Undergraduate Research Day Projects
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Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Browsing Undergraduate Research Day Projects by Subject "Anthropology"
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Item 1771, A Literary History: Genre, Origin, and Authorship(2023-04-13) Haddad, Tatiana; Knappenberger, James; Gurule, AlexandraThe 1771 Project sought to create a literary history confined to a single year and to three cities through creating an organized database of the wide range of literature circulating at that time. The unique approach of this project is its presentation and analysis of these assorted literatures as a focused representation of the literary, philosophical, and political genres and themes present in the literary scene at the time, in addition to its usefulness in attempting to reconstruct a semblance of daily life in the year 1771. Genre becomes the intangible webbing between the social, temporal, and geographic contexts of writings, as it becomes invaluable in the grouping and analysis of specific texts. By creating separate 'genre systems' and approximating the print environments of London, Edinburgh, and Philadelphia through these genre groupings, this project has connected the social and cultural narratives of 1771 to the variations in genre present in that year. Through this novel approach to digital histories and focus on genre contexts, the 1771 Project has produced a snapshot of the print environment of 1771 and the associated demographics behind its creation.Item Ceramic Analysis in Atzompa: Maintaining a millennium old tradition in Zapotec utilitarian ceramics(2023-04-13) Valades, LeonThis project is focused on the topic of utilitarian ceramics at the archaeological site of Atzompa and how the contemporary potting town of Santa Maria Atzompa has maintained a ceramic tradition for over a thousand years. When talking about utilitarian ceramics, we usually refer to kitchen ware such as bowls, plates, cups, comales, pots (ollas), jugs, jars, apaxtles and casseroles. I analyzed the similarities between utilitarian ceramic pieces of prehispanic times at the archaeological site of Atzompa and the potting town of Santa Maria Atzompa, which includes the continuity of utilitarian utensils, the kilns that were used to make pottery and the economic importance behind utilitarian ceramics in the central valleys. While conducting my research, I was able to see the continuity of utilitarian ceramics at Atzompa through the types of utensils produced in prehispanic times and today, through the methods of production and how essential utilitarian ceramics is for Atzompaï's economy today.Item Latina Beauty Queens(2023-04-13) Levy, ChloeThis collection showcases how a rising Mexican American middle class simultaneously assimilated into certain beauty standards and Western European social events, while also integrating Latin American traditions. Contemporary ideas of beauty, as related to gender and class, can be observed in the past and the present through the rise of beauty advertisements targeting Latina customers that appeared in historic periodicals. The goal of this research is to create a better understanding of gender and beauty expectations for middle class Latinas in the US.Item Tourism in Wadi Rum, Jordan: Bedouin Cultural Commercialization and Economic Agency(2023-04-13) Haddad, TatianaThis project focused on examining the extent of cultural adaptations made by the traditionally nomadic pastoral Bedouins of Wadi Rum to facilitate and encourage the growing tourism sector in Jordan. The development of a commercial tourism industry in Wadi Rum has prompted a wide range of observable cultural changes, such as the shift from sole reliance on portable goat-hair tents for shelter to the construction of sprawling resort complexes in the desert. Understanding these cultural changes and their future implications is crucial to determining the sustainability of commercial tourism in the region. This project consisted of a widespread literature review covering socio-political critique, onsite fieldwork and interviews, ethnographic records of the Wadi Rum Bedouin, and scientific assessments of the environmental status of the Wadi Rum region over time. This project found that commercial tourism, in conjunction with economic, political, and environmental factors, has resulted in the alteration of Bedouin culture and society in Wadi Rum to accommodate tourism. Large-scale commercial tourism is unsustainable in the long term for both the Bedouins' culture and their native environment. Ecotourism must be further explored as a sustainable, environmentally-friendly form of tourism that can still allow economic autonomy for groups such as the Bedouins.Item Two Fawns and the Figure of Desire: A Look into Female Sexuality and Narrative in the Hebrew Bible's "Song of Songs"(2023-04-13) Levy, ChloeThere is a rise of academic interest in the Song of Songs, but more research is necessary. With the growth of progressive policies, such as the social acceptance of female sexual expression in music and literature, it is important to analyze that these expressions and desires have a strong presence in the creation of modern-day culture. By researching these historical examples of female narration, and analyzing depictions of female centered sexuality, we can better understand their influence on modern-day sexuality. The Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a collection of love poetry. It is recognized by the Protestant and Catholic canons towards the end of the Old Testament, and is Canonical in Jewish scripture as one of the last scrolls (megillot) of the Tanakh. Furthermore, it is unique in that it contains no mention of covenants with God, but instead celebrates a harmonious and sexual relationship between two lovers. A lot of midrash (rabbinic biblical commentary) has been created to defend its inclusion in holy books, many saying its story is allegorical for God's relationship to his covenant. Its inclusion in religious canon is a beautiful example of extremely overt sexual intimacy, showing a side of female desire that is not often recorded.