Anthropological Research Research Articles

Evolution and trends of Chinese visual anthropology research over the past 35 years from the perspective of international communication (1988–2023)

Evolution and trends of Chinese visual anthropology research over the past 35 years from the perspective of international communication (1988–2023)

Bloodstream: notes towards an anthropology of digital logistics in healthcare.

Based on ethnographic research in northern Ghana, this article explores the complex logistics of blood and the ways in which the availability of blood has been transformed through the introduction of drones. We explore how drone services affect this ecosystem of supply and contribute to reshaping the practices of physicians, nurses, facility pharmacists and stock managers, as well as the expectations and experiences of patients and their families. Situated at the interface of medical anthropology, critical studies of infrastructure and anthropological studies of digital innovations in healthcare, our paper attends to the emerging anthropological research on medical logistics as a means of connecting people with medical resources. It demonstrates the fundamentally ambivalent nature of technological innovation: on the one hand, drones have fueled health workers' hopes and transformed access to blood. On the other hand, their introduction has also led to connectivity without stock. In line with STS scholarship, we highlight the important role of the physical properties of objects such as blood in shaping their circulation.

Kutatások a szimbolikus térhasználat témakörében: áttekintés és szintézis

The study analyzes the symbolical space using practice in the period from the social-political turnaround of Romania in 1989 to the present in Szeklerland. The aim is to present the trended changes in the symbolical space using practice in the public space since the regime change. The study is based on results of research programs conducted at WAC – Centre for Regional and Anthropological Research. Analyzing the results of the research programs, we determined three intervals from 1990 to the present. In the first interval, symbolical space using practice was dominated by rehabilitation processes. In the second interval, creating new symbolic spaces and events was more typical. In the last interval, new processes have emerged, such as integration and individualization. In addition to analyzing the changes, we also aim at presenting the social function of symbolical space using practice in different time intervals.

Political organization and gender predict violence in the Andean archaeological record

The relationship between sociopolitical organization and violence remains an enduring question in anthropological research. Less studied is the articulation of gender with violence in societies of different sociopolitical organization. We investigate the frequency and type of violence experienced by adult males and females in pre-Hispanic Andean archaeological contexts, comparing exposure to antemortem (nonlethal) and perimortem (potentially lethal) violence across three categories of sociopolitical organization: autonomous communities, regional cultural formations, and states. Using a database of 8,607 adults from 169 publications and over 155 sites, we construct a multinomial logistic regression using Bayesian Hamiltonian Monte Carlo methods to fit our model. The odds of antemortem and perimortem trauma were low for both sexes. However, the odds of antemortem trauma were consistently higher for males than females in all categories of sociopolitical organization, suggesting that men were more frequently exposed to violence. Males display similar odds of cranial trauma across all forms of sociopolitical organization, while females display slightly reduced odds of cranial trauma in states compared to autonomous communities. Perimortem trauma is especially strongly patterned by sex. In autonomous communities, the odds of potentially lethal cranial trauma are equivalent between the sexes; in states, they are consistent for males, but depressed for females. In the pre-Hispanic Andes, living in states dramatically reduced the chances of encountering lethal violence for females, but not males. Our study complicates the notion that increasing sociopolitical complexity leads to decreasing interpersonal violence and highlights the importance of gender in understanding the human history of violence.

“(Un)Being a Mother” Media Representation of Motherhood and Female Identity

This research examines the portrayal of (non)motherhood in television series from 2016 to 2022. The title, “(Un)being a Mother”, was deliberately chosen for its polysemic nature, facilitating an exploration of the complexities of motherhood, its absence, and the implications for womanhood. The study thematically analyzes 15 television series from Hispanic, Italian, and Anglo-American cultures to reveal the diverse perspectives on motherhood. Utilizing the frameworks of Intensive Mothering, Good Mothering, Good Enough Mothering, and Non-Mothering (including both childless and childfree women), the research aims to illuminate representations of motherhood, variations in mothering paradigms, and the influence of cultural and geographical contexts. This study introduces an innovative methodological approach by investigating recurring themes of (non)motherhood across different cultural productions, incorporating insights from media sociology, gender media studies, anthropology, and ethnographic media research for a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Anthropology and Genetics of the Tolyonsky Burial Ground № 93. Udmurtia, Polomskaya Archaeological Culture

