George Gmelch - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by George Gmelch
University of Texas Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2023
Annual Review of Anthropology, Oct 1, 1980
This study examines some of the social and economic consequences of return migration in rural New... more This study examines some of the social and economic consequences of return migration in rural Newfoundland especially migrants 1) new work skills 2) investments and 3) innovations introduced into the home community. 402 return migrants were interviewed in 1979. Newfoundland has distinctly modern and traditional socioeconomic sectors. The returnees were 53% male and 47% female. 88% had migrated to other places within Canada 71% to places where they already had friends or relatives. The mean age at migration was 22.5 years; the majority returned between the ages of 25 and 34. Most returns were essentially an urban to rural movement. There is some evidence that migrants improved their job skills while abroad but this does not guarantee that their skills will be used on return. Commuting from outports to urban areas was a typical adaptation made by returnees. Many migrants came home with considerable savings. Over half of the sample invested in housing 27% in living expenses and 10% in ...
Journal of Anthropological Research, 2020
NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, 2015
Anthropological Quarterly, 2004
In the Field
For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just s... more For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just something they do while engaged in field work. This is demonstrated on two occasions when the authors, as visiting faculty at a Japanese university, can’t help doing research. For Sharon it is among Japanese mothers and at the yochien or kindergarten their son Morgan attends, while George turns his anthropological lens on the college basketball team that he joins years later. For both, everyday activities reveal essential characteristics of Japanese culture.
In the Field
George returns to professional baseball after a 30-year absence to study the sport. The culture o... more George returns to professional baseball after a 30-year absence to study the sport. The culture of baseball has changed much during his absence. The role of serendipity in research, along with the benefits and drawbacks of studying your own group, that is, being a “native anthropologist” are explored.
<p>This chapter describes the experiences of anthropology students in the East African city... more <p>This chapter describes the experiences of anthropology students in the East African city of Moshi, Tanzania. Moshi, located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and home to the Chagga people, is a center for mountain climbing and wildlife tourism. The students live with local families and cope with the challenges of life in an developing country--frequent power outages, hazardous traffic, malaria-carrying mosquitos, poverty, and a different sense of time and gender relations—which pose problems for their health, psychological well-being, and research objectives. They adapt and, in the process, reassess some of their own values.</p>
Journal of Wine Research, 2014
... valley, the work which underpins Napa's wine and tourism industries, and the perspective... more ... valley, the work which underpins Napa's wine and tourism industries, and the perspectives of insiders ... Napa's farmers had to develop a working knowledge of new soil types, new insect and ... NAPA VALLEYA BRIEF HISToRY / 9 inal needs, a small local wine trade developed. ...
University of California Press eBooks, May 11, 2018
For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just s... more For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just something they do while engaged in field work. This is demonstrated on two occasions when the authors, as visiting faculty at a Japanese university, can’t help doing research. For Sharon it is among Japanese mothers and at the yochien or kindergarten their son Morgan attends, while George turns his anthropological lens on the college basketball team that he joins years later. For both, everyday activities reveal essential characteristics of Japanese culture.
Until the late 1950s, Irish Travellers lived primarily in rural areas and travelled within relati... more Until the late 1950s, Irish Travellers lived primarily in rural areas and travelled within relatively confined areas. With the urbanisation of the last quarter century, their traditional sources of income have dried up and they have had to adjust to very different circumstances. Emigration, whether temporary or permament, to Britain was one means of adaptation. Plentiful opportunities for unskilled labour and generous welfare benefits were the main attraction. More recently, however, Ireland has become more attractive; in particular, Irish welfare benefits are now almost on a par with those in Britain. 2. We gratefully acknowledge the help of David Smith, who collaborated on the research,
University of California Press eBooks, May 11, 2018
<p>The aim of this applied research, conducted for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game... more <p>The aim of this applied research, conducted for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game, is to examine how residents, both Native and non-Native, of an "urban" Alaskan community harvest and use wild foods. At the time, most research on "subsistence" (or household provisioning) was conducted in small villages with majority Native populations. The goal is to provide baseline data that will be used by the ADF&G and other government bodies to manage Alaska's wild resources. The chapter discusses designing and administering a random household survey and the synergy that can exist between quantitative and qualitative research methods.</p>
In the Field, 2018
In a five-year interdisciplinary team research project on the migration and mobility patterns of ... more In a five-year interdisciplinary team research project on the migration and mobility patterns of rural Newfoundlanders, the author learns the strengths and drawbacks of collaborative research. In this case, the other researchers are sociologists and geographers whose jargon and ways of doing research the anthropologist must learn in order to collaborate successfully.
University of Texas Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2023
Annual Review of Anthropology, Oct 1, 1980
This study examines some of the social and economic consequences of return migration in rural New... more This study examines some of the social and economic consequences of return migration in rural Newfoundland especially migrants 1) new work skills 2) investments and 3) innovations introduced into the home community. 402 return migrants were interviewed in 1979. Newfoundland has distinctly modern and traditional socioeconomic sectors. The returnees were 53% male and 47% female. 88% had migrated to other places within Canada 71% to places where they already had friends or relatives. The mean age at migration was 22.5 years; the majority returned between the ages of 25 and 34. Most returns were essentially an urban to rural movement. There is some evidence that migrants improved their job skills while abroad but this does not guarantee that their skills will be used on return. Commuting from outports to urban areas was a typical adaptation made by returnees. Many migrants came home with considerable savings. Over half of the sample invested in housing 27% in living expenses and 10% in ...
Journal of Anthropological Research, 2020
NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, 2015
Anthropological Quarterly, 2004
In the Field
For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just s... more For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just something they do while engaged in field work. This is demonstrated on two occasions when the authors, as visiting faculty at a Japanese university, can’t help doing research. For Sharon it is among Japanese mothers and at the yochien or kindergarten their son Morgan attends, while George turns his anthropological lens on the college basketball team that he joins years later. For both, everyday activities reveal essential characteristics of Japanese culture.
In the Field
George returns to professional baseball after a 30-year absence to study the sport. The culture o... more George returns to professional baseball after a 30-year absence to study the sport. The culture of baseball has changed much during his absence. The role of serendipity in research, along with the benefits and drawbacks of studying your own group, that is, being a “native anthropologist” are explored.
<p>This chapter describes the experiences of anthropology students in the East African city... more <p>This chapter describes the experiences of anthropology students in the East African city of Moshi, Tanzania. Moshi, located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and home to the Chagga people, is a center for mountain climbing and wildlife tourism. The students live with local families and cope with the challenges of life in an developing country--frequent power outages, hazardous traffic, malaria-carrying mosquitos, poverty, and a different sense of time and gender relations—which pose problems for their health, psychological well-being, and research objectives. They adapt and, in the process, reassess some of their own values.</p>
Journal of Wine Research, 2014
... valley, the work which underpins Napa's wine and tourism industries, and the perspective... more ... valley, the work which underpins Napa's wine and tourism industries, and the perspectives of insiders ... Napa's farmers had to develop a working knowledge of new soil types, new insect and ... NAPA VALLEYA BRIEF HISToRY / 9 inal needs, a small local wine trade developed. ...
University of California Press eBooks, May 11, 2018
For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just s... more For professional anthropologists, thinking anthropologically is part of everyday life, not just something they do while engaged in field work. This is demonstrated on two occasions when the authors, as visiting faculty at a Japanese university, can’t help doing research. For Sharon it is among Japanese mothers and at the yochien or kindergarten their son Morgan attