2004 - 2005 School Year

To view their research project, click on the title of each paper. 

Learning Work, Making Art:
Art and the Everyday in Metaphor and Action
Sam Casselton

What makes an artist? What leads some people to an interest in making art while others avoid or reject it altogether? Interest towards or ability in the visual arts is often discussed in terms of “talent”, and either one possesses it or one does not. In this research, I am examining the processes by which individuals come to form an internalized definition of art, and how they position themselves in terms of this definition. I’m looking at how ideas about art are transmitted, how they are learned and adapted/adopted, and how these ideas impact one’s attitude towards art as an object and the process of art making. These issues have been addressed through interviews with Knox students about their introductions to and past experiences with art and art making. Art teacher’s materials have also been examined as part of the research. While the research originally focused on how interactions with art in the K-12 art classroom shaped student’s understanding of and relationship to art making, it soon became apparent that influences and experiences outside of the art classroom were much more significant. I am now interested in exploring the problem of art’s official separation from the everyday and the related deficiencies of art education are addressed, subverted and solved through student artmakers’ use of metaphorical and operative relationships between art and other, “non-art” forms and processes of making.

Finding Never-Land
YoungJae Chung

What does the lottery mean to those that play it in Galesburg, IL? Enticing futures and social justice for the working class are some of the symbolic values associated with the Illinois lottery when the Illinois government legalized the Illinois lottery tickets in 1976 with the promise to subsidize public funding from the lottery profits. Twenty-five years later, however, while some of these values still remaining, concerns of addiction and doubt about expenditures also taint the lottery’s symbolism. The state government’s promise to subsidize the state’s education funds from the lottery tickets’ profits appear to many to be not kept, and many Galesburg working-class lottery players continue to question the state regarding its false promise and motif. As Galesburg continues to encounter economic adversity, a clear line of distinction can be drawn amongst the Galesburg working-class lottery players: those who continue to play religiously for years - utilizing myth, lucks, and lottery books as tools to beat the odds - and those who refuse to play anymore due to their previous fruitless investments toward the lottery tickets. In this research paper, a Marxist perspective is used to analyze the working class imaginings of the lottery and the dialectical relationships these players have with the Illinois lottery.

Legislating Morality:
Galesburg’s battle over legal rights for homosexuals
Wren Davisson

On February 3rd of 1997 an amendment to Galesburg Illinois’s human rights ordinance stating that people would be protected from discrimination in housing and jobs based on sexual orientation was brought before the City Council. The vote was taken and the amendment unanimously defeated. This surprisingly strong opposition to the amendment created intense controversy throughout the city. Local news articles and editorials debated the issues, with a majority of the opposition apparently stemming from the local religious right. The results of the vote led to political mobilization on the left as well, resulting in the creation of the Galesburg Coalition for Equal Rights (GCER) which had a goal of spreading awareness and trying to bring the amendment up again for a vote. This research offers a detailed history of the event and the many aspects that led to the controversy between each side. Furthermore, it looks at the dichotomy between sexuality and religion, addressing issues of morality and education. Finally, conclusions are drawn about how this specific event reflects on the controversial issues of gay rights and alternative lifestyles that are currently being debated in our country.

Elusive Selves:
Imagination and Discourses of Self-Identification in the Tibetan Diaspora
Sean M. Dowdy

This paper examines the process of self-identification among Tibetan refugees in the United States. Primary data are based upon fieldwork conducted during the summer of 2004 in Chicago among a Tibetan refugee community. In the Tibetan diaspora, discourses on the self are strongly committed to “the other.” Ethically and popularly understood, to think of oneself is possessive and egocentric, while it is morally and practically responsible to consider the needs and desires of others. However, this discourse comes into conflict with politically goal-centered discourse evident in transnational media, gendered/racial identification and the new role of Tibetan culture as “spectacle.” In each of these discursive spheres, the self matters. In effect, the negotiation of selfhood for Tibetans exists on a contested ground of competing discourses. The role of imagination is considered as a rhetorical, strategic and thoroughly diasporic logic which synthesizes these discourses and/or privileges one over the other to engender a situational and positional self-representation. This representation then adapts and changes over time. The paper utilizes field scenarios and recent studies on diaspora, identity, transnationalism and critical theory to support a conceptualization of the anthropological study of self-identity and Tibetan life in the diaspora.

