Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ethnic Studies'

Ethnic identity is dynamic social construction. Ethnic groups define and display their heritage to meet the social, economic, and political interests of the group. Tourism is one outlet for ethnic groups to express their identity while stimulating local economies. Ethnic tourism is becoming more popular in urban settings, as municipal governments attempt to compete for tourism income and establish a unique brand. Placing ethnic tourism within an urban setting creates additional layers of complexity that have the potential to alter the way ethnic groups interact and are perceived by locals and visitors. Tourism involves the construction of expectations through deliberate representation. When the object of expectation is an ethnic or minority group, the creation of symbols to enhance the exotic appeal can have unintended consequences for the performance of ethnicity within urban structures. This paper attempts to document the effects of urban ethnic tourism on the ethnic group that is the subject of tourism by applying a new framework for urban ethnic tourism to the ethnic festivals of Milwaukee, WI.

The purpose of this study was to observe the correlation between ethnic identity and gender as well as the relationship between ethnic identity and one’s country of origin. The study participants (n=335) were recruited through the social media sites Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and Reddit. Participants completed the 15-question Multigroup Ethnic Inventory Measure (MEIM) and a Demographic Questionnaire, all done completely online. It was hypothesized that participants’ level of ethnic identity as measured by MEIM scores would differ significantly between the genders. Furthermore, it was posited that participant’s level of ethnic identity would differ significantly between countries of origin. Both hypotheses were supported. Implications of the study findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

This dissertation explores some of the difficulties that arise when using the cognitive development model to explain ethical behaviour in the world of work. An alternative theoretical position is explored, one that was originally developed in anthropology by Richard Shweder and Jonathan Haidt. This position asserts that ethical behaviour is not universal, it is instead highly contextual and may be influenced by both organisational and ethnic/national culture. The influence of culture on ethical behaviour is explored using narrative research techniques. The research is based on thirty in depth interviews with senior executives who frequently faced ethical dilemmas at work. Interviewees represented a number of diverse cultural backgrounds (including British, Dutch, US, Indian, Saudi, Colombian and Brazilian) and a number of strong organisation cultures. The conclusions emphasize the importance of personal networks as a resource for resolving ethical dilemmas and the importance of different cultural approaches to managing power relations within personal networks. The conclusions question both the current and future role of compliance functions in global corporations and the effectiveness of leadership development and staff training in the field of values and ethics

Body image refers to how a person perceives herself physically. A woman's perception of her physical appearance and her adherence to a cultural ideal of beauty informs her body image. Several determinants shape the development of body image, including sociocultural, psychological, and interpersonal factors, as well as adolescent physique and maturation, history of abuse, and certain types of media exposure (e.g., fashion magazines and a variety of television programming).

Much scholarly critique has argued that popular media perpetuate a "thin ideal" to viewers. Consumers receive distorted information. Heavy media consumers, through sheer volume of exposure, may be more aware of and likely to internalize the societal ideal, which could lead to disturbed body image and eating disorders. Substantial body image and media effects research focuses on print images, while television images are far less studied. Furthermore, Caucasian females are studied more frequently than members of other ethnic groups, such as Latinas (Hispanic females). Existing research examining Latinas tends to aggregate ethnic sub-groups (e.g. Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, etc.) into one homogenous group despite differences in national origin. The present study addresses a paucity of research focusing on ethnicity and ethnic sub-group identification related to body image across disciplines.

A sample comprising 305 self-identified Latinas completed an online survey about television consumption and body image. Television consumption was not predictive of social comparison; however, television consumption did predict awareness of the Eurocentric idealized thin body type. Moreover, sociocultural pressure from friends and family predicted awareness of the idealized thin. Awareness of the idealized thin was positively associated with social comparison, and internalization was positively associated with social comparison. Likewise, social comparison was positively associated with body dissatisfaction and with drive for thinness. The results lend further support for the sociocultural paradigm of body image disturbance. Limitations of the present work are posed along with suggestions for future research.

This thesis is foremost dealing with the process and the consequences of the restoration of the Latvian republic after 1991.

It was examined what liberal and ethnic democracy can tell about the assessment of citizenship in general and about the restoration of Latvia in particular. Further, it was analysed how the Latvian legislation defines the citizenry and if preference to a certain ethnic group is given. The change over time of the relevant legal documents was subject to this study as well.