The problems of the relationship between the cultures of the Volga-Kama region in general and the formation of the Udmurt ethnos involve scientists of various specializations. The main task of this work is to 0make a comprehensive description of the burial from the Tolyonsky burial ground located on the territory of the Debessky district of Udmurtia on the right bank of the Cheptsy river. Excavations were carried out by V.A. Semenov in 1980s. Archaeological and anthropological material is stored in the Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve «Idnakar» named after M.G. Ivanova of the Udmurt Republic and attracted the attention of scientists in connection with the implementation of the grant. The absolute radiocarbon dating of the sample was obtained: 1440 ± 69 years. The studied individual was distinguished by brachycephaly, large latitudinal dimensions of a face and a protruding nose shape. A scientific restoration of the appearance by the method of M.M. Gerasimov was carried out, contour and graphic portraits (full face and profile) were presented. Taking into account the results of genetic analysis, a watercolor artistic portrait was made. For the first time, comprehensive paleogenetic studies have been carried out on a representative of the Polomsky archaeological culture. The Y-chromosomal haplogroup N1a1a1a2b (B181) and the mitochondrial haplogroup U4 have been established with high reliability. The identified haplogroups in individual No. 93 from the Tolyonsky burial ground along the male and female lines are geographically confined to the Central Volga-Ural region, which is consistent with the results of anthropological and archaeological research. With a probability of more than 97%, the color of the iris of the eyes is predicted to be blue in this individual.

Local Meanings of Peace: The Politics of Words and Emotional Labor among Civil Society Practitioners in Armenia and Turkey

Abstract Despite their long-lasting work in Armenia and Turkey, peacebuilding practitioners of civil society have an ambivalent relationship with the term peace and refrain from defining their role as peacebuilders. Informed by the anthropological research adopting the local turn in peace and conflict studies, we explore how civil society practitioners in Armenia and Turkey perceive the concept of “peace” (խաղաղություն or khaghaghutyun in Armenian and barış in Turkish) and how they position themselves regarding the meanings they attach to this term. In this paper, we present data collected through semi-structured interviews with civil society practitioners from both countries, investigating the perceptions and practices in the aftermath of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. We found that the flexibility of the term normalization in comparison to peacebuilding is preferred among civil society practitioners working for the Armenia-Turkey dialogue. We also show that the political context shapes local meanings of the word peace. While in Turkey, the authoritarian regime, restrictions on NGOs, and rise of ultranationalism make open advocacy for peace with Armenia difficult and risky, the war with Azerbaijan firmly structures where and how the word peace can be used in Armenia – even though it is not clear what is meant by it in either case. Finally, our research points out a neglected aspect of professionalism in this context and shows how it requires emotional labor to suppress enthusiasm and hope for peace. We close our paper with a call for further research among the youth and exploration of effective communication, alternative approaches, and terminologies that can foster meaningful dialogue and reconciliation without provoking divisive sentiments.

Contemporary fellow travellers: Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists and the theory and political practice of Marxism

Within academic discourses of postcolonial theory, much has been written on whether and how Marxism can be drawn on to understand the ‘postcolonial world’ and, in this regard, what the relations between Eurocentrism and Marxism are. In practice, Marxism remains a core analytical framework for many emancipatory movements from the Global South, as is the case for Egyptian organisation of Revolutionary Socialists, whose popularity grew during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. The following paper is based on anthropological research with Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists in exile and the political underground. It showcases that many academic postcolonial debates sideline the agency of Marxist social actors from the Global South, their theoretical and practical endeavours, and their own modes of knowledge production. It is through the agency of Revolutionary Socialist social actors that Marxism travels from below, is translated, (re)read, debated, and materialises itself in given contexts. I highlight how Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists utilise Marxism as a living theory in their contemporary political practice and argue that their practice in exile as fellow travellers can be understood as a reconfiguration of the concept of travelling theory into travelling theory from below. Herein the centrality of social actors’ practice in grasping theory manifests itself.