HIV/AIDS in Malawi:
Critical Epidemiology and Political Economies of Risk
Chris Ferguson

To do this, I first address the political history of Malawi in section III. The social dynamics that have emerged through colonialism and post-colonial Malawi have proved particularly important in understanding how AIDS has been addressed, and how it continues to function within a Malawian social context. In section IV I continue by drawing on AIDS origination stories as related to me by residents of Malawi. These stories illustrate how Malawians place the AIDS pandemic both within an international and national context, and how these contexts speak to notions of development across race and class distinctions. Section V is concerned with discerning the perceived gendered differences that are used to explain the spread of AIDS. This section illustrates how AIDS is used to negotiate personal and political power within Malawi; especially in reference to power differences across the gender divide. The final ethnographic section, section VI, presents perceptions of HIV/AIDS as they relate to distinctions of race and class. These distinctions are used to delineate Malawi’s socio-economic space within a globalizing world. Furthermore, these perceptions grant invaluable insight into the nature of the developmental discourse in Malawi and how Malawians negotiate a social space within shifting cultural and economic categories. I conclude by describing the potential demographic and economic development of Malawi under the shadow of the AIDS virus, and what this means for Malawi’s future. Here, I return again to critical epidemiology in the hopes that this distinction will aid in constructing potential methods through which AIDS can effectively be addressed.

Jake’s Tavern:
Social capital, story-telling, and domestic beer
Meg Huizenga

The story of Jake’s Tavern is the story of certain people in a certain place at a certain time. The people at Jake’s have a shared history, a collective memory, which they use to negotiate the continuous process of identity construction amidst changing social forces throughout the community. Jake’s has a long history that is interwoven in the social fabric and history of Galesburg. As a business Jake’s depends upon the socioeconomic state of this city; the regular customers who keep it open and profitable determine the nature of Jake’s. The “regulars” at Jake’s are self-identified working class people. They are almost all men who struggle, as everyone does, with the responsibilities of life – their families and social networks, their jobs and economic issues, and their identities. I spent several months becoming a regular at Jake’s through consistent visits three or four times each week. I wanted my motivations for being there to be as close to their motivations as possible. I made friends, I watched ESPN, I bought rounds of drinks and I tipped well. I listened to their stories and I told a few of my own. I became part of their social network. Everyone at Jake’s has their own story. This is my story of Jake’s; it is a story of gaining entrée, becoming “one of them,” and learning in depth about the lives and struggles of the individuals who have created a community in their small neighborhood bar. 

Consuming Bollywood, Spirituality and the Hindu Life Cycle:
Transitions between Emotional Spheres
Anjali Krishan

This project examines the seemingly contradictory perspectives voiced towards emotions in the Hindu Spiritual discourse of gyan yog and by Hindi movie watchers. In conducting this project, I seek to answer the question of how such radically different perspectives exist in the same society, and often in the same family. I further aim to examine how these perspectives, and my interviewees’ relationship to them, has changed with the impact of neo-liberalism and globalization. The project does this by using ethnographical data collected from a sample of middle-class urbanites living in North and East India, during the summer of 2004.

Camaraderie, Self Discovery, and Sore Muscles:
The Lifestyle of an Ultramarathon Runner
Jenny Kroeger

Strangers in a Strange Land:
Conservatism, Alienation, and the Knox Experience
Dan Lieberman

In the wake of the 2004 election, many Knox students found themselves wondering what had just happened. After one of the most divisive elections in recent history, Kerry voters were left with some very troubling questions, key among which was “Why would someone vote for George W. Bush?” We find a profound lack of understanding of how others think about politics, leaving us with a “red state, blue state” frame of mine, two camps unable to understand why the other does what it does. Knox is no exception to this, as conservative students feel misunderstood, marginalized, and generally set upon. Through one-on-one interviews and focus groups held with conservative Knox students, professors, and administrators, this project attempts to delve into what makes conservatives’ minds tick. The project will go into conservative group dynamics, the concept of a liberal elite versus the conservative common man, the conflict developing amongst conservative factions, the impact of a predominantly liberal student body on a conservative minority, and the future of the Grand Old Party.

Comfortable?:
A Study of How Students Navigate and Negotiate at Knox College
Letitia Luke

 The main objective of my research was to document and examine the perceptions, experiences, and goals of Knox College sophomores. This was done with the hope of creating an accurate picture of the sophomore year experience at a small liberal arts college. By using student narrative to construct a picture of the sophomore year experience I was able to identify five common categories of experiences within institutional life. Students had to navigate variations of these common experiences in each category in order to become successful by the end of their sophomore year. These categories are as follows: Institutional Navigation, Departmental Affiliation, Social Affiliation, Down Scaling, and Experimental Balance. Of course the question is raised at this point, how do you measure student success?