It was evaluated, which impact the exclusive approach to citizenship (initially purely based on state-continuity) that in 1991 disfranchised 30% of the population, had for the rights of these people.

The method of ideational analysis was used to scrutinise the law texts.

In order to gain information on the effects for the population in question, the method of effect analysis was used. This was enriched with interviews conducted by the author on two occasions with governmental representatives, researchers and members of NGO´s in Riga 2008.

The legal documents here, encompass the Latvian Constitution (1922), the Resolution on Restoration (1991), the Law on Citizenship (1994, 1995, 1998) and the Law of the Republic of Latvia on the status of former USSR citizens who have neither the Latvian nor another state’s citizenship (1995). The literature read for the purpose of this study spans generally from 1992 to 2006.

The conclusion drawn here is that the strict application of the state-continuity thesis and the denying of state responsibility for the changes of population in 50 years time are inconsistent with liberal democracy. Rather this citizenship policy resembles features of an ethnic democracy.

The changes in the Law on Citizenship of 1995, where ethnic Latvians and Livs were given the possibility to come to Latvia and receive citizenship automatically (even if they were not citizens of interwar Latvia), while children born to non-citizen (all of them non-ethnic Latvians) after 1991, were not automatically conferred citizenship, made the preferential treatment for one ethnic group obvious.

Due to the fact that large parts of the minority population were disenfranchised, they were not able to contest important governmental decisions. As a result, laws directed against the interest of the minority population were introduction.

As a whole, a marginalisation of the minority population took place.

South Africa has a ruling dominant party, the African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power since apartheid ended in 1994. In national elections, the ANC has consistently received an overwhelming majority of the vote, even though the majority of South Africa's citizens have benefitted little from the ANC's policies. This dissertation investigates why so many South African voters continue to vote for the ANC despite little, if any, measurable improvement in their quality of life since the ANC came to power. In so doing, it examines the literature on dominant parties, voter behavior and what motivates it, the incentives created by various electoral systems, and ethnic patronage politics. It also draws on empirical research into these phenomena in both South Africa and an illustrative comparative case study, Malaysia. Ultimately, I argue that both the theoretical framework and the empirical evidence point toward ethnic patronage as the driving explanation of electoral outcomes in South Africa; they also suggest there is little prospect for significant change in the foreseeable future.

This project argues that the National Park Service (NPS) functions as an agent of the state in perpetuating American imperialism throughout the Pacific World through presenting WWII narratives of sacrifice as worthy of inclusion into the nation. These narratives, I argue, reinforce American occupation in islands and regions that have contested relations to the nation. This project is informed by scholarship in rhetorical criticism of public memory and in American Studies analyses of the nation as an empire. Methodologically, I have combined fieldwork at each park site and official public interpretive materials, with historical archives related to the formation, design, and management of the parks to understand the relationship between past and present. Part I of this project examines War in the Pacific National Historical Park in the American territory of Guam and American Memorial Park in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I focus my argument here on how NPS narratives of WWII cannot be separated from historical and contemporary American military interests in the Mariana Islands and the Pacific World. Part II approaches the three units of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Hawai’i, Alaska, and California, with each state’s focus, development, and accessibility being appreciably different. I argue that all are concerned with the legacies of militarized land use and narratives of sacrifice for and belonging to the nation.

Ethnic identity provides both affective and rational sense of belonging to a cultural group. In 1915, the Armenian race survived an attempted ethnic cleansing by the Ottoman Turks, which has an impact on the way Armenians conceptualize themselves ethnically today. Past research has failed to consider the role of affective empathy in ethnic identity. This study sought to explore the relationship between ethnic identity and empathy in second-generation Armenian-Americans. A convenience sample of fifty Armenian-American adults born in the United States participated in the study. Quantitative measures and qualitative, open-ended questions were utilized to gather data. Phinney’s (1992) Multi Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) was utilized to assess ethnic identity, and Spreng’s (2009) Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) was utilized to measure empathy. Statistical analyses comparing the relationship between levels of ethnic identity and empathy did not yield significant results. Content analysis of qualitative data revealed themes of Armenian ethnic identity providing feelings of strength and pride, as well as it being a rational concept rather than affective. Additionally, themes revealed a desire to assimilate to the host country.

This study examined interpersonal relationships among youth from different ethnic communities. The purpose of this study was to examine interpersonal relationships among youth from different ethnic communities in Kenya, especially the vulnerable population of individuals with disabilities, and the ways interpersonal relationships between youth from different ethnic communities change as a result of ethnic conflict. This study utilized survey methodology to gain a better understanding of interpersonal relationships between youth from different ethnic communities and individuals with disabilities. The sample of the survey comprised 42 participants between the ages of 18 and 35 who were in Kenya during the postelection conflict of 2007 and 2008. This study found that some participants experienced strain in their friendships with individuals from different ethnic communities, particularly those that were fighting against one another. Both participation in and harmful action against individuals with disabilities were also reported. However, the experience of youth with disabilities was not dissimilar to that of their nondisabled peers. This study has the capacity to lead to additional studies with a larger sample size within and outside of Kenya, and to break apart key findings into individual studies.

The study investigated the impact of ethnicity and gender on sexual orientation disclosure in the workplace. A total sample of 129 African American lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) workers between 20 and 61 years of age completed an online survey on PsychData. Respondents were given several measures to determine their ethnicity, gender conformity, and workplace sexual identity coping strategies. A 2x2 multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the differences between the independent variables (gender conformity/nonconformity and ethnic identity) and dependent variables (passing, covering, implicitly out, and explicitly out). Based on the minority stress model, the research questions focused more on passing and covering coping strategies among LGB individuals who have dual minority identities (i.e., sexual orientation and African American ethnicity). No significant differences were found in terms of using passing and covering coping strategies among LGB individuals who identified with their African American ethnicity combined with gender-nonconforming behaviors. This may have been due to several factors such as a restricted sample size, change or shift in social stereotyping, or the contradicting feelings or concerns of LGB workers with regard to disclosing their sexual orientation. Although previous researchers posited that LGB individuals have a fear of being discriminated against and rejected in the workplace, there are few laws that prevent sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, leaving the LGB individual to engage the continuum of coping strategies. Methodological implications and limitations of the study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

This study examined the relationship between counselor ethnic-racial identity (CERI), counselor exposure to client trauma (CECT), counselor wellness (CW), and counselor burnout (CB). Ethical practice requires that counselors avoid impairment, in part, by increasing wellness. Therefore, understanding the factors that impact wellness and burnout is essential due to prevalence of trauma and the profession’s growing diversity. Participants (N = 138) completed the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS-B), Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), Counselor Burnout Inventory (CBI), and Five Factor Wellness Inventory (FFWel-A2). A path analysis was utilized to examine the simultaneous relationship between the variables. Differences between majority (n = 62) and minority participants (n = 76) were explored using subsequent path analyses. Results and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Using historical and spatial methods to analyze a model academic medical center built after the 1965 Watts Riots—King-Drew Medical Center—in South Los Angeles, Worthy of Care? argues that multiculturalism was productive in dividing society between a multicultural mainstream and a “permanent underclass.” Shaped by new possibilities for citizen inclusion, greater participation in mainstream society, and access to healthcare under President Johnson’s landmark health and antipoverty laws, black medical professionals pioneered the design of the first federally-funded and black-led urban academic medical center attached to new cutting-edge health infrastructure—comprehensive health clinics, community mental health centers, and modern emergency rooms. It was important to black medical and political leaders that this new health system not only produce individual bodily health in black citizens but also fight the racial stigma of biological inferiority, poverty, and mental illness in black communities by producing heterosexuality, able-bodiedness, and employment as normal and natural to black health.

By the time King-Drew opened in 1972, however, medical and political leaders had to contend with the changing landscape of Los Angeles’ globalizing economy. Sizable numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America and new social movements associated with welfare, disability, women’s, and gay rights constitutive of these economic changes also began to impact the mission and function of the medical center. Faced with new phenomena such as “new homelessness,” undocumented immigration, “working poverty,” and gang and drug violence, the dissertation illustrates how medical infrastructure stigmatized urban residents of color for the ways they countered normative expectations of race and sexuality. The dissertation ultimately contends that, rather than eradicate poverty, the publicly funded medical center became productive for its capacity to contain and manage it by making working motherhood, racialized violence, and homeless health and mental health services profitable for a new enlarged free market healthcare and social service industry.

