SOUTH CAROLINA ANTHROPOLOGY STUDENT
CONFERENCE
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Winthrop University
1720 Memorial Circle
Kinard Hall, Rm #018
11th Annual
South Carolina
Anthropology
Student Conference
Program
&
Abstracts
April 21, 2013
at
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Sunday, April 21, 2013
(Registration: 8:30-10:30)
8:55 AM Welcome and Introductory Remarks
USC Anthropology Graduate Organization for Research Action and Ethics
(AGORAE) Officers
PAPER SESSION #1
Living in a Material World 1: Inquiries into Prehistoric Archaeology
9:00-9:45
Moderator: TBA
Marybeth Harte, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “Anthropogenic Impacts of
the Chickasaw through a Study of Faunal Remains”
Joe Wilkinson, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “The Effects of Raw Material
Quality on Tool Form During the Early Archaic at the Johannes Kolb Site”
Amy Goldstein, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “Preliminary Interpretations
of Burial 38 at the Etowah Site”
Questions
PAPER SESSION #2
Walk the Line: Viewing Culture Through a Gendered Lens
10:00-11:00
Moderator: TBA
Nicole Pontón, The College of Charleston. “Stylistic Humor Trends and Change in
Gender Roles in Buenos Aires”
Danielle Anderson, Clemson University. “The Sexual Revolution and Sexual Politics
in Iran”
Ellison Taylor, Clemson University. “Reproductive Health in Northern, Rural India”
Udell Garrison, Benjamin Johnston, and Margaret Ratcliff, Winthrop University,
“Queers in Class: Homophobia on College Campuses”
Questions
PAPER SESSION #3
Being Human: Insight from Biological Anthropology
11:15-12:00
Moderator: TBA
Chaney Hiers, Clemson University. “A Multivariate Approach to Analyze
Hydrocephalic Crania From the Ranier Institute in Bucharest, Romania”
Heather Habecker, The College of Charleston. “Oxytocin, Experience, and Human
Altruism”
Marguerite Dunn, Clemson University. “Sexual Selection and Parental Investment:
Strategies for Promoting Human Reproductive Success”
Questions
12:00 – 1:00
LUNCH
1:00-1:45
Panel with Professors
Being in the Field of Anthropology and Q&A Session: Dr.
Charles Cobb and Dr. John Coggeshall
PAPER SESSION #4
Living in a Material World II: Inquiries into Colonial Archaeology
2:00-2:55
Moderator: TBA
Carol Velez, Winthrop University. “Bratton Plantation and the African Diaspora”
Rebecca Shepherd, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “A Staged Phenomenon
of Colonial Frontiers: Evidence from Charleston and the Carolina Backcountry”
Corey Ames Heyward, The College of Charleston. “The Delft Tiles of Drayton Hall”
Stacey Whitacre, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “An Analysis of Lead Shot
at Fort Motte, 2005 and 2012: Assessing Individual Behavior as Normative Practice
or Agency”
Questions
PAPER SESSION #5
Getting with the Program: Evaluation as Applied Anthropological Practice
3:00:-3:40
Moderator: TBA
Shan Huang, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “Hierarchal Identification within
the Construction of Chinese Nationalism: An Analysis of Linguistic Programs in CCTV
New Year’s Gala”
Marissa Royle, The College of Charleston. “A Bridge for Troubled Waters: Assessing
the Gap Between What is Offered and What is Accessed in Museum Education in the
County School District of Charleston, South Carolina”
Jessica Posega, University of South Carolina-Columbia. “Midwifery, Biomedicine,
Hierarchy and Millennium Development Goals in Ghana”
Questions
PAPER SESSION #6
Don’t Stop Believin’: Religion, Stories, and Other Beliefs
3:50-4:30
Moderator: TBA
Brandi Beasley, Winthrop University. “The Ball Game: Ritual and Cultural Relevance”
Raymond Edwards-DaRosa, Claflin University. “Religious Practices at a Religious
College”
Lauren Bader, The College of Charleston. “Frogs, Bridges, and Time Management: A
Study of German National and Cultural Identity through Folklore”
Questions
4:35
Closing Remarks by Dr. Sarah Quick, Winthrop University
PAPER SESSIONS
ABSTRACTS
Marybeth Harte, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 1 – 9:00-9:45)
Title: Anthropogenic Impacts of the Chickasaw through a Study of Faunal Remains
Utilizing a historical ecology approach, this research will attempt to uncover information about the
unique ways the Chickasaw, in northern Mississippi, impacted their environment and ecology during
