Applied Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Alexandra Jones, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of "Archaeology in the Community"

 

Dr. Alexandra Jones (Image Source: PBS)

 

Dr. Alexandra Jones has dedicated her career to public archaeology, working in museum, public school, and university settings.  Her archaeological career began when she pursued degrees in Anthropology and History from Howard University, but it was during the pursuit of her Doctoral degree from the University of California-Berkley that Jones was inspired to begin a public archaeology organization.  While teaching in Washington, D.C. in 2006 she realized that her students, who were largely urban youth, had never heard of archaeology despite the rich cultural histories that surrounded them in their urban neighborhoods.  She was inspired to provide her students various programs to not only learn about but study archaeology.  These programs allow her students to study their own communities’ archaeological history and their own family histories.  In 2009 the Archaeology in the Community, or AITC, was founded as a non-profit organization, which provides various types of archaeological educational programming to students of all ages and in various mediums.  This effort has since taken off throughout the D.C. area, as well as Virginia and Maryland. 

 

In addition to her responsibilities with AITC, Dr. Jones is also the Field School Director on the PBS show, Time Team America.  This PBS television series focuses on a field school experiences for middle and high school students, who get to work at some important sites across the US.  Individuals can still participate in archaeology through the Time Team America’s interactive website.  While she is not working with PBS or AITC she teaches as an Assistant Professor of Practice in History and Anthropology at Goucher College.

 

References

Archaeology in the Community. (2021). About AITC. Retrieved from Archaeology in the Community: https://www.archaeologyincommunity.com/about-aitc/

Oregon Public Broadcasting. (2014). Field School Director: Dr. Alexandra Jones. Retrieved from Time Team America: https://www.pbs.org/time-team/meet-the-team/alexandra-jones/

Weissburg, L. (2021). Alexandra Jones . Retrieved from Trowelblazers: https://trowelblazers.com/alexandra-jones-community-spirit/?fbclid=IwAR3sSc2En66voaGjV1pTFEYExf0KJUUF9Jyoyf2k2w7DS7y5HGBB0rjFk78

 

Applied Anthropologist Profile: Kris-An Hinds, Applied Anthropology Doctoral Student

 

Figure 1: Kris-An Hinds, Applied Anthropology Doctoral Student

Whenever I speak to people about how anthropology can be used outside of the classroom it is easy to point out the obvious, such as anthropology’s use in understanding health and disease, forensics, language use and preservation, and even in recreating ancient ales.  It becomes a little more challenging when individuals from very scientific areas of study, such as engineering, ask for how anthropology can be used within their areas of study and work.  There are various ways that anthropology can be used in such areas, and this blog post is actually dedicated to showcase one such example involving two doctoral students from the University of South Florida, Michelle Platz and Kris-An Hinds (Figure 1).

 

Michelle Platz is an environmental engineering doctoral student and Kris-An Hinds is an applied anthropology doctoral student at the University of South Florida, and they teamed up to complete a great and necessary project to help preserve south Florida’s natural maritime resources and its economy!  Florida’s coral reefs home hundreds of diverse aquatic plant and animal species that aid in fostering a health oceanic environment.  This region is also critical to Florida’s economy as the beautiful beaches and scuba diving opportunities draw thousands of tourists annually.  Unfortunately, these oceanic environments are at risk of disappearing, largely due to disease, climate change, and pollution, leading to dire need to move in quickly and efficiently save the reefs from further destruction.  There are also pushes to not only help preserve but revitalize the reef systems as able. 

 

These efforts are largely grant funded, meaning that political and public support are needed.  Without these, as noted by Platz, these projects could neither begin nor move forward, which is where Hinds comes in.  Using her sociocultural anthropological background she approaches this project by seeking to understand how legislative policies are impacting the Florida reefs and how public perceptions and priorities are influencing laws and strategies concerning Florida’s oceanic environments.  Over the summer of 2021 she interviewed various stakeholders, from scientists and policy makers, to understand the full scope of the coral reef restoration problems and survey these stakeholders for their ideas on what they felt were the areas of most critical need and best solutions for them.  Due to Covid-19 she has not been able to interview local community members for their knowledge about the reef systems, but she plans to do so when it is safe to complete this aspect of the project.

