Death is something that all of us have or will experience, both through experiencing others’ deaths and eventually our own. This research examines the modern death practices of Christianity and Paganism in the United States and how they compare to their historical practices. Furthermore, this research determines if there is a syncretism of death rituals in today’s practices and if so, whether they fall under Christianity or Paganism. Data is gathered through a literature review and videos on TikTok through the search of specific hashtags to assess the changes in death rituals over time. A total of eighty eight hashtags were searched, with each subgroup comprising twenty two hashtags that were either the same or very similar to gather the most accurate data. Both the literature review and hashtags have a scoring system to interpret the presence of each practice. Unfortunately, as of March 13, 2024, the House banned TikTok which influenced the videos allowed on the app. Many of the hashtags that were being used no longer has videos which has disrupted the data. Regardless, from literature reviews and the videos that were viewed, negative results show none to limited change in death practices in Christianity and Paganism.

Poster Presentation

Session 3

2:45pm – 4:00pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

My research is on the rock climbing culture and what makes this culture unique from other subcultures. This research is important since there is little existing information suggesting that the climbing community has been analyzed from an anthropological perspective. Additionally I am looking at the psychological factors that apply to rock climbing. I am writing this as an autoethnography comparing my experiences as a rock climber and the details of my acculturation experience to the existing literature on the climbing community. My methods include a literature review, participant observation, and comparing my personal experiences to existing literature on climbing culture. I expect to find through my research that climbing is a unique culture that even has subcultures within itself. These subcultures would be climbers who specify in specific disciplines of climbing (e.g bouldering, traditional climbing, sport climbing). For theory I will be analyzing the ‘communitas’ theory and comparing that to the climbing community.

Poster Presentation

Session 3

2:45pm – 4:00pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

Frankenstein, Hamlet, and Rumpelstiltskin are thought to be well known literature works that have a variety of cultural interpretations and adaptations worldwide. From the modern understandings of the stories to the current adaptations of these works, and the interpretations of popular characters within these works, we can examine cultural and societal shifts based on events in our lives. Additionally, the recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic, being the key event which stopped the world in its tracks, altered individuals’ interpretation of stories and thus can be utilized as a mirror to gauge the changes in cultural practices and beliefs. Through an examination of published literature pertaining to previous understandings of the stories Hamlet, Frankenstein, and Rumpelstiltskin, and comparisons of individuals general beliefs from self-reported online survey focusing on one’s own reading and streaming habits, as well as their interpretations about those popular stories today. This research aims to evaluate how cultural values might have shifted over the course of the pandemic through the interpretations people have on these famous stories. Preliminary results show that on average most feel unaffected in their own beliefs, but the overall understandings of the stories seem to interpret that the modern anti-heroes become more sympathetic through time.

Poster Presentation

Session 3

2:45pm – 4:00pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

Romantic comedy films (rom coms) can be defined as light, comic movies that focus on the development of a romantic relationship. While these movies began being made in the 1930’s, their perceived demise in the 1970’s has left viewers wondering if these movies are still being produced. However, the genre still lives and rom coms are the film industry (and now streaming platform) staples, depicting “ideal” love. The relationships that are portrayed impact our real-life expectations within both platonic and romantic partnerships and are often seen as a rite of passage within modern society. Utilizing IMDb, Vanity Fair, and Good Housekeeping’s top 30 romantic comedies and anonymous survey responses, this project evaluates the impacts of the genre and how cultural perceptions related to platonic and romantic relationships are altered by these idealized stories. Preliminary results indicate that the socio-cultural implications are mostly on a personal level that may be purposefully hidden to stay within cultural and societal norms of a relationships boundaries. Additionally, the concept of a true rom com is not clear. Elements of additional genre(s) and the socio-cultural changes altering the film industries production and subsequent audience viewing at a titles time of release in theater and availability and access on streaming platforms, alters the personal definition/choice of rom com titles through time. The significance of having a cultural understanding of how these films are being viewed allows for cross discipline discussion to better understand this not forgotten genres impact on American Popular Culture and the way people rely heavily on technology to understand and view a perfect relationship.

Poster Presentation

Session 3

2:45pm – 4:00pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

Animals have always played a vital role within human society. From their first interactions as predators and prey, through domestication and subsequent distinctions as pets and livestock, animals have deep rooted cultural roles that alter human societal norms around the world. Through a literature review, the roles of the five (5) most common pets (dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, birds) and livestock (chicken, cattle, sheep, ducks, goats) in three of the world’s largest countries, India, China, and the United States were scored to evaluate the human animal relationship and the cultural implications of these relationships. Preliminary results highlight cultural lifeways, beliefs, and practices play a large part in our treatment and welfare of animals as pets and livestock. Additional variances can be seen when cross-examining cities in different geographical regions with varying population densities in these countries. This research aims to highlight the overall importance of understanding different cultures and perceptions around the world. Since animals have played a vital role in human society it’s essential to understand the impacts they have made globally.

Poster Presentation

Session 2

1:00pm – 2:15pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

“Santa Rosa Island is a complex geographic, cultural and historical location shaped by the indigenous and ranching life ways that have long inhabited the island. Located in eight-island archipelago of the California Islands, Santa Rosa Island is a part of the Channel Islands National Park. Since the inception of CSU Channel Island’s Santa Rosa Island Research Station on the island in 2014, historic material has been discovered through field schools and regular maintenance by the students, professors, and the staff of the station. How does this historical material from the Santa Rosa Island Research Station reflect the daily life of the island’s inhabitants during the ranching period?
A study of place attachment has been essential to connect this relationship between the material culture and the ranching period’s inhabitants, in consideration with the island’s isolation from the mainland. Through artifactual interpretation and literature review, the expected findings from the research contributes to our understanding and ongoing knowledge of how women, children, and men may have interacted with the island’s landscape.”

