Masculinities and eating practices in the Philippines: An ethnographic study

Individuals’ eating practices have been linked with gender, in that masculinity and femininity can be reflected through what they eat. This has been related to how food is coded stereotypically, meat being perceived as masculine and fruit as feminine. The aim of my research was to explore the relationship between masculinity and eating practices in the Philippines, to find out if gender did impact on these. This was also important as diet related illnesses, are increasing in the Philippines. There was literature and studies on the composition of Filipino diets, however, there was limited understanding on the eating context in the Philippines. To research this I used ethnography, taking a participant-as-observer role, and autophotography, giving participants cameras to photograph their meals. Data collection was over an 89 day period, spent predominantly in Manila. For there to be consistency in analysis, I used thematic analysis for the field notes, photographs and interviews. My findings suggested that food was not heavily gendered, in that different foods were not defined as masculine or feminine. I argue that gendered practices were observed through the quantities of food consumed, especially rice. Rice was more than just a staple food, it was thought of as being a heavy food, one which gave men the desired feeling of fullness. Participants frequently spoke of the equal division of labour in the domestic space, with foodwork not being a particularly feminised task. Significantly, I identified a strong emphasis on communal eating amongst participants. This was the common environment for people to eat in. In this context participants said that they were happier, the food tasted better, and subsequently they consumed more. The findings contribute an understanding of eating practices in the Philippines, particularly the important role of commensality and how gender was practiced in this environment. I conclude that communal eating provided a setting where men could display their masculinity not through consuming masculinised foods, but instead through eating larger portions. This shifts the focus away from individual food choices onto communal eating practices when researching the Filipino eating context

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Photograph by Charles O\u27Keef

Analysis of a Commingled Skeletal Sample from Acacia Park Memorial Cemetery

A commingled sample of human skeletal remains from Acacia Park Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota was analyzed to address the commingled context, reconstruct the demographic profile, and make interpretations regarding health status and activity patterns. Prior to increasing European settlement during the 1800s in Minnesota, the site was known as “Oheyawahi” by the Dakota who used this site for burials and important ceremonies. In the 1920s a Masonic group in Minnesota purchased land at this site and founded Acacia Park Memorial Cemetery. Throughout the use of the cemetery, previous burials were disturbed and some of these remains were subsequently moved to a sheltered vault on the property. As a result of correspondence between the State Archaeologist Office, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and Acacia Park Cemetery, the contents of that vault were transported to the Hamline University Osteology Laboratory in 2004. This research project is the first to holistically analyze each individual of this skeletal sample. To address the commingled context, metric and visual analysis generated inventory data which was used to estimate how many individuals are present. Through the initial assessment, the minimum number of individuals was determined to be 25 and the most likely number of individuals was statistically estimated to be 26. After segregating each individual in the sample, a variety of techniques considered to be standards in the field of human osteology were applied to estimate each individual’s biological profile: their age at death, sex, stature, and ancestry. Further analyses of each individual of this sample provided insight into their health status during life and activity patterns. Collectively, all of this data about each individual has been used to reconstruct the demographic profile for this sample and contribute knowledge to what is known about life in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota during the 1800s and prior

Representing suicide: Giving voice to a desire to die?

Drawing on interview and online ethnographic data from a study of suicide on the railways, this paper describes the ways in which many of the concepts, assumptions and practices of mainstream suicide prevention are challenged in the accounts of those who are planning, or have enacted, a suicide attempt. We reflect on the ethical dilemmas which can arise for researchers (and practitioners) when lived experience accounts diverge – theoretically, morally and in terms of practical implications – from present-day expert ones. In online, ‘pro-choice’ suicide discussions, people describe beliefs, attitudes, ways of thinking and acting which stand in contrast to existing professional and clinical descriptions of suicide and suicidal behaviour. Most obviously, there is often a rejection of ‘pro-life’ positions, which are framed as ideological, oppressive and naïve. For researchers engaging in online ethnography of ‘pro-choice’ spaces, dilemmas can arise in relation to the representation of perspectives which fundamentally challenge not only prevailing norms within suicide research and prevention practice but socio-cultural norms more widely. Similar issues can arise when considering how best to represent research participants when their accounts diverge from accepted ‘expert’ knowledge and beliefs. In-depth qualitative interviews with those who have thought about or attempted to take their own life indicate that existing theories and models of suicide which start from assumptions of deficit and pathology underestimate the extent to which suicide, as the end result of an often-complex series of actions, requires a person to engage in logistical processes of planning, decision-making, imagination and adaptation. The accounts described here, gathered using two different methodological approaches, highlight the ethical issues which can surface when there are competing claims to (expert) knowledge, as well as differences in beliefs, attitudes and moral stance towards life and death. We argue that researchers need to reflect on their own ethical-moral position in relation to suicide, and on the practical consequences of their privileging of some voices at the expense of other, less well represented, ones

Gender Attitudes and Fertility Aspirations among Young Men in Five High Fertility East African Countries

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97275/1/j.1728-4465.2013.00341.x.pd

Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads.

In addition to the devastating impact on the individual and their families, suicides on the roads can cause distress and harm to other people who might be involved in a collision or witness an attempt. Despite an increased focus on the characteristics and circumstances of road-related suicides, little is known about why people choose to end their lives in this way. The aim of the current study was to investigate the factors prompting and deterring the decision to attempt suicide on the roads. We conducted a secondary analysis of survey data, as well as seven in-depth qualitative interviews. Participants had lived experience of suicidal ideation or behaviour at a bridge or road location. We also carried out an online ethnography to explore interactions in different online communities relating to this method of suicide. Participants perceived a road-related suicide to be quick, lethal, easy and accessible and to have the potential to appear accidental. The proportion of participants who described their thoughts and attempts as impulsive appeared to be higher than had been observed with other method choices. The potential impact on other people was a strongly dissuasive factor. Measures designed to prevent access to potentially lethal sites may be particularly important, given that many participants described their thoughts and behaviour as impulsive. In addition, fostering a culture of care and consideration for other road users may help to dissuade people from taking action on the roads

Mapping the Hot Spots: Zoning Approaches to Space Analysis

This poster examines a preliminary approach to space design developed and implemented in Eastern Kentucky University’s Noel Studio for Academic Creativity. The approach discussed here is entitled “Hot Spots,” which has allowed the research team to observe trends in space usage and composing activities among students. The Hot Spots approach has yielded valuable insights into the design of flexible learning spaces that provide a point of reflection for the future

Potential applications of biomolecular archaeology to the ecohistory of sea turtles and groupers in Levant coastal antiquity

Humans have been exploiting marine resources along the Levantine coast for millennia. Advances in biomolecular archaeology present novel opportunities to understand the exploitation of these taxa in antiquity. We discuss the potential insights generated by applying collagen peptide fingerprinting, ancient DNA analysis, and stable isotope analysis to groupers (Serranidae) and sea turtles (Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta) in the Levant. When combined with traditional zooarchaeological techniques, biomolecular archaeology offers utility to further investigate human impacts on marine ecosystems