Anthropology and Ethnography Collection

Anthropology and Ethnography Collection, 1993-2004

Overview of the Collection

Title: Anthropology and Ethnography Collection
Dates: 1993-2004 (inclusive)
19932004
Quantity: 6 linear feet, (6 boxes)
Collection Number: MSS 307
Summary: Collection of anthropology and ethnography projects created by students while taking anthropology courses at Boise State University under the direction of Professor Robert McCarl.
Repository: Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
1910 University Drive
Boise ID
83725
Telephone: 2084263990
archives@boisestate.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research with the exception of selected material. Contact Special Collections and Archives for additional information.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Collection contains anthropology ethnography projects of students taking anthropology courses at Boise State University under the direction of Professor Robert McCarl.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Anthropology and Ethnography Collection is the result of anthropology coursework at Boise State University under the direction of Professor Robert McCarl. The material covers a wide range of topics, including beekeeping, foodways, urban planning, "smokejumping" fire fighters, the role plant ecology in fire fighting, and the Tibetan community of Boise among others.

The collection includes release forms, video logs, and student papers, some of which contain first-person accounts about their ethnographic subjects. The audio-visual materials are interviews recorded mostly on audio cassettes.

Forms part of the Ethnographic Archive of the Intermountain West.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[item description], General Anthropology and Ethnography Collection, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into five series: Projects with Audio-Visual Materials, Projects without Audio-Visual Materials, and three special projects: Foodways, Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds, and Treasure Valley Orchards and Produce

Acquisition Information

Material donated in June and July of 2007 by BSU professor Dr. Robert McCarl.