Estimation of Stature from Percutaneous Upper Limb Measurements in the North Indian Population

Background: In the field of forensic anthropology, stature estimation plays an important role in the identification of unknown dismembered bodies and skeletal remains. When forensic experts find body parts during a police investigation, their first task is to determine the age, sex, and height of the person. They assist law enforcement by using scientific methods in criminal cases. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the city. Measurements were taken on both the left and right sides of all males. The sample size was 563 individuals aged between 20 and 40 years. Accurate measurements of five upper extremities and stature were measured with the help of an Anthropometer and Sliding calliper. Results: The correlation observed between stature and upper limb showed varying degrees of correlation, ranging from moderate to strong 0.315 to 0.859. The precision of these equations was established by the obtained correlation value, where a greater correlation nearest to 1 indicated the highest significance. Conclusion: This research addresses a critical gap by focusing on the upper extremities in a contemporary Central Indian population. Developing stature estimation models from specific body parts not only advances anthropological research but also aids forensic investigations, especially in warm climates like Uttar Pradesh.

MANDI-Code: A Coding System for the human mandible.

The mandible provides valuable insights into its biological identity. However, the existence of several terminologies for mandibular measurements and inconsistent language can lead to misinterpretation, confusion, and miscommunication. A standardised set of anatomical points, planes, and measurements would assist with these issues and ensure reproducibility and comparability. The proposed coding system offers a comprehensive approach for professionals and researchers in dentistry, archaeology, and anthropology.

Crimscapes. Kulturanthropologische Perspektiven auf Politiken der Kriminalisierung

At the end of the last century, criminalisation has become a globally accepted mode of governing social problems. Using two policy fields, sea rescue in the Mediterranean and combating hate speech on the internet, we propose a cultural anthropological perspective on the punitive turn and the politics of criminalisation. Using the concept of crimscapes, we describe the dynamic landscapes that unfold around criminal justice interventions, in which new figures of threat and vulnerability emerge, moral orders are restructured and new constellations of actors and practices are brought to the fore. By relating different policy fields, understood as local articulations of global dynamics of criminalisation, the concept also points to the ambivalences of this policy, which can also have an enabling and protective effect alongside exclusionary, stratifying and punitive effects. This underlines the need for critical cultural anthropological research that highlights the ambivalences and contradictions of criminalisation and contributes to an informed critique that is not based solely on normative evaluations, but can also draw attention to unintended effects and contradictions in political debates.

The Jerusalem pilgrimage road in the second temple period: an anthropological and archaeological perspective

The pilgrimage to the Second Temple included ceremonial elements of strong spiritual significance that elevated the participants to spiritual exaltation. This ceremonial process began with the first steps pilgrims took from their homes towards Jerusalem and concluded when they reached the Temple. This article presents the ceremonial element of the pilgrimage in light of archaeological and anthropological research, integrated with historical sources and with reference to the topography of Jerusalem and its surroundings (including the use of geographic information systems). These tools are used to retrace the path that pilgrims walked and present what the pilgrimage meant for them. The article also investigates whether the physical act of walking can shape the pilgrimage experience and, if so, how this occurs. It is also argued that the main approach to the Temple Mount for Jewish pilgrims led from the south (via the Kidron and Hinnom valleys), and that the construction of this route was designed with geophysical and architectural details meant to enhance the spiritual experience of the pilgrims.

Arm Length and Height Relationship in Young Indian Adults: A Correlation and Regression Analysis

Abstract Introduction: Anthropometric studies on body proportions such as arm length (AL) and height (Ht) are essential for understanding physical growth patterns and health indicators, particularly amongst young adults. However, limited research exists on this relationship in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: This study examined the correlation and regression between AL and Ht in 500 healthy Indian adults aged 18–23 years. Standard anthropometric tools were used to measure AL and Ht, and statistical analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between these variables. Results: The results showed varying degrees of correlation between AL and Ht across different age groups and genders. Males generally exhibited higher AL to Ht ratios compared to females, with significant gender differences observed in younger age groups. Conclusion: These findings contribute to our understanding of human growth patterns amongst young Indian adults and have important implications for clinical assessments and anthropological research. Further, longitudinal studies are recommended to better understand the dynamics of growth and body proportions over time in this population.