the colonial era. Information provided can be crucial since so many ecological restorations wish to
reestablish ecologies to conditions just prior to European settlement. Chickasaw practices during this
time could show major shifts as a result of settlement which could have influenced the biodiversity in
the area. Past studies have shown Chickasaw use of anthropogenic fires to manage wildlife and food
resources through the use of environmental data supplemented with documentary sources. Studies
have also shown a large involvement in the fur trade for the Chickasaw which would have introduced
additional strains on the biodiversity. Analysis of faunal remains collected from feature contexts at
Chickasaw sites, supplemented by any available ethnobotanical data, will provide good indicators of
how the Chickasaw were managing and impacting their environments. Methods of analysis will
include statistical measures to determine the representation of species, diversity of the assemblages
and how representations are changing over time. In addition, documentary sources including journals
and personal accounts from Europeans settlers will be analyzed to gather additional information that
the archaeological record does not display. This analysis should show how the long term
anthropogenic impact of fires commingled with the introduced practice of the fur trade and the
associated impacts these practices had on the local ecology.
Joe Wilkinson, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 1 – 9:00-9:45)
Title: The Effects of Raw Material Quality on Tool Form During the Early Archaic at the Johannes
Kolb Site
Archaeologists who study prehistory rely on information obtained from stone tools because they
survive the test of time and do not decay. Stone tool technologies tell archaeologists a great deal
about human behavior in the past and the many factors that affect their daily lives. This thesis will
examine a sample of the Early Archaic projectile points excavated at the Johannes Kolb Site in
Darlington County, South Carolina, and study the effects of raw material quality on hafting technology
and tool form. Understanding these effects are important for archaeologists because recognizing
variability among raw materials and understanding their limitations, enables archaeologists to identify
culturally sensitive time markers more accurately in the archaeological record. This study attempts to
quantify raw material quality by examining the role of pressure flaking in the production of notched
projectile forms by the analysis of notching on prehistoric tools from the Kolb site, a survey of flint
knappers with experience in working different varieties of raw materials, and through the
experimentation of notching on flake blanks of selected materials. Their results are compared to the
Kolb Site sample to test for relevancy in the archaeological record.
Amy Goldstein, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 1 – 9:00-9:45)
Title: Preliminary Interpretations of Burial 38 at the Etowah Site
The Etowah site (9Br1), located in Northwest Georgia, is a prehistoric Native American site best
known for its Mississippian component and that period’s associated mounds. One the most
interesting yet enigmatic burials at the Etowah site is Burial 38, one of the final mantle burials in
Mound C. This mound, which contained over 350 burials, was the site of numerous mortuary rituals
throughout the Wilbanks phases of Etowah’s occupation. Burial 38 is unique in that it contains the
remains of four females and regalia that are normally associated with males at Mississippian sites.
Many of the objects found in the tomb, such as a shell gorget, a stone palette, and embossed copper,
fall into a category that archaeologists call the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. The iconographic
study of this Complex has been critical in shedding light on the cosmology and beliefs of
Mississippian peoples. This paper offers some preliminary interpretations in an ongoing study of the
iconography of Burial 38. The position of the bodies and their associated artifacts suggest that this
burial was created to emphasize those individuals’ connection with the Above World. Also, the
placement of Burial 38 on the northern lobe of Mound C may indicate connection with a specific clan.
This clan connection was a more important factor in the females’ inclusion in this mortuary ritual than
their sex or gender.
