Anthropology.

Diversity of a Superimposed Alu Dimorphic Variant in Human Populations. Nageswara R. Alla and David H. Kass, Eastern Michigan University, Department of Biology, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Alu represents the predominant family of short interspersed DNA dements SINEs) within primate genomes. These are considered retrotransposons as they accumulate within the genome via an RNA intermediate. This process referred to as retrotranspositioncontinues within the human genome, with estimates of about one new integration event in one hundred births. Recent integrations may not he fixed within human populations and therefore provide useful presence/absence DNA markers. These dimorphic Alu elements have been utilized in a variety of regional and global human population studies. In this study, we have identified an Alu presence allele that demonstrates three different small-length variants. Therefore, this superimposed variant can potentially enhance the usefulness of this marker, and add to a small but growing number of these types of markers. We are investigating the nature of the variation and analyzing DNA samples from a variety of ethnic groups to assess its potential as a population marker. Superimposed Alu markers may provide a unique tool in the study of human populations.

Biostratigraphy of Early Paleogene Primate Localities in the Great Divide Basin, Southwestern Wyoming. John Van Regenmorter and Robert Anemone, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan University 

The Great Divide Basin of southwestern Wyoming plays host to the fossil remains of early Paleogene terrestrial faunas. This period of time represents the early evolution and radiation of Primate and other mammalian faunas in North America, and a detailed knowledge of the biostratigraphy is essential to determine phylogenetic relationships and speciation during this interval. Recent fieldwork has been focused on examining the stratigraphic relationships between fossil localities and laterally continuous geological marker beds in the Great Divide Basin. The correlation of fossil localities in the basin is based on their relative positions with respect to these marker beds, and the faunal assemblages are compared to the standard biostrarigraphic chronology developed in the nearby Bighorn Basin. This biostratigraphic correlation allows for more detailed evolutionary studies of these early mammalian faunas, and provides further insight into the overall biostratigraphy of the region during this critical time in mammalian evolution. Of particular interest is the co-occurrence of two plesiadapiforms (Plesiadapis cookei and Carpolestes nigridens), at a Clarkforkian age (latest Paleocene) locality. This co-occurrence is unexpected based on the biochronology of the Bighorn Basin, and mandates a revision of our understanding of the transition between the early and middle Clarkforkian land mammal age.

The 'Stitch N' Bitch Revolution': The Reversal of Gender Roles in a Michigan Twenty-something Knitting Group. Meghan Cook, Western Michigan University, Department of Anrhropology, Kalamazoo, MI 49006

The "Stitch N' Bitch" revolution is at the forefront of the recent crafting craze. A social knitting organization originated by Stitch N' Bitch author Debbie Stoller, the first group was formed in New York City and quickly spread across the nation. This is an ethnographic study of one such group in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Comprised mainly of college-age people and young professionals, the gender ratio of the group is surprisingly equal, as more and more men are beginning to publicly show an interest in knitting and other crafts. This paper focused on gender issues and stereotypes amongst the group. Traditional gender roles were reversed as women exerted control over the men, and men exposed their softer, craftier side. Research into gender stereotypes and identity issues as they are reflected in youth subcultures provided insight into this new paradigm of roles and community building.

How Wild Do You Want to Travel?: The Use of the Exotic in National Geographic Travel Advertising in the 1960s and '70s. Meghan Cook, Jeremy Floyd, Brendan Weaver, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49006

Political and historical events during the time of the Cold War, the War on Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement and the Oil Crisis created an interesting paradigm for the advertisement of travel. These events fostered an environment in which advertisers exploited America's fascination with the exotic and the idea of "the other." Conversely this reflects attend to express familiarity of travel within the United States. Here we explore this concept of travel advertisements in National Geographic in the 1960s and 70s.

Farming in Huron County. Jane E. Loegel, Kalamazoo College, Dept. of History

1 will be comparing the family farm and the corporate farm in Huron County, Michigan. My paper will seek to answer several questions: (1) why are there so few corporate farms compared to the number of family farms in Huron County? (2) what made the life on a family farm desirable enough to continue farming in the face of an increasing number of corporate farms' (3) what are the conditions on a family farm and what are the gender/age roles of the family? and (4) what do current conditions point towards in terms of the persistence or the decrease in family farming operations?

While corporate farms are becoming more powerful in many areas of the United States, Huron County still retains its characteristics as an area dominated by family-farms. There could be several reasons for this trend; among them are the presence of tradition and the sense of self-sufficiency that comes with owning and operating one's farm. This paper will discuss aspects of the family farm in Huron County that contribute to the persistence of family-run farms between 1900 and 1980, while also discussing the many aspects of farm life and its advantages and disadvantages.