This dissertation studies the survival, or resistance, of regional languages in France through the use of two case studies: Picard in Picardy and Provençal in Provence. In order to create the French nation, the revolutionaries of 1789 decided upon the necessity of political unity. In order to facilitate, or to create, this unity, the cultural provinces were abolished and generic départements were created in their stead. However, when political unity did not occur immediately after the territorial change, the revolutionaries determined that national unity, both political and cultural, would be attained through the imposition of the French language. It was thus language that was deemed to be the greatest separating factor of the French at this period. In 1794, Abbé Grégoire called for the “programmed demise” of the regional languages through education in and of French. While this program was not officially enacted until the Third Republic (1870–1914), due to numerous factors, these languages were supposed to have died long ago. While their numbers of speakers have decreased, and there are no longer any monolingual regional language speakers, they still exist. How is this fact possible? Despite explanations attributed to enduring diglossia, the extended process of language shift or time itself, this study focuses on regional identity and posits that the durable bond between regional identity and language is the explanation.

Abstract This work advances a practical theology of relationships that attend to the narratives, struggles, and needs of Christians caught in ethnic and religious violence in Taraba, a northeastern state in Nigeria. The study re-visions dialogue, in particular, the 'dialogue of life' which leads to fostering inter-community relations, advancing lasting peace in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. This work utilizes the praxis method that is interpretive and dialogical. It builds on John Baptist Metz’s categorical Method and incorporates the praxis aspects of the Cardijin method (see, judge and act). The purpose of the praxis is to transform difficult pastoral situations into life flourishing situations. The study seeks to motivate a re-examination of the design and governance of conflicting communities and contribute towards developing an inclusive, interreligious and ecumenical ecclesiology. The research describes the reality of social context in order to discern conflicting cultural and religious understandings that inform the use of social medium for dialogue. Granted there are challenges of social violence across contemporary Nigeria, and the impact of ethnic and religious crises that have led to so many ruptures in Nigeria, in particular, Taraba State the church can be an effective instrument in rebuilding these relationships and fostering reconciliation.

As dialogical research, this study adopts a method of practical theological reflection that builds on three categories of Metz’s method that explores the “judging” portion of the work in order to engage both African tradition and Catholic theological wisdom. In this way, a deeper consideration of the impact of violence both interpersonal and structural is brought forth. Notably, evidence from contemporary social science in terms of analysis of the people involved in Taraba State and similar conflicts show that the social psychological dimension of violence is long-term stress that ultimately destroys both personal and social relationships. Knowing that identity and social experiences are shaped by relationships Christians are called to understand their interpersonal social relationships in the light of scripture and tradition. God's self-revelation can only be in relationship since God reveals God self as a Trinitarian community of persons. This is well expressed in the experience of the Eucharist which further reveals a profound sense of relationship where divine narrative intersects with human narrative.

Finally, this study explores narratives as another critical category in the theological reflection on violence in Nigeria and the “dialogue of life” as a Catholic response. The study examines the African understanding of community, which itself builds on narratives and relationships. Ultimately, the understanding of community also shapes everyday ecclesiology. When these categories are, therefore, taken together, they confirm the value of connecting magisterial teaching regarding a “dialogue of life,” developed in the context of interreligious dialogue, with magisterial social teaching.

The strength of this work is its major contribution to method which builds on Metz’s categorical method utilized here in relationships, narratives, community and the dialogue of life. It is hoped that the work brings reconciliation in Taraba State, and leads to healing among warring communities both within and without Nigeria. The journey begins with the daily Christian practices of community living surmised here as the ‘dialogue of life.’

Ethnic identity can be subject to both passive and overt review, which has the potential to cause traumatic fracture of identity. I am a second generation American-Puerto Rican, which can be defined as a person born in the United States of native Puerto Rican ancestry. Personal identity is constructed in part via social and linguistic associations that work with, and against, the cohesive development of an individual’s claim to his or her identity. From the standpoint of a non-fluent Spanish speaker of Puerto Rican descent, I analyze the connection between place, language, and in particular, face-to-face communication, as these aspects come together in developing/disassembling identity. The major focus of this thesis concerns the power of the face as a point of (mis)recognition between people, the site in which a confrontation of identity takes place, in conjunction with spoken language.