Nicole Pontón, The College of Charleston
(Paper Session 2 – 10:00-11:00)
Title: Stylistic Humor Trends and Change in Gender Roles in Buenos Aires
Argentina has a relatively short, yet rich history, from which various factors could lend to the current
speech community in Buenos Aires. Traditional Latin American gender roles, known as machismo
and marianismo, have enforced the gender gap over time, even in more modern days, despite its
slow decrease in Argentine Rio Platanese culture. One facet of this culture lies in their speech
modalities, including their joking and humor patterns. If the manner is which we all choose to speak
with one another (with humor being considered in this particular study) is a reflection of our culture,
the shifts in speech patterns indicate that a cultural change is also taking place. Argentina’s early
history shows the prevalence of the traditional machismo/marianismo role; however, there are
indicators in both media and informal comedic styles that imply that more recent years may have
resulted in a cultural shift, blurring the lines of Argentine gender roles—even if only slightly. This study
takes a look at not only how humor style has trended over time from an overt, male-centered one to
many varying styles all with their own degrees of inclusion for both males and females. These
changes also affect the individual male in varying capacities, to which this study aims to observe the
conversational joking differences in male-male and male-female interaction.
Danielle Anderson, Clemson University
(Paper Session 2 – 10:00-11:00)
Title: The Sexual Revolution and Sexual Politics in Iran
After the 1979 political revolution in Iran, the condition for women worsened. Women are not being
educated about sex, premarital sex was banned, and veiling was forced among several other sexually
based repressions. With the presence of these new laws, a sexual revolution has been occurring
since the 1980’s in Iran. This battle is still prevalent today. This paper will look at such sexual
repressions through the form of forced veiling and dress requirements for women in public. I will
answer such questions as: What are the restrictions placed on women’s dress? How have women
subtly been protesting these restrictions? Has any progress been made on this specific issue?
Ellison Taylor, Clemson University
(Paper Session 2 – 10:00-11:00)
Title: Reproductive Health in Northern, Rural India
Although conditions for many women have improved in certain sectors of India, there are other areas
where conditions for women remain dismal and unequal. This is especially true for India’s poor
females, against whom residual prejudice from the caste system still exists. Moreover gender
inequity is particularly a problem for India’s rural, poor women as the majority of India’s poor live in
rural areas and, overall, women experience more inequity there. Women’s gender and social inequity
directly translates into health inequities, which may not only affect the women themselves but also
their children. This paper describes research conducted to examine women’s reproductive health in
northern, rural India as a gauge for women’s status in the area. It was concluded that in northern
India, women’s health needs are not sufficiently met especially in the arena of reproductive health,
which includes domestic violence, female feticide, education and treatment of sexually transmitted
infections, and malnutrition during pregnancy. Reproductive health for women in northern India relies
heavily on India’s health system as a whole, which is currently in poor condition. In order to succeed
in improving women’s reproductive health specifically there must be health infrastructure
improvements and gender equality initiatives working in compliment, for neither effort will succeed
independently.
Udell Garrison, Benjamin Johnston and Margaret Ratcliff, Winthrop University
(Paper Session 2 – 10:00-11:00)
Title: Queers in Class: Homophobia on College Campuses
Homophobia is defined as an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual
people. For openly homosexual people, the presence of homophobia in their community can be an
obstacle they deal with daily. Fear of homophobia or personal experiences with homophobia can
cause a person to avoid sharing the fact that they are homosexual with other people; in other words
they are unwilling to “come out”.
Using a mixed method approach our research team is investigating the presence of homophobia on
Winthrop University campus. Participant observation, one-on-one interviews, and surveys from a
random sample of students allow us to consider a wide swath of backgrounds and how these affect
perceptions of homosexuality. In addition to collecting data on students’ attitudes about
homosexuality, our research gauges participants’ political ideology, class, religious ideology and
practice, and their field of study. By focusing on these key factors, we analyze what the strongest
links are between a person's background and their view on homosexuality. Additionally, our analysis
takes into account individual participants’ experiences regarding homosexuality and homophobia and
how these experiences impact their views on homosexuality.
Chaney Hiers, Clemson University
(Paper Session 3: 11:15-12:00)
Title: A Multivariate Approach to Analyze Hydrocephalic Crania From the Ranier Institute in
Bucharest, Romania
Paleopathology is a subdiscipline within biological anthropology, which informs the scientific
community about the prevalence and descriptions of diseases from the past. The impact of diseases
in the past has significantly influenced human populations. This research examines hydrocephaly in a
documented skeletal collection and examines the diagnostic criteria using craniometrics. Standard
craniometric measurements were collected from two hydrocephalic crania, one 16 years of age and
one 30 years of age held at the Rainer Institute in Bucharest, Romania. I hypothesize that the cranial
measurements, which represent the most variance, will differ between the 16-year-old hydrocephalic
cranium and the 30-year-old hydrocephalic cranium. The two pathological specimens were compared
to a sample of normal crania in order to determine if the regions of the crania affected by
hydrocephaly differ between the subadult and adult individuals by conducting a principal component
analysis. The ordination plots for both hydrocephalic crania showed substantial differences between
the hydrocephalic crania and the normal crania. As hypothesized, due to growth and development
patterns of the cranium, the cranial measurements representing Component 1 and Component 2
differed between the two hydrocephalic crania.
Heather Habecker, The College of Charleston
(Paper Session 3: 11:15-12:00)
Title: Oxytocin, Experience, and Human Altruism
Extensive research has been conducted on the neuroscience of animal behavior. One neuropeptide,
oxytocin (OT), is of particular interest to many scientists because of its association with social
behavior in animals. Although it has been called the “moral molecule” by some, the relationship
between OT and social behavior is not quite so simple. This paper reviews the current literature
pertaining to OT in order to explore the complex relationship between OT, experience, and altruism in
humans. It is shown that under certain conditions OT influences affiliative behavior and empathy and
that, therefore, it may have a role to play in altruistic behavior.
Marguerite Dunn, Clemson University
(Paper Session 3: 11:15-12:00)
Title: Sexual Selection and Parental Investment: Strategies for Promoting Human Reproductive
Success
Throughout the course of evolutionary history, humans have undergone evolution in many aspects to
become the species we are today. Evolutionary forces acted upon our primate ancestors to form our
sexual selection and parental investment strategies. As evolutionary biology suggests, humans aim
to optimize reproductive success. Sexual selection techniques highlight qualities and behaviors that
we believe – consciously or subconsciously – will promote the likelihood of survival by our offspring
and their successful reproduction. These techniques and the behaviors and qualities selected are a
product of our unique evolutionary history and can be evidenced by comparison with primates, our
closest living ancestors.
As cooperative breeders, however, humans differ from many primates in that they allow others to play
an active role in promoting reproductive success by caring for their offspring. As such, this impacts
sexual selection techniques, as females oft search for a long-term mate who displays the qualities
desired in an alloparent. Parental investment strategies allow for the development of unique criteria
for mate-pairing. Ultimately, it is the combination of the qualities that are sexually selected for and the
parental investment strategies employed that shape our approach and potential for reproductive
success.
Carol Velez, Winthrop University
(Paper Session 4 – 2:00-2:55)
Title: Bratton Plantation and the African Diaspora
Within this thesis paper the reader will be informed of what the Bratton family plantation was like in
the late 1700’s, around the time of the American Revolution. A list of the immediate family of the
Bratton’s related to Colonel William Bratton and Martha Robertson Bratton will be given and their
spouses.
A complete explanation of the battle of Hucks’s defeat is also explained. Slavery conditions in the
South is described in accounts in detail very accurate from notable and legitimate authors including
Frederick Douglas as himself, and accurate accounts of conversations with ex-slave owners and exslaves. Also there is information from ex-slave owners. This very compelling information includes
information such as: the valuation of slaves, details describing slave quarters, hours of work, morality,
treatment of slaves, fear of slave insurrection, and how the slaves were patrolled and managed.
