Fiction

Demons are immensely strong spiritual entities that have figured into sociocultural analysis for thousands of years. From the ancient Mesopotamians to modern day Americans, the interpretation of demons and their abilities has played an important role in the fight between good and evil. The way ancient cultures utilized the spiritual powers of demons, however, seems drastically different than how they are viewed today by a wide portion of humanity. The ancient Mesopotamian deity, Pazuzu, for example, could certainly cause destruction and disaster, but the demon’s powers were also used in protective charms and enchantments. Modern demons, such as the increasingly prevalent Zozo demon, are typically viewed as inherently evil, with good reason.
Regardless of their intentions, these demons nonetheless find footholds in culture and carve out niches so that they can make a comfortable home for themselves. As their notoriety grows, so does their power. As their power seems to grow, so does the fear that they will wreak havoc on innocent human souls. But is it fear of the actual demonic entity, or fear that the entity’s presence and influence will overwhelm one’s own?

The history of the human belief in the paranormal provides a vital lense for analyzing the evolution of cultures around the world. The current problem in this field of study is the lack of attention paid by scientists, historians, and biblical scholars to the presence and influence of ghosts throughout history. The reality, however, is that every culture across the world believes in some form of the paranormal. In America alone, three out of four people will admit to having at least one paranormal belief. In analyzing the available literature on ghosts and the history of the Spiritualist movement from historians, scientists, psychologists, writers, and anthropologists, this study has discovered that belief in the paranormal tends to align with popular trends or beliefs in culture. Considering the impact that the paranormal has had on mainstream culture over the last 500 years, this research intends to display that ignoring a topic that seems silly at first can in fact be harmful to increasing our understanding of human agency, cultural change, and the capabilities of the human mind and body

Emerging around 1825 and dwindling out around 1860-61 upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, residents in the state had started constructing buildings out of cobblestones. Today, 90 percent of the remaining cobblestone structures in the United States can be found within about a 75-mile radius of Rochester, New York. As families prospered thanks to the building of the Erie Canal, homeowners wanted to build more prestigious and permanent homes. The predominantly rural building method thus took over the countryside. Despite the popularity of cobblestone construction during the mid-19th century, however, very little is known about the motivations behind the trend’s emergence or about the masons who built these structural beauties. Today, however, tens of thousands of New York State residents in Wayne, Monroe, Orleans, Ontario, Livingston, and Yates counties, and more, drive by or see these buildings as part of their daily lives. Dialogue and literature about the history of cobblestone construction in New York State is sparse, however, which tasks local historians and researchers with encouraging the masses to better appreciate and understand the history that surrounds them every day. Upstate New York’s Cobblestone Era is divided into three periods: Early, Middle, and Late. Each of these periods reflect different construction techniques and desires by masons and homeowners. Today, many of the structures still standing can be identified based on their appearance to determine when they were likely to be built. Therefore, by learning about the history of New York State’s Cobblestone Era, residents of the region can see how this roughly 40 year period played a vital role in shaping the material culture of antebellum New York.

This analytical framework will look at eating and dining as social rituals through which gender roles and class-based values are embodied and enacted. In complex societies, the essence of a cultured human being lies in their performance of these rituals. For example, women are seen by many cultures as symbols. In reference to food culture and American family values, the woman is most commonly associated with the production of the family as a cohesive unit. It is the wife’s and mother’s job to teach her husband and children the how’s and why’s of dining, namely the behavior expected to be embodied by someone in their particular social class. If the mother does her job correctly, then her children will be trained to notice even the smallest breaches in social etiquette. They are taught from birth the correct attitudes, postures, gestures, and types of speech appropriate for particular social situations. Upon reaching adulthood, this knowledge and behavior should be instinctual. In American food culture gender roles are enacted by those striving to fit in with mainstream societal beliefs about family life, particularly by working and middle-class mothers. Though processes of doing foodwork and the evolution of beliefs surrounding the woman’s role in enacting foodwork over the last one hundred years, the evaluations represented in this framework will reflect how the stereotypes produced by mainstream society about appropriate displays of femininity have remained strong in the unconscious minds of American citizens trying to fit in with the dominant social structure.