Related Materials

Ethnographic Video Collection

Life History Anthropology Project Collection

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Projects with Audio-Visual MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1-2	Alternative medicine: acupuncturist, hypnotist, reiki practitioner	1996
1	3-4	Alzheimer's disease caregiver	2004
1	5-6	Baha'i community of Boise	1998
1	7-9	Beekeeping: Steele family, a multi-generational family of professional and hobbyist beekeepers, assistance to the State of Idaho's Bee Inspector	2002
1	10-12	Body art in Boise, New Moon tattoo parlor, traditional and alternative piercing	2002
1	13-15	Boise Contemporary Theatre, "From the Stage of This Enchanted Prairie Dog"	2002
1	16-17	Boise suburbs: Surprise Valley, Eagle Knoll, Red Leaf Heights, Holland Realty, Macaile Way, Five Rivers Fine Home Furnishings	2001
1	18-19	Boise urban development: Meridian, Idaho	1997
1	20-22	Children's Map Project and Children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)	1998
1	23-24	Cocktail Waitressing: Buster's Bar	2000
1	25-27	"Dangerous Dave," kayaker Dave Norell Dave Norell was a kayaker and adventure sports competitor who unexpectedly died of a heart condition while competing in Boise's Pole Pedal Paddle Race (kayaking, bicycling, and skiing) on April 24, 2004. He was sponsored by several kayaking companies, served as an editor for Kayak Magazine, and released two kayaking videos: The Revolution and Broke Hungry and Happy, the Revolution II. Dave Norell was also worked as a weekend news editor for KTVB-TV, channel 7. Includes a photocopy of two pages from Dave Norell's journal and two poems about Dave written by a friend.	2004
2	1-2	Dream interpretation, Lowell "Stew" Stewart	2003
2	3-4	Dusty Acres Equestrian Center, boarding horses, Kuna, Idaho	2002
2	5-7	Female impersonation in Boise: "female illusionist" show at the Neurolux bar, organized by Lips, Inc.	2000
2	8-10	Fishing in an urban setting, Boise River, Boise	2003
2	11-12	Food service industry, "Skating Behind The Line," study of behavior during smoking breaks	2002
2	13-14	Football through mass media	2000
2	15-16	Goddess Night Celebration: Samhain Sabat pagan festival in the Eastern Hills of Boise, the Golden Thread Grove Church of Boise, modern practicing of witchcraft, and Wiccan beliefs	2002
2	17-18	Gay culture within the Christian community: Treasure Valley Community Church, an all-gay congregation.	2004
2	19-20	Gay male identification of other gay males in Boise, "Taking Precautions and Making Sure"	2004
2	21-22	Home birth, midwife services of Ida Home Birth	1995
2	23-24	Home ownership and home purchasing in Boise	1997
2	25-28	Homedale, Idaho bar culture and bar ownership	1999
2	28-30	Homemaking night, Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints (LDS) social event for Mormon women	1999
2	31-32	"How We Sell Ourselves." Four occupations: dairy farmer, massage therapist, bartender, and exotic dancer	2004
3	1-2	Idaho State Correctional Department Medical Department	2004
3	3-4	Idaho Youth Ranch thrift store	2001
3	5-6	Indian students in Boise State University engineering program	2004
3	7-8	Jail, ethnography of a jail in Idaho	1995
3	9-10	Japanese International Students	2001
3	11-12	Karaoke	2000
3	13-14	Linemen, "Knights of the Spurs," power lineman around Boise	2004
3	15-16	Long distance running and the Boise State University track team	1997
3	17-19	Metaphysics and Reiki	2003
4	5-6	Military Wives at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Coping with Social Pressures	2001
3	20-21	Minimum wage, "Cookie Culture"	1996
4	1-2	North End Neighborhood: Policy guide, Neighborhood Watch, Hyde Park, Ten Thousand Villages	2001
4	3-4	Plant ecology and wildfire risk: biologist/ecologist from the Bureau of Land Management regarding plant specimens taken from East Tablerock Rd. in Northridge Subdivision and had them analyzed regarding their utility in helping to shield Boise from wildfires, given their location on the front line of the urban/wildland interface.	1997
4	7-8	Printing and graphics, Boise State University	2002
4	9-10	Punk culture, Emmet and Boise	2004
4	11-12	Rock band Stella, folk rock	2000
4	13-14	Ron's Lakeshore Service, Nampa, Idaho, farmers socializing in the early morning	2001
4	15-16	Service Employees International Union Local 687, home health care employees	2002
4	17-18	Smokejumpers, aerial wildland firefighters, rookie class	2002
4	19-20	Skateboarding "'til my body can't take it...", Rhodes Skate Park	1995-1996
5	1-2	Streetlight maintenance	2002
5	3-4	Syringa House, Nampa; residential treatment center for girls (organized under Northwest Children's Home, Inc.)	2004
5	5-7	Tibetan community, Tashi Dondup, Jan Reeves	1997
5	8-9	Transcendental Meditation	2000
5	10-12	Urban Daycare, Women and Children's Alliance	1997
5	13-14	Water quality and water quantity in Boise River Valley	2002
5	15-17	Wilson Springs, Nampa, man-made fishing area; handicapped accessibility and recreation for the young and elderly	2002
5	18-19	Winemaking, Sunnsyslope, Ste. Chappelle winery	2002

