distant from the commercial arena have emerged globally. Examples include Hospitality Exchange and the CouchSurfing Project. This ethnographic study analyzes the CouchSurfing Project as an emerging social and cultural phenomenon, and seeks to determine the shared meanings, values, and social interpretations of CouchSurfers that support... Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/669/a-couchsurfing-ethnography-traveling-and-connection-in-a-commodified-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/649/much-ado-about-nothing-examining-the-curse-of-tutankhamun By Sujay Kulshrestha - In the early part of the 20th century, the world experienced tumultuous change. At the turn of the century, advances in technology linked humans around the world like never before, political borders changed in the aftermath of one of the deadliest wars known, and the world began to settle into a period of prosperity. In the Valley of the Kings, the early part of the 1920’s brought immeasurable fame with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Howard Carter’s opening of a nearly intact tomb in 1922 revived the popular appeal of ancient Egypt and the history it contained. However,... Sun, 10 Jun 2012 05:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/649/much-ado-about-nothing-examining-the-curse-of-tutankhamun