Poster Presentation

Session 2

1:00pm – 2:15pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

Football (Soccer) is the most culturally influential sport across the world, reaching nearly every corner of the globe. This research aims to increase the growth of economics, performance, and fan involvement in Women’s Professional Football (WPF) in the United States of America. Currently, WPF is growing exponentially in other countries around the world such as Spain but this growth is not reflected in every country. Why has Men’s Professional Football (MPF), since the first Women’s World Cup in 1991, grown more than Women’s Professional Football and in what ways could we increase the growth of Women’s Professional Football? I analyzed peer-reviewed articles pertaining to three main categories that are considered the most essential in growth within football; economics, performance, and fan involvement. The research also included a cross-analysis of six countries selected based on the women’s and men’s national teams in their most recent World Cups and their country’s gross domestic product at that time. These countries included England, Spain, the Netherlands, Ecuador, South Africa, and Zambia. There was also a Qualtrics Survey submitted to social media platforms to better understand public opinion on WPF. By developing a plan to increase the growth of WPF within the United States, it could aid in the increase of women’s player wages, improve the quality of life, and inspire young women and girls to play professional football. With further research, this could positively impact not only the United States but countries around the world as well.

Poster Presentation

Session 2

1:00pm – 2:15pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

The purpose of protecting environmental landscapes in urban areas is to not only conserve plants and wildlife, but also to help people connect to nature and the cultural history of a specific region. This study focuses on the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), located in proximity to California State University Channel Islands, as a prime example of such a landscape offering recreational and educational opportunities. Managed by multiple agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), the SMMNRA stands as one of the world’s largest urban park systems. Notably, it encompasses one of the five Mediterranean ecosystems globally and holds profound cultural significance, particularly for the indigenous tribes of the Chumash and Gabrielino/Tongva. Despite its ecological and cultural importance, the SMMNRA faces significant threats, mainly from anthropogenic disturbances such as urban development. Preserving this environmental landscape is crucial not only for safeguarding biodiversity but also for fostering a sense of connection to nature among the residents of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. This research aims to explore how the Santa Monica Mountains influence people’s connection to nature and their perceptions of environmental conservation, employing an anthropological perspective. Based on the theory of place attachment, the study aims to understand the factors influencing individuals’ connections within the SMMNRA. Drawing on insights from existing literature on place attachment theory, the research will analyze how people’s attachment to specific locations influences their attitudes towards nature. Furthermore, it will investigate how these insights can inform the management strategies of agencies operating within the SMMNRA, drawing comparisons with park management systems worldwide that incorporate public input. By examining various park management approaches, this study seeks to provide valuable insights for conservation planning within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, guided by public perceptions and attachment to the region.

Poster Presentation

Session 2

1:00pm – 2:15pm
Grand Salon

Anthropology

Gray wolves and humans have interacted for thousands of years. The gray wolf’s interactions with humans of the Southwestern United States; like the Hopi, Navajo, and Apache have brought meaning to their culture. Helping to shape one another in many ways. Humans interpreted the gray wolf in their culture that have deep meanings through symbolism, ceremony, and even domestication.  This research examines the interpretations, symbolism, and structuralism of past and present inspiration gray wolves have on cultures of the Southwestern United States. Examining geographic regions that inspire myths, legends, duality, and balance through cultural lenses. The research gives a further understanding of the link between gray wolves and cultural beliefs, and the balance gray wolves bring to their ecosystems of the Southwestern United States. The research examines the past and present analysis that provides cultural insights and connections between human and gray wolf cultural exchange. The research was to use semi-structured interviews and surveys, neither were viable in the research nor did they yield results sought. Re-focused efforts were used in obtaining data and viable information. Using tribal websites, literature reviews, and published works to gain a broader understanding on Southwestern gray wolf beliefs and the humans that believe in them. The research highlights cultural insights to further understand the link between gray wolves and cultural beliefs, and the balance gray wolves bring to their ecosystems of the Southwestern United States.

Poster Presentation

Session 1

9:15am – 10:30am
Grand Salon

Anthropology

The Antelope Valley, settled between Northern Los Angeles County’s mountains and desert, has a long rich history of Indigenous occupation dating back as far as 12,000 years ago that include the Tataviam, Serrano, Kawaiisu, and Kitanemuk people. Within this area, the Antelope Valley Indian Museum and Western Hotel Museum, both operate  historically significant buildings that are over 100 years old and the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center, built within the last 30 years acknowledge the land’s original inhabitants, preserves their culture and history, all while providing educational outreach to the public that emphasizes the awareness of the ancestral Indigenous people of Antelope Valley. California State Parks oversees the Antelope Valley Indian Museum, while both the Western Hotel Museum and the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center are run my Lancaster Museum of Art and History. This study utilizes public archaeological methods to examine the education outreach programs at these locations in relation to the awareness of the general public within a 100-mile radius from Lancaster, CA. Through evaluation of anonymous surveys and informational interviews with the sites’ education and museum manager and director, the aim is to better understand the dynamics of current education outreach programs to evaluate their efficiency and suggest other regional specific strategies to increase the public’s knowledge of Antelope Valley’s Indigenous peoples. Preliminary results suggest that although many individuals reside within the parameters of the study area, numerous individuals are unaware of these historic and contemporary sites, suggesting  that the individuals are unaware of the education outreach programs being used to create awareness of the Antelope Valley’s Indigenous peoples. Thus, signifying the need for additional implementation of outreach and education channels to increase the awareness of Antelope Valley’s Indigenous people’s cultural heritage to the general public. Bringing awareness creates the potential for positive cultural enrichment and understanding for all communities in this area.

Poster Presentation

Session 1

9:15am – 10:30am
Grand Salon

Anthropology