Are We Really Knox?
The Experience of Latino Students at Knox College
Maria L. Luna

In the past 20 years, the number of Latinos entering higher education institutions is higher than ever before. However, Latinos are still the group with the lowest graduation rate, not only in high school, but also in higher education, behind African Americans, Asian Americans, and Caucasians. This raises questions about why Latinos are underrepresented in higher education when they are the larger ethnic group in the country and what happens when the student enroll in a college and discover that its not as diverse as they hoped it would be. Does that have an impact on their experience? Although there is literature that addresses the challenges Latino students face in college and what the college can do to improve their retention rates of those student, the literature does not focus on liberal arts institutions. The focus of this project is to explore the experiences of the Latino students at Knox College and whether they feel they belong and have been able to integrate themselves into the larger Knox community through interviews conducted with eight students. Also, this project will look at the issue of diversity from the administrators’/staff members and students’ viewpoint and explore whether students and administrators agree that diversity is abundant at Knox. At Knox College, which is a predominately white liberal arts college, there is an explicit focus on attracting students of color, which includes Latinos. By promoting the “diversity” that exists within the college, they hope to attract these students. Based on Knox College admission figures, although the number of Latino students attending Knox College increased this year, with 22 new Latino students enrolling into the college this year, the number of Latinos on campus is 4% (currently only 52 out of 1,205 Knox  students are Latinos). With only a small percentage of the population being Latino, little is known about their experiences at Knox. This project will conclude with suggestions to improve the quality of life of Latino students at Knox College.

From Idea to Audience:
The How and What of Meaning(s) in Modern Dance
Rachel McRoberts

How does one determine what a dance means? Dance research often focuses on either movement theory, movement analysis, or the sociocultural context of dance. By focusing on modern dance on a college campus, this paper attempts to integrate all three forms of analysis to represent the entire process of creating meaning in dance—from the initial stages of choreography through performance—characteristic of students in the program. Through participant observation and interviews, the paper examines the roles of choreographer, performers, and audience members in each stage of the process in order to answer two questions: How is meaning created in dance by each participant? What are those meanings? The paper not only identifies the role of social expectations in determining meaning, focusing on the example of gender meanings, but also identifies strategies for each participant to interact with and challenge these expectations.

Consolidated School Districts:
The Birth of a New Community
Jessica Ramirez

School is a place where children learn the three “R’s”, reading, writing and arithmetic but schools serve not only as academic institutions but as social ones as well. Children learn their social roles within the community and how to integrate into the greater society. It is in the hallways, lunchrooms and classrooms that the identity of the student begins to take shape. This research is intended to delve into the social dynamics of communities in transition. The research will be specifically look at effects of school consolidation in rural communities, particularly rural communities in the surrounding Galesburg area. Galesburg is surrounded by several small rural, farming communities. Within the last decade many of the school districts, such as Alexis and Warren, have combined to create entirely new school systems. Financially, consolidation appears to be most advantageous for the districts by enabling smaller, less affluent districts to combine their resources for the benefit of the whole. However, when examined through social lenses, consolidation affects not just the quality of education but also the social atmosphere of the communities involved. The question I intended to answer is how the relationship between the schools and the communities changed due to school consolidation. The issues to be addressed are the effects on the education (i.e. curriculum), the school, the students, teachers, and parents and communities both separately and cohesively. What is there to learn about social reproduction within these schools and communities especially when there is a  conflict of interest with the merger of concepts and methods? Can a new and effective philosophy of educating and socialization be formulated from the differing school systems and communities that would appease all those affected while still maintaining some semblance of each community identity? The advent of school consolidation has lead to the inescapable reality that we no longer live within small isolated areas but rather within evolving inter-connected communities.

The Beginning of the End:
Dealing with Unemployment in the Midst of Social Changes
Kyle Romine

Speaking on the price of leadership, founder Frederick Louis Maytag said: “A grave responsibility rest upon us in respecting the public's confidence. We must maintain the quality of our products in every respect. We must give them more because they expect more.”1 On September 16, 2004 as I walked to my first period class, something struck me as being rather odd. Where was all the traffic? I had been making the same walk across South Street to class for the past two years, and not once have I not had to battle with the morning traffic. The morning bustle was no longer there, no horns, no revved engines, no quick stops at the corner gas station for that morning coffee before it was time to head into the Maytag plant to begin their early morning shift. What a sad sight. What a sad day. You can call it what you want – free trade, a global economy – but all they see here in Galesburg Illinois is 2,500 fewer jobs. In a town of 33,000 people, 2,500 people out of a job is more than significant – it’s monumental. Where is that confidence that Fred Maytag spoke of so many years ago? This research focuses on the effects that the Maytag closing has on the city of Galesburg and most importantly the ex-employees that put their blood, sweat and tears into their work at the factory. It seems in this time of hardship the only form of relief the unemployed have is knowing that they are not alone. Since 2000, an approximate 2.7 million factory workers have lost their jobs to the North American Free Trade Agreement.2 Article 102 section A of NAFTA states the objective to, “eliminate barriers to trade in, and facilitate the cross-border movement of, goods and services between the territories of the Parties.”3 This allows for any company that wishes to do so, to move their operations anywhere the agreement allows, in order to cut production costs. The objective of the agreement is to create a global economy to raise the standard of living for the countries involved in the agreement including the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Of the many questions running through the heads of the ex-Maytag employees, the most prevalent may be, how does job loss translate to a better economy in America? In this study, I will first look at what impact Maytag had on Galesburg and its surrounding area. I will then look at the role of self-worth and family, followed by medical and generational issues.