 

Overall, Platz and Hinds supervisors have been very pleased with their efforts, and their work has received favorable response from politicians, scientists, and the general public.  Platz and Hinds plan on publishing their initial findings throughout various platforms in hopes that what they have learned thus far can be used not only in Florida and elsewhere.  Ultimately, they are showcasing how anthropological approaches can and do influence public policy initiatives, particularly those related to saving terrestrial and oceanic environments and local economies.

 

Works Cited

Research and Innovation. USF doctoral students combining engineering and anthropology to inform Florida’s Coral Reef restoration and monitoring . 10 February 2021. Electronic. 22 February 2021.

Applied Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Jennifer Sharman: Education Coordinator, Prime Earth; Editor-in-Chief of a Digital News Start Up; Volunteer for PACE

Jennifer Sharman

 

Dr. Jennifer Sharman did not actually hear the word anthropology until she started college, but her interests in ancient Egyptian culture, mummification, and monuments and human ancestry primed her well to enter the field.  When she took an introductory Anthropology course she found herself hooked, and she pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Anthropology and Archaeological Science.  She eventually went on further in her educational pursuits, earning graduate degrees from the University of Western Ontario and Durham University (United Kingdom) where she concentrated her studies in bioarchaeological research.

 

Her original goal was to pursue her love for research and teaching by landing a position as a faculty member at a research-oriented university, but life took her down different paths where she continues to pursue her passions and utilize her anthropological knowledge and skills.  Currently, she serves as the Education Coordinator for Prime Earth, a non-profit organization that focuses on youth education in conservation and anthropology.  The goal of this organization is to show students the human connections with the Earth and various species that exist on the planet, and how these connections both enrich humans and the environment.  Sharman landed this position when she met the Primate Earth founder, Dr. Jackie Prime, and they sparked a conversation about their shared anthropological experiences.  That initial conversation grew into more and eventually Sharman’s position within the organization.

 

Additionally, Sharman uses her keen eye and practiced editing skills (from researching and writing various anthropology papers and reports) in her position as the Editor-in-Chief for a Burlington, Ontario, digital news start up.  She fell into this position by previously taking on part-time editing jobs throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies, and through networking and clients’ recommendations she found herself in this current position.  Sharman credits her anthropological background in enabling her to excel in editing since this position requires understanding the messages authors are trying to convey and how best to support that through their writing.  As anthropology is about understanding cultural messaging and interpretations, she finds herself best able to fulfill this responsibility to her clients.  

 

In her free time, Sharman volunteers as part of the leadership team for the Program for All-Inclusive Care for Elders (PACE) in Burlington.  This program works to help older adults in critical need satisfy their healthcare, social/wellness, and housing needs.  Her anthropological knowledge plays a key role in understanding the situations of the elderly clients seeking PACE’s resources and assistance, and her knowledge of biological anthropology positions her well to understand the intersections between health and culture, specifically how language, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and other identities either confer an advantage or disadvantage individuals PACE supports.   

 

Sharman’s words of advice for those interested in pursuing anthropological studies: go for it!  Anthropological study opens people up to understanding others both in the present and in the past while drawing upon the environmental contexts to which individuals exist in, which sets everyone up for success no matter what their primary areas of interests or professional goals may be.  Since most every occupation requires human interaction, a better understanding of human behavior, physiology, culture, and more allows for adaptability in working with diverse groups and ideas, which leads to the realization of solutions to simple or complex problems.

 

Bibliography

Sharman, J. (2021, March). Interview for Humerus Revelations Blog. (C. Boston, Interviewer)

 

Spotlight on Students: Cultural Relativism vs. Ethnocentrism

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students.  Students were given the opportunity to explore a different culture through two lenses, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, and through this exercise learn about themselves and the other culture. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts.   Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

 By: Christopher Caslione

 Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism both play an active role in our daily lives. While one is instinctively closed-minded, the other requires more of an effort to come from a place of understanding. In this paper both of these terms will be discussed in greater detail. Ethnocentrism is the “assumption that one’s own way of doing things is correct, while dismissing other people’s views and practices as wrong or ignorant” (Welsch, Vivanco, Fuentes, 2017).  Cultural relativism states that it is a “moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgement about seemingly strange and exotic beliefs and practices” (Welsch, Vivanco, Fuentes, 2017). For the purpose of this essay, ethnocentric and cultural relativist views of the Kanamara Matsuri festival will be discussed. Before we talk about both of these uniquely different ideas, we first need to understand the history behind The Festival of the Steel Penis.