The face is the essential locus on the body for recognizing that the person before you is indeed a person; from that point forth, identity is revealed and awareness of subjectivity constructed. Stuart Hall discussed the construction of identity through the concepts of the enlightened subject, the sociological subject, and the post-modern subject. I will be referring to an individual’s identity in terms of these three models, while focusing on ethnic and cultural associations. It should be understood that in my discussion of face, “face” is not comprised solely of what rests above one’s shoulders; rather, the concept incorporates the entirety of an individual’s physical representation. I will question the ways in which language shapes identity, and how culture(s) and society reinforce it. I will also explore the conflict that unfolds when one is denied ownership of the identity that one has established as true. This analysis incorporates philosophy and cultural theory, including, but not limited to: Emmanuel Levinas’ “Face of the Other,” which professes that we must not inflict conceptual violence on the face of the person standing before us; additionally, Gloria Anzaldúa’s theory of the ethnic face and haciendo cara (making face), which states that minorities (women in particular) must construct layers of masks in order to adapt, and to deflect persecution.

Language defines the borders of “face,” and urges us to construct a binary of correct and incorrect, true and false. However, a person’s identity cannot be false, because subjectivity exists beyond language. In the context of this thesis, I re-frame the individual’s frustrations with misrecognition of ethnic identity, through my focus on face and fluency, or lack thereof, in a particular spoken language. Through my video practice, I have forged a new pathway to explore these dualities. In a self-revelatory process, this project guides the viewer through a mixed media visualization of ethnic authentication and judgment.

The male Athenian aristocracy erected an exemplary polis. The city-state reflected aesthetic perfection, civility, grace, and philosophical clarity of mind. As the “school of Hellas,” in the words of Thucydides, Athens has proved to be fundamental for all Western cultures. It was also an originator of “civilized dominance,” which meant sequestering, and it was suppressing its “non-phallic” population. This study explores the institutionalized subordinating of women, the muting of their ability to be heard, in an attempt to unearth the deeply entrenched precedents of abuse from phallic dominance within society.

Hakka people in Taiwan remain largely unreached after 150 years of Protestant missionary activity. The purpose of this Participatory Action Research is to understand how Taiwanese Hakka ministers perceive the impact of participating in interventions designed to increase the awareness of the three binary cultural value systems, guilt and innocence (GI), shame and honor (SH), and fear and power (FP) in communicating the gospel. In this study, I laid the theoretical foundation of evangelism, taking into account the GI, SH, and FP cultural values. The cultural values found in Hakka ministers’ methods of gospel communication prior to the intervention was mainly GI, sometimes FP (depending on the theological stance of individual church), and intuitively SH yet with a need for developed SH theology.

The intervention measure of the seminar “Worldview and Reflection on Hakka Evangelism” proved to be crucial as the participants expressed that this was the first time they had heard theology presented systematically from an SH perspective. The focus group agreed that GI, SH, and FP provided a helpful system for understanding the Scripture and further contextualizing evangelism. They learned to think more holistically, which is conducive for further contextualization efforts in Hakka evangelism.

My main research question was “What are Hakka ministers’ perceptions of the impact of a seminar designed to increase their awareness of the three cultural values, GI, SH, and FP, in communicating the gospel?” The central understanding was that “The perception of Hakka ministers is that intentionally contextualizing church events and ministries by incorporating the three cultural values in the order of SH→ FP→ GI with progressive messages, in the form of concrete Bible stories and personal testimonies, is likely to increase the impact on Hakka evangelism and discipleship.”

Finally, I made suggestions for future research, including greater development of SH theology, orality, and partnership development. These three fields have potential to greatly enhance the impact of evangelism on the Hakka and unreached people groups around the globe and restructure our theological training and discipleship processes.

The Sámi people of northern Scandinavia, Finland, and Russia are a remarkable group who have redefined the nature of power through an era of cultural revival. Norway is home to about half the Sámi population; and although most Sámi have assimilated into the larger Norwegian society, there are people in the far north who live in traditional ways through herding reindeer and other generational livelihoods. Though Sámi face enormous hurdles including global climate change, the loss of pasture to public and private economic development of the Arctic, and continued pressure to assimilate with the dominant national culture, recent years have shed light on cultural geographical hotspots—or places that have been culturally resilient and have seen cultural revival. Drawing upon field interviews and observation, the research articulates the ways in which Sámi communities preserve, develop, and revive their culture through asserting Sámi sovereignty over language, land, and leadership. My assessment includes the ways in which: Sámi communities have used traditional and cultural education and reintroduction of Sámi languages to claim place; physical and natural places have assisted in cultural revival and place making; and changes in leadership and shifts in political power have shaped the modern landscape of Sámi communities.

In countries around the world, refugees have started to create economic identity through entrepreneurial activities. In doing so, they boost new business formation, innovation, and job creation. Acknowledging this potential, the Austrian Federal Government passed a comprehensive program in 2015 to support start-up businesses. This program targets Austrian and foreign-born entrepreneurs alike. Recent estimates are that between 3,000 and 14,700 refugees could begin businesses in Austria. Beyond the examination of the success factors and barriers of refugee entrepreneurs, this case study sought to explore how the start-up programs capture the needs of refugee entrepreneurs.

The target population consisted of 12 recognized refugees who were about to start, or have started, a business within the past 5 years in Austria. Using online surveys and narrative interviews, the aim of this study was to yield insight into the successes and barriers refugee entrepreneurs encountered in becoming business owners in Austria. Further, a survey with five service providers of start-up programs aimed to support documentation of the offered services and how their activities mitigate the barriers to meet entrepreneur’s needs to become successful.

Findings show that the biggest barriers for refugee entrepreneurs lie within the institutional environment (e.g., tax and social security regulations), lack of human capital (e.g., lack of German language skills), and access to resources (e.g., access to financial capital). The presence or absence of German language skills is a particularly significant factor. Combined with business administration skills, it offered a great advantage. Other success factors included knowing one’s start-up reasons and having favorable market conditions.

From the clients’ viewpoint, start-up service providers appear to offer appropriate services for refugee entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, data suggest that agencies could improve delivery of service on the program level and in regard to coordination among and beyond service providers. Some reasons why refugee entrepreneurs’ needs are not fully met include lack of cultural contextualization of knowledge or demands that exceed supply. Based on expressed barriers and needs, this study provides recommendations for how start-up service providers could improve their services on both the program and the systems level.

Research on second-generation Mexican American males who attain a doctoral degree is limited. Often, the data presented clusters Mexican Americans under the Latina/o or Hispanic ethnic group, focuses on factors that hindered educational attainment or details Latino male experiences in context of their Latina female counterparts. Mexican-Americans are the largest subgroup of this ethnic group yet little is known about their post-secondary educational experiences. Rather than focusing on barriers, this study concentrated on the factors that influenced eight Mexican American males from California who attained their doctorates from a doctoral-granting university within California.

Arguably, the self-efficacious men of this study believed in their academic prowess, but found ability was not enough. Numerous other strategies were needed to help facilitate degree attainment: 1) Being goal-oriented served as the central cause to remain relentless; 2) Interaction with various types of mentorship which came from all aspects of life (academic, home, work); 3) Involvement from a culturally aligned dissertation chair; 4) Surrounding oneself with an inner circle of family and friends and academic peers; and 5) Viewing student loans as an investment that facilitated future aspirations and not as an obstacle. These factors didn’t clash against one another; rather, they complemented each other by providing different types of encouragement, support and direction at different times throughout their ascent. However, having a culturally aligned dissertation chair was viewed as the most critical factor toward degree attainment.

This study examines the efficacy of archaeological interpretation of ethnicity within the confines of nineteenth-century material culture available from the New York State Museum’s archaeology collection and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Cultural Resource Information System. The goals of this evaluation are to discuss the limits of archaeological interpretation of ethnicity, the utility of material indications of racism in the archaeological record, and the archaeological footprint of immigrant groups by considering the economic development history of New York State. This study focuses on the canals and railroads of New York State as a mechanism of economic development across the state, and how the construction of these arteries impacted the lives of immigrant populations who both built and depended upon them. Archaeological evidence combined with historical documents and map data provide a clear picture of the development of interpretive resolution of ethnic identity in rural communities as they are connected to the larger economy through the construction of these arteries. The following is a detailed account of the construction of this connection as it happens throughout the nineteenth century and across the geography of New York State with the goal of creating a model to assess the archaeological visibility of social difference due to economic change and development.