Are These the Golden Years?
Alzheimer’s disease and the Effects on Family Members
Stacey Rucker

Alzheimer’s disease has been a major health issue for decades, and with an aging baby boomer population there is an increased focus on the disease. Despite this interest, there is little anthropological or sociological data that discusses Alzheimer’s disease from the family members’ perspectives. This research analyzes how family members, who have experienced the disease through a loved one, discuss their personal observations and experiences regarding Alzheimer’s. The research examines the coping strategies used by families and their views on how American society responds to Alzheimer’s disease. One of the important trends from the research was the interviewees often expressed disappointment with other family members in relation to the responsibilities associated with caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Some interviewees were frustrated that family involvement was not shared, and they considered who accepts the obligations of being a caregiver. During the interviews family members provided their opinions of Alzheimer’s disease support meetings, and they voiced their own concerns of developing the disease.

Staying, Straying, and Leaving:
College Students and the Negotiation of Catholic Identity
Emily Smith

The purpose of this study is to illustrate how Catholic or formerly Catholic youth create and negotiate religious identities. The research relies on interview data collected from college students who identify themselves as Catholics or former Catholics. These data indicate that college students experienced Eriksonian life crises during adolescence, questioning the religious beliefs of their childhood. Adolescents undergo a period marked by exploration and the eventual resolution of this crisis with the development of a new religious identity. Based on these religious identities that have emerged or are emerging out of this life crisis period, this research creates a typology of ways in which these college students relate to the Roman Catholic Church. “Doctrinally-faithful Catholic” students strive to adhere to “the Church’s way,” although their understanding of what that means may vary according to the teachings of their local church. “Negotiated Catholics” have departed from the Church in some respects, becoming Catholic ‘on their own terms,’ yet still feeling validated in their Catholic identities. Students who do not currently self-identify as Catholic have created a sort of negative identity, labeling themselves as ‘ex’ or ‘lapsed’ Catholics. Finally, a number of my informants have departed significantly from Catholic doctrine yet continue to identify themselves as Catholic in some respects, forging a new identity of “cultural Catholicism.” Ultimately, this study concludes that there are a variety of ways through which students negotiate their relationships with Catholicism, related to such outside variables as experiences as converts, the family, creation of a negative identity, and so on. Despite certain commonalities, such as the experience of Catholicism as an ‘ethnic’ identity and the emotions evoked by rituals such as the mass, the question of ‘who is Catholic?’ remains highly contested, a phenomenon that seems likely to continue.

What Men & Women Want from the Movies
Ashley G. Steinsdoerfer

When planning a trip to the movie theater, how do men and women make their movie-viewing choices? Moreover, how are our choices influenced by movies marketing techniques to our gender identities? This multi-layered study seeks to understand how movies referred to as “chick flicks” and “guy movies” are marketed to gendered audiences. An initial set of data recorded the male-female viewer ratio for movies showing at the Galesburg Kerasotes Showplace 8 Theater. Movie trailers and product placement matters were analyzed to understand how films advertise to men and women. The most significant portion of the data, however, came from four in-depth focus groups, in which two groups were female and the other two groups were male. As common stereotypes would predict, advertisers tend to market chick flicks to women and guy movies to men. Data also show that men and women typically choose to view and enjoy differing types of films. In the end, are men and women attending movies based on effective marketing techniques, or are men and women choosing movies based on innate gender preferences?

Every Vote Counts:
Individuals and Voting in America
Erick West

This paper illustrates that voting is a much more personal and meaningful experience for many people, and as such, it will go far beyond the numbers to get to the heart of what may be the real issue. The questions that seem most relevant, and that will be discussed in this work, revolve around the ways in which voting can define modern society, while still being an individual’s personal expression of their rights in that society. As we continue to move through an age of increasing sensitivity about politics, this issue will likely become only stronger. In order to study that fact, it will be important to first understand the existing research, and then contrast it with interviews with people to find those places where the emotional and personal nature of voting has been overlooked. As seems to be the case with practically every other aspect of American life, voting is an extremely complicated practice. The true essence of American politics is the will of the people, and in order to understand the complete picture of their will, we must observe the influences of outside factors on their thoughts, including the influence that societal experiences have had in their lives. Individuals make the decisions that lead to how they express themselves in the government, by voting or not, the influences are behind each and every decision.

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