            When an individual from a different culture hears about this festival, they may become curious. This is a festival about penises, after all.  Surely there has to be more to this than simply worshiping a phallic and seemingly sexual body part. For the cultural relativist, there is a great history that can be found surrounding this festival. It all began in Kawasaki, Japan where it is said in Japanese folklore that there was a demon who fell madly in love with a woman. This demon, who lived inside her vagina, became jealous and bit the penis off of two men with whom she had sexual relations with. To rid herself of the demon's curse, she married a blacksmith. This blacksmith made the woman an iron phallus in order to break the demon’s teeth. The plan was a success and the woman was no longer a slave to this jealous demon. Because this worked, the phallus was made into a shrine to give thanks to the spirits. The temple that held the shrine eventually became a place of worship where people could pray for a happier married life as well as for the gift of fertility. From the 17th to the 19th century, sex workers from brothels throughout Japan would head to this shrine to pray to be protected from or to rid themselves of STDs. The rise in popularity of praying for protection is ultimately what gave life to this festival which “promotes sexual health”.

            An ethnocentric view of this festival for the non-native could be highly toxic. Discussing human body parts can be uncomfortable enough for some, let alone parading around in penis shaped attire and eating penis shaped food. Being a part of such a festival could perhaps feel like a sin and cause absolute panic. This festival is one that could open a lot of fear for the uncontrollably modest and highly religious individual. This type of person may view the entire population of Japan in absolute disgust after hearing or reading about this festival. This type of closed-minded individual would not be open to hearing about the history or even acknowledging the idea that talking openly about sexual health is important. They are not wrong for how they view this festival. An ethnocentric view can be important when it comes to protecting the individual. It can keep someone out of trouble while also keeping up with family and cultural traditions.

            Cultural relativism is something that is pretty important when it comes to a festival like this. In American culture, talking about anything sexual can be uncomfortable and when it is not discussed, people can get hurt. Hearing about this festival and having the curiosity behind what this festival entails is something that can help an individual grow. Existing in a manner that supports freedom of self expression is something that can provide a lot of inner peace. Negative judgment is based on fear and there is nothing serene about living a life of fear-driven anguish.

A festival displaying giant penises everywhere is undoubtedly something that may be a cause for feeling uneasy. Understanding that this festival is not one based on perversion may help the ethnocentric. When a previous student first heard of this festival, they couldn’t help but express their unease. “That’s so disgusting!” This is a clear statement of ethnocentric views and a misunderstood feeling of perversion towards this special day. This individual could be used to a penis being seen as perverse and may have a hard time seeing it any other way. Although I can understand this reaction, it is a bit off putting to me. When I first heard about this festival, I too thought that it was a tad perverted but because this seemed unusual for Japanese culture, I wanted to understand what this was truly about. For every ethnocentric view, there may be a cultural relativist one and this festival is no different. "This festival represents the values and history of Japanese culture.” Seeing the value in something so taboo requires a great level of open-mindedness. This student was able to practice cultural relativism with ease and be a voice of reason and good health. After reading what this student wrote, I felt more comfortable imagining myself being around such an individual. Sure this is a different type of festival, but let us rejoice in their cultural choice and not shame them.

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are both a part of who we are and can even reveal our current level of spiritual fitness. Assuming that “one’s own way of doing things is correct, while dismissing other people’s views and practices as wrong and ignorant” (Welsch, Vivanco, Fuentes, 2017) is a dangerous and possibly lonely road to follow. On the other hand, having a “moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgment about seemingly strange and exotic beliefs and practices” (Welsch, Vivanco, Fuentes, 2017) may afford great opportunities in life. Digging into the history behind The Festival of the Steel Penis may create an opportunity for spiritual growth, while shying away in fear might hinder this same growth. Either way, each individual has the right to their own view.

Bibliography:

Welsch, R., Vivanco, L. and Fuentes, A., n.d. Anthropology: Asking Questions About Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture.  Oxford University Press:

 

Kageyama, Ben. “Japan's Steel Penis Festival.” Medium, Lessons from History, 4 Jan. 2021, medium.com/lessons-from-history/japans-steel-penis-festival-a54a6ad35949.

 

Please go here to learn more about the Kanamara Matsuri festival.