Morphometric analysis of the skull base and palatal regions for gender identification using CBCT: a retrospective study.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of morphometry of skull base and palate in gender discrimination using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanning and to assess the accuracy of the results among a sample of the Arab population. Using CBCT scans, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 142 consented patients who underwent various dental procedures at the University Dental Hospital, Sharjah (UDHS). Of these patients, 70 were females and 72 were males, with respective means of 38.5 and 36.2 years. Eleven parameters related to skull base and palatal region were measured on the CBCT scans by two expert radiologists followed by statistical analysis. There was significant gender-based difference in the mean palatal width (PW) (p=0.001), mean palatal height (PH) (p=0.005). Among other skull base region parameters that were significant in term of gender-based difference like; the clivus length (CL) (p<0.001), occipital condyle height (OCH) (p<0.001), basal angle (BA) (p=0.006) and transverse diameter of foramen magnum (p=0.003). Only palate variables showed a significant age difference. Discriminant analysis related to gender showed that occipital condyle height was the most accurate and best discriminator among the skull base region parameters. The use of discriminant analysis in CBCT based on skull base and palatal region variables provides an efficient method for determining gender, which is particularly valuable in forensic science and anthropological research. Accurate gender identification is crucial in forensic investigations, and the skull base region, being a stable and sexually dimorphic anatomical feature, can serve as a reliable marker for this purpose.

Current and Future Applications of Genetic, Archaeological, and Ethnobotanical Data to Uncovering Avocado Domestication

The domestication of fruit trees is a topic of increasing significance in anthropological research. The avocado is a perennial fruit domesticated in Central America with a complex history of management and dispersal since the arrival of humans in the New World. Archaeological data illustrates the avocado’s domestication from wild to cultivar forms throughout the Holocene, while genetic and ethnobotanical evidence provide insights into ancient avocado cultivation patterns. It is only through the combined application of all three lines of evidence that we may fully understand the dynamic origins of this essential fruit.

New Pathway for Management Studies in China: Exploring Qualitative Research Methods of Business Anthropology

Through an inventory of the existing literature body on Chinese management studies, this paper attempts to present a critical review of the phenomenon that the management studies in contemporary China over-rely on quantitative research methodology. It endeavors to demonstrate that the nature of scientific research is to innovate by seeking truth and, therefore, should not be restricted by quantitative research methods. Improve the effectiveness of academic analyses, it suggests that the scholars in China need to positively adapt the anthropological methodologies to conduct management studies and enhance the process of the localization of management science in the country. It is designed to broaden the approaches toward Chinese management studies by introducing business anthropological methods to Chinese management scholars. It adopts a comparative and case study methodology to demonstrate the limitations of quantitative methods and illustrate the effectiveness of business anthropological approaches for management studies in the Chinese context. The existing literature body demonstrates that excessive quantitative research approaches are utilized in current management studies, while scholars in China primarily ignore the effectiveness of qualitative methods. The necessity for further understanding qualitative research methods in management studies has been recognized more recently by Chinese scholars. They tend to agree that qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are merely different approaches, while the results are the same. One of the compelling new paths to improving management studies and practices is to apply anthropological research methods so that management theory in China can better explain actual human responses and factors that influence their behaviors. Anthropology has always been employed for practical applications. In addition, anthropological methods can enlarge the approaches to management studies and widen the scope for scholars to conduct their research. The combination of anthropology and management will accelerate the localization of management studies and, accordingly, speed up the systematic establishment of Chinese management theory to promote management practices in modern China. Business anthropology is emerging among some outstanding qualitative research methods in Western management studies. On the other hand, China's management science community is still a little behind in this respect. This paper is a pilot study to elaborate on business anthropology and its contribution to specific areas in management studies, such as marketing management, product design, and entrepreneurship in the Chinese context.

Lectio praecursoria

A lectio præcursoria is a short presentation read out loud by a doctoral candidate at the start of a public thesis examination in Finland. It introduces the key points or central argument of the thesis in a way that should make the ensuing discussion between the examinee and the examiner apprehensible to the audience, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the candidate’s research or even anthropological research in general.

Llectio praecursoria

A lectio præcursoria is a short presentation read out loud by a doctoral candidate at the start of a public thesis examination in Finland. It introduces the key points or central argument of the thesis in a way that should make the ensuing discussion between the examinee and the examiner apprehensible to the audience, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the candidate’s research or even anthropological research in general.

Lectio Præcursoria

A lectio præcursoria is a short presentation read out loud by a doctoral candidate at the start of a public thesis examination in Finland. It introduces the key points or central argument of the thesis in a way that should make the ensuing discussion between the examinee and the examiner apprehensible to the audience, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the candidate’s research or even anthropological research in general.

Lectio præcursoria

A lectio præcursoria is a short presentation read out loud by a doctoral candidate at the start of a public thesis examination in Finland. It introduces the key points or central argument of the thesis in a way that should make the ensuing discussion between the examinee and the examiner apprehensible to the audience, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the candidate’s research or even anthropological research in general.