Poverty, Immigration, and the Meaning of Neighborhood: The Edison Neighborhood of Kalamazoo. Brendan J. M. Weaver, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan University

The Edison Neighborhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan is one of several geographically bounded areas in the city that has been identified as a key neighborhood for economic development. The district borders on the downtown commercial area and several other primarily residential zones, but the neighborhood is unique in its diversity of residences and businesses. In its early days the residents were primarily working class whites, many of whom were Irish immigrants. Today the neighborhood population ranges from the long-term resident English speaking white and black populations to a growing immigrant and Hispanic population. Edison's urban landscape is radically diverse and economically its residency includes college students, professors, and young professionals to the working class and retirees. This paper ethnographically explores the concept of community and the dynamics between differing populations, by looking at specific groups and organizations such as St. Joseph's Catholic Church or the Edison Neighborhood Association, and how they organize toward ideals of inclusion and community, and against violence, crime, and poverty.

Removing the Veil--Muslim Women in Color in "Islamophobic" America. Zarinah El-Amin, Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Ask a typical American to visualize a Muslim woman and responses are likely to be images veiled Arabs dressed in black. Media photos of women in the Middle East have fueled stereotypes that Muslim women are all Arab. However, only 26% of the American Muslim population is comprised of Arabs (Zogby International, August 2000). The diversity among Muslim women is rarely seen in photographs, newspapers, magazines, or on television. In fact, most non-Muslims know very little about American Muslim women and men (Sachs, 2002).

With Islamophobia rampant in post 9-11 America, Muslim Women face unique hurdles. For example, a woman who wears hijab, a traditional head covering, is often taunted when conducting everyday activities. Currently in Oakland, California so many "random" attacks on Muslim women have occurred that emails are circulating asking women to purchase baseball caps and sweatshirts to appear more "western." This leads one to ask--are Muslim Women assumed to be non-Western?

This emic paper seeks to remove the veil from an often misunderstood group--American Muslim Women. Conducted in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this study first identifies the cultural makeup of these women and further investigates the effects of Islamophobia on their everyday lives.

French and Native American Subsistence Patterns at Fort St. Joseph. Chandler Herson, Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology

The production and collection of food is a basic human need and nowhere else has this proven to be more important than at the French Colonial outpost of Fort St. Joseph. At this Fort, two distinctive cultures met in a common place and created a new culture in that what was considered 'French' and what was considered 'Native' became distinctly bluffed. By exploring the subsistence patterns of the inhabitants of Fort St. Joseph, we may be able to discover just how distinctive this merging of two different cultures was. To do this, the author has taken different zoo archaeological procedures and will talk about such topics as what archaeological evidence thus far has told us about Prehistoric Native American diet, what the faunal remains at different French Colonial sites could reveal to us about Colonial diet practices and how the inhabitants at these sites may have been manipulating faunal remains in a distinctly Native American or European manner.

"Safe for another day": Managerial Strategies and Workers' Realities within a Domestic Service Franchise. Amber Hyland, Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology

This paper focuses on my research among managers and cleaners at a domestic service franchise in Kalamazoo County. Christian ideologies surface in several managerial strategies, including the use of scripture readings, personality profiles, and weekly raffles. Although managers help create an environment where workers can focus on teamwork and cooperation, managerial strategies only mask the underlying competition inherent in the business's commission scale. Scripture readings are meant to promote a sense of security while on the job; however, manners do little to acknowledge the real dangers that employees face outside the work environment--their struggles with poverty and single motherhood. Although housework is not. a "labor of love" in the sense that these workers love the clients they clean for, these women labor because they love their families. While the management might not be able to keep these women safe from the structural factors they face, these women work hard so they can keep their children safe from one day having to struggle in the same ways.

Spirituality, Identity and Community in a Hindu Monastery. Toni M. Jones, Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology

In the post modern age of high mobility and mass emigration of non-Western peoples to the United States, there is growing interest in how (or if) these people are able to maintain their cultural and religious identity while blending into local culture in a way that is functional for them. In southwest Michigan and the surrounding areas there is a growing population of Hindu Indian immigrants who are able to maintain this connection to their religious heritage, as well as find a community of like-minded American's and Indian-American's, through Hindu temples and monasteries/retreat centers. My study focuses on one such center known as the Vivekananda Monastery and Retreat Center in Ganges, Michigan and how this monastery serves as a religious and communal focal point for swari's, disciples, laity and guests. I study the relationships between the few monks who live at the monastery, the swami's who administrate over the facility along with the visiting swami's who lecture there, the disciples, visitors, guests and volunteers who attend the retreats and lectures, and the monastery and grounds itself, in order to understand how these elements come together to create community, reinforce identity, and awaken spiritual knowledge.

Vigilantes and Right Populists: Nationalists as Agents of Repression in the Twentieth Century. Matthew Paris, Western Michigan University

This paper explores the intersection of nationalist sentiments and their use by the state in the suppression of social movements. The state and its supporters have long been known for their invocation of "anti-Americanism" against aspirations for greater equality by the working class. Frequently local and federal policing agencies are able to avoid direct conflict with dissident movements by turning a blind eye and allowing or even actively encouraging Intervention by groups composed ostensibly of citizens. Some of these groups, currently or historically, have promoted a secessionist ideology or openly supported enemies of the state but still couch many of their arguments in nationalistic terms. Through case studies of several nationalist movements in the United States, I deconstruct the nationalism of these fringe groups into their reactionary elements but also their potentially revolutionary threads that are in opposition to hegemonic capital.