Rebecca Shepherd, University of South Carolina-Columbia.
(Paper Session 4 – 2:00-2:55)
Title: A Staged Phenomenon of Colonial Frontiers: Evidence from Charleston and the Carolina
Backcountry
Geographers, historians, anthropologists and archaeologists have been interested in social
relationships within frontier regions since 1893 when Frederick Jackson Turner presented his “frontier
hypothesis.” Many researchers’ approach to frontier studies is focused on the binary relationships
between colonizer and colonized or metropole and dependent frontier city. It is only recently that
frontiers have begun to be considered as a multi-staged phenomenon with a range of possible
experiences.
This paper will present the planned summer research for my master’s thesis, in which I intend to
explore the possible variation in British colonial experiences and ideology. Data for this project will be
taken from two domestic archaeological sites in South Carolina, both of which were homes owned by
Miles Brewton and his sister Rebecca Motte. Both residences were occupied consecutively by these
families for a short period of time during the late eighteenth century. One, the Miles Brewton House,
was located in the urban center of Charleston and the other, Mount Joseph Plantation, was
constructed along the Congaree River in Amelia Township, an area that was then considered South
Carolina’s backcountry. Comparison of the artifact assemblages of the two residences has the
potential to increase knowledge of the differences between the urban and rural colonial experience
and the range of variation in colonial life in Revolutionary period South Carolina.
Corey Ames Heyward, The College of Charleston
(Paper Session 4 – 2:00-2:55)
Title: The Delft Tiles of Drayton Hall
The production of Delft pottery, the Dutch ceramics based off of Chinese porcelain, has been in
existence as early on as the 16th century. As it grew internationally and began to be made in other
European countries, Delftware function and form likewise transitioned, with their employment in
fireplaces starting with the 18th century. Fireplace tiles originated amongst Dutch elite,
understandably drawing the eye of certain colonial cities like Charleston, who strove to emulate the
high-status European lifestyle. Therefore, when it came time for wealthy plantation owner John
Drayton to design his home, he jumped on the Delft tile bandwagon.
Today, the archaeologist of Drayton Hall has uncovered many fragments of these tiles in situ around
the grounds. These shards have been pieced together to reveal a range of diverse patterns and
colors. The National Trust also possesses a collection of whole biblical tiles, donated by a family
member, no doubt having been removed carefully and preserved. Unfortunately, little is known about
any of these artifacts. In several fireplaces, imprints of tiles exist, pointing to their evident usage, but
in regards of origin, date, and quantity, little is known.
Therefore, my research revolves around completing a comprehensive study of Delft tiles at Drayton
Hall. Through fireplace mapping and case study analysis, I plan to achieve several goals: determining
the age and origin of the Drayton tiles, how many there would have been in the fireplaces, and the
evolution of the plantation’s fireplaces themselves. Overall, I will include a great deal of comparison
and literary research from other domestic Delftware purchases to make my conclusions. My research
is nowhere near complete, but I am well on my way into the first few steps, which definitely initiate the
first understanding of Drayton Hall Delft tiles.
Stacey Whitacre, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 4 – 2:00-2:55)
Title: An Analysis of Lead Shot at Fort Motte, 2005 and 2012: Assessing Individual Behavior as
Normative Practice or Agency
The siege of Fort Motte took place between May 6 and 12, 1781. This battle was part of the American
offensive against British posts in South Carolina during the American Revolution. British troops were
confined within the fort while American Continental forces as well as the South Carolina militia
maintained a presence outside the walls. In addition to discussing the general history of the battle, I
will specifically discuss the cultural variability of lead shot recovered from this site during
archaeological excavation and systematic metal detection in 2005 and 2012. British troops were
issued .75 caliber muskets. American Continentals were generally armed with .69 caliber French
Charleville muskets. The South Carolina militia was armed with a variety of firearms including
muskets and rifles. Due to the firearm technology of the eighteenth century, it is possible to determine
the type of firearm that fired individual lead shot. Surface characteristics as well as the weight and
diameter of lead shot can be used to identify individual action. This information, combined with spatial
distribution data, allows a close analysis of group and individual behavior in the context of the battle.
