Anthropology, Cultural

The peasant population of feudal Japan has been regarded as stagnant based on low fertility and offsetting mortality, an exception to the classic model of demographic transition. However, the rate of population change among Tokugawa peasants varied temporally and regionally. The Tohoku region in northern Japan experienced a total population decline in the eighteenth century while southwestern regions saw a continual growth supported by high fertility. The population decline in eastern Tohoku was not simply the result of the unfavorable environment or scarcity of land but was also influenced by the unique family structure that essentially determined the distribution of village resources. Facing population pressure, the dozoku groups required a systematic control of reproduction for the survival of their own group. This was accomplished through the regulation of marriage and creation of branch families, urging temporary out-migration, and possibly infanticide.

An investigation of the decline of traditional boat building in the
Bahama Islands was attempted. National and local level analysis
indicated that the collapse of the sponging industry in the late
1930's and the introduction of development in the last two decades
led to the decline. The consequences of development in the Bahamas,
i.e., a changing economy; a complex occupational profile; urban
growth and migration to the city; increases in communication,
transportation, and public conveniences; government policy changes;
fewer participants in traditional festivals and ceremonies; family
structure changes; and value shifts, were analyzed for their
contribution to the decline of boat building. Lisbon Creek and
Man o' War Cay, two traditional centers of boat building, were the
foci of local level investigation. The difference in the degree of
decline in the communities was attributed to differentials in
development and exposure to its consequences.

Alicia Yanez Cossio, an established novelist and short story writer from Ecuador, reflects on the most serious social problems in her country. She is especially concerned with the Ecuadorian people's identity. In her works she describes how the Church and State, which promote and maintain a patriarchal social structure, have perpetuated the devaluation of women that began with the conquest. This study analyzes how women confront and define their gender as well as their race in two novels: Bruna, soroche y los tios (1972) and La cofradia del mullo del vestido de la Virgen Pipona (2002). As she traces Ecuadorian history, Yanez Cossio draws paralellisms between the loss of identity and gender, and focuses on the repercussions this has had in the lives of Ecuadorian women. Through the characters she offers possible solutions. This thesis analyzes the writer's perspective of the identity problem in this South American country and the fight of its people, most specifically women, to recover their identity by recognizing their indigenous roots and their gender, in a social environment that denies either are significant or relevant.

In the United States tattooing has become popularized. Tattoo studios are now commonplace commercial venues. Tattooing has become a legitimate art form. This research examines the commodification of tattooing in South Florida and the relationship between consumption and identity production. In efforts to express the self and exert control over the body, individuals adorn themselves. In the United States we are increasingly using tattoos as one form of self-expression. However, this expression is grounded in Western consumerist ideals. It is through consumption of the symbolic commodity of the tattoo that the individual expresses the self and asserts control over the body.

Images of beauty are social constructs that exist in historical contexts and are subject to change. A correlation may be made between social inequality and how images of beauty are used to maintain the status quo. Mode Magazine is an unique fashion magazine that depicts women of different sizes. This thesis examines how "realistically sized" images of women are represented, and whether representation challenges beauty hegemony. It critically examines both visual and non-visual textual representations using Hall's encoding/decoding model to discern potential meanings. It evaluates advertisements and articles for how women are interpellated by the text. It concludes by asserting that although counter-hegemonic elements are present, Mode's message is hegemonic. Mode posits that women can be realistically-sized and beautiful as long as they participate in all other aspects of beauty consumption and culture by purchasing the products and fashions showcased in the magazine.