Series 2: Projects without Audio-Visual MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
5	20	Air Traffic Controllers, Boise airport	2000
5	21	Anarchy community, Black Bloc	2000
5	22	Automotive Parts Warehouse, Kaps Automotive, "Cobwebs and Classic Rock: A Smokers Paradise"; management styles, drinking habits, attitudes about long-term underemployment	2000
5	23	Barber Shop, Talk of the Town; barber shops to the African American community	2004
5	24	Baseball, Boise Nags, Rocky Mountain Instructional League	1993, 2004
5	25	Bicycle commuters, "Implications of a Potential Boise City Ordinance"	1998
5	26	Boise Hash House Harriers, loosely-organized international running, social, and drinking organization	2004
5	27	Boise Rescue Mission, a Christian homeless shelter	2001
5	28	Boise State University Football	2004
5	29	C.W. Moore Park	1997
5	30	Canyon-Owyhee School Services Agency (COSSA), participant observation of vocational training of high school students	2001
5	31	Castle Rock development, interview with a Native American tribal member	1997
5	32	Construction workers	1998
5	33	"The Cruise: Moving Meat Market," ethnographic study of a section of downtown Boise where youth "cruise" on weekend evenings, sometimes with the intent of meeting members of the opposite sex	2002
5	34	Department store retail employees, Bon Marche	1996
5	35	Electric gas meter repair shop	2002
5	36	Exotic dancer, female	2004
5	37	Exotic dancing, women and men	1997
5	38	Fairly Reliable Bob's car dealership	2003
5	39	Female correctional officers in an Idaho prison	2004
6	1	Fire department, Mountain Home Air Force Base	2000
6	2	Fire fighting, Boise urban environment	1996
6	3	Foreign-born nationals from Mexico and El Salvador	2004
6	4	"Freshies," downhill skiing in fresh powder, Sun Valley	1998
6	5	Gay marriage, two men	1998
6	6	Harley Davidson motorcycle culture	2004
6	7	Homeless, El Ada soup kitchen	1999
6	8	Illusions & Co. salon	2002
6	9	Japanese-American experience during World War II of a married couple - the husband served for the United States and the wife was sent to an internment camp	2002
6	10	Jazz singer, Jeannie Hoard Hochstrasser, of Portland, Las Vegas, and Boise	2004
6	11	Karate, Idaho Kempo Karate Association	2000
6	12	"A Sexual Lifestyle," swinger lifestyle	2000
6	13	Sexual harassment in a barroom setting	1996
6	14	Single-parented families	1999
6	15	Skateboarding, Fort Boise Skateboard Park	2001
6	16	Skinny dipping, Skinnydipper Hot Springs	2004
6	17	Sports department, downtown Boise YMCA, Youth and Community Sports	2002
6	18	Tattoo, symbolic significance to a Vietnam veteran	2002
6	19	Terry Reilly Health Clinic, Nampa	2004
6	20	Ultimate Frisbee, participation of women	1997
6	21	United States Postal Service, computerized forwarding service (CFS) center	2002
6	22	Williams Residential Center, home for individuals with developmental disabilities	2001

Series 3: FoodwaysReturn to Top

In 1995, 1999, and 2003, a section of Dr. McCarl's anthropology students focused on Foodways, the cultural, social and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food. The students sought out a place to observe the preparation of food, either in homes or eating establishments.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
6	23	Ada County Sheriff, Boise State University substation	2003
6	24	"An Evening With the Sander Ladies," rural Idaho	2003
6	25-26	Angell's Restaurant	1999
6	27	Asian restaurant in Boise (unnamed) with Chinese and Vietnamese staff	1999
6	28-30	Bar Gernika, Basque restaurant	2003
6	31-33	Boise Senior Center, congregate dining	2003
6	34	Cafe Ole, Mexican-American restaurant	1995
6	35	Cobby's Sandwich Shop	2001
6	36	Dreamwalker Coffee Shop, "counter-culture" gathering place	1997
6	37	Idaho State Department of Corrections, "Peanut Butter and Jelly again..."	2003
6	38	"Making dinner for the Mafia," foodways study of a rural, Catholic, Italian-American and Irish-American family near Mountain Home with roots in New York City	2003
6	39	Mashed potatoes	1999
6	40	Military food culture, mechanized combat company, Gowen Field	2003
6	41	Moon's Kitchen Cafe	1999
6	42	Moxie Java coffee shop	2001
6	43	Pampered Chef party	2003
6	44	Pizza Hut, Boise Ave.	1995
6	45	Single motherhood, "Give, Take, and Improvise", employee at the YMCA	1995
6	46-47	Tapas restaurant	1999
6	48	The Timber's Inn, Emmett	1999

Series 4: Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds, 2002Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
7	49	Equine concerns (effects of weeds on horses and a horse's ability to spread weeds)
7	50	Jump Creek, Owyhee County
7	51-52	Puncturvine

Series 5: Orchards and Produce Project, 2001 MayReturn to Top

In Spring of 2001, Dr. McCarl's students focused on fruit orchards in the Treasure Valley area, the Boise, Idaho Farmer's Market, and their relationship.

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
7	53	Comparison of Emmet and Sunnyslope
7	54	The Idaho Apple Orchard Project
7	55	Issues relating to the decline of Southern Idaho orchards and produce growers
7	56-57	Local Produce in Boise
7	58-59	Perspectives on Sunnyslope's Orchards

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