This behavior is then assessed to determine if the action of an individual can be understood as either
normative military practice or goal-oriented atypical agency.
Shan Huang, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 5 – 3:00-3:40)
Title: Hierarchal Identification within the Construction of Chinese Nationalism: An Analysis of
Linguistic Programs in CCTV New Year’s Gala
Since its debut in 1983, the annually held China Center Television New Year’s Gala has successfully
incorporated mass media entertainment into the celebration of a traditional festival. For many
families, watching this gala for hours after the New Year’s reunion dinner has become a new ritual.
Largely controlled by the government, the CCTV Gala has incorporated current propaganda into the
happy atmosphere of Chinese New Year. In this way, it provides abundant resources for analyzing
how the government has made use of the mass media in a top-down approach. I focus on analyzing
the talks in the gala’s linguistic programs due to their rich cultural connotations and high indexicality
towards people’s daily lives. I suggest that linguistic practices have been key in the parallel
reinforcement of two groups of ideas. First, a form of nationalism that stresses a unified Chinese
identity has been made explicit by emphasis on common cultural traits shared by the nationwide
audiences. Second, a hierarchical identification process has been implicitly developed within the
construction of such a homogenous idea of Chineseness. Specifically, those who speak standard
dialects of Mandarin are represented as being in the core of this definition of Chineseness that stands
for urbanity, modernity, and legitimacy. Those who speak less-standard Mandarin are usually located
in the near periphery that indicates rurality and backwardness and therefore can be made fun of.
Minority groups who speak other languages are treated as stereotypical others in the margin, without
a recognized real subjectivity.
Marissa Royle, The College of Charleston
(Paper Session 5 – 3:00-3:40)
Title: A Bridge for Troubled Waters: Assessing the Gap Between What is Offered and What is
Accessed in Museum Education in the County School District of Charleston, South Carolina
The goal of the research project to be discussed in this paper is to shed light on the impact that
funding issues have on both private and state education sectors, especially as they impact county
museums, children’s programs, and schools of Charleston, South Carolina. Two approaches were
operationalized to gather data during the 2012-2013 school year. The first utilized in-person
interviews that were conducted at the Title One District Office and at selected Charleston museums
that offer programs for children. The second method used a survey mailed to twenty (20) of the fiftytwo (52) Charleston County, South Carolina, elementary schools. The paper analyzes the study’s
preliminary results and suggests three things: first, a gap exists between the children’s programs
offered and promoted by museums and the schools’ ability to encourage or assist with student
attendance at these programs. Second, a lack of state and private funding for museums and a lack
of state funding for schools seem to be key factors that need to be addressed to close the gap in the
future. Finally, the paper considers the results of these efforts, and argues that active learning,
defined by G. E. Hiens as “activities that are both hands on and minds on,” is crucial to improving
students’ experiences both in and out of the classroom.
Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.
Washington, DC: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University.
Jessica Posega, University of South Carolina-Columbia
(Paper Session 5 – 3:00-3:40)
Title: Midwifery, Biomedicine, Hierarchy and Millennium Development Goals in Ghana
The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals on decreasing maternal and infant mortality have
led to the government of Ghana publicly supporting and pushing for an increasing presence of
midwives throughout the nation-state. There are internal and international mechanisms such as the
increase in nurse midwifery programs at major universities in Ghana and the Ghana Registered
Midwives Association. These include the Birthing Project USA’s Ghanian branch known as The
Sankofa Birthing Project, and meetings of the International Confederation of Midwives. In Ghana
there is a tendency for health care workers to be very negative toward patients. For some women,
especially those in rural areas has become an increasing deterrent from seeking health care of any
sort. Nurses and nurse midwives in Ghana have made statements that undercut the ethnomedical
localized midwifery practices.
Through the use of semi-structured open ended interviews, participant observation and
archival research done at the National Archives in Accra a number of questions are to be
addressed. In what ways have/are the Western biomedical system changing birth outcomes for
mothers and infants in Ghana? Are there perceived hierarchal differences between nurse
midwifery programs and non-biomedical Western midwifery programs such as Sankofa Birthing
Project among those associated with them and those who use the midwifery services? Is local
ethnomedical midwifery practice being replaced by biomedical midwifery, or is there a pluralism of
practice? Do the women who are receiving care through these midwifery based care programs feel
that their needs are being met?
Brandi Beasley, Winthrop University
(Paper Session 6 – 3:50-4:30)
Title: The Ball Game: Ritual and Cultural Relevance
The ball game was an activity that had significant religious and political connotations within the precontact cultures of Mesoamerica. From a religious perspective the ball game was important due to its
association with the Hero Twins myth, part of the creation story found in the Popol Vuh. Additionally,
the game served as a mechanism for divination. The importance of the ball game from a political
perspective was its ability to serve as a method of conflict resolution in lieu of all out warfare.
Tournaments sponsored by elites may have been used as means for enhancing social status and
allowed players to gain prestige. Much of our understanding of the ball game comes from
ethnohistorical documents and archaeological evidence and interpretation. While these sources
provide valuable information, there are many aspects of the game that remain unknown. For
example, no detailed accounts of how the game was played or of how scores were kept are known to
exist. To fill this lacuna, research on the ball game as played in modern day Mexico should be
conducted. Data on contemporary manifestations of the ball game (such as pelota Mixteca) provide
information useful in attempts to reconstruct the ball game’s pre-contact rules and scorekeeping
protocols. Lastly, the ballgame’s role as an ethnic marker will be addressed.
Raymond Edwards-DaRosa, Claflin University.
(Paper Session 6 – 3:50-4:30)
Title: Religious Practices at a Religious College
Religion has been a humongous part of the human existence most likely since the beginning of our
race but as time went on and the human race advanced religion has had to fight hard to stay at the
fore front of our human minds. For that very reason, the intent of this two phase, concurrent mixed
methods study is to investigate religious practice and behavior at a religion affiliated college by
converging both quantitative and qualitative data. In the first part of this study, interviews with
university employees who also serve as religious officials privately and on campus will be conducted.
These will be used to measure the observed religiosity of the students on campus. The second part of
this study will use a convenient sample to survey students to measure their religious behavior and
participation.
Lauren Bader, The College of Charleston.
(Paper Session 6 – 3:50-4:30)
Title: Frogs, Bridges, and Time Management: A Study of German National and Cultural Identity
through Folklore
This paper presents the findings of research conducted over a five-month period on folklore in
Germany. The paper’s goal is to speculate on the mutable nature of folklore and its overall affiliation
with the creation of a national or cultural identity. The folkloric examples to be outlined were primarily
gathered through interviews conducted in German, the native language of the informants. Brief
overviews are provided of the proverbs and local legends gathered, as are analyses of the main
themes prevalent in German folklore. Two analytical sections follow. The first examines some of the
popular Märchen (or fairy tales) from the Brothers Grimm collection; these exemplify cautionary tales
for young girls and show how real-life concerns and values can be reflected in fantastic situations.
The second section examines the author’s observations of the phenomenon of folklore
reinterpretation and manipulation, and explains that a group often changes or “updates” its folklore in
response to the passage of time and to inevitable culture shifts. Ultimately, the paper argues that
first, the examples function to provide a link to the rich history that modern German people utilize in
order to form a collective cultural identity, and second, the German people, both past and present, are
not only very cognizant of their cultural heritage and its associated values; they also actively create
and/or reinterpret their body of folklore so as to continue to pass on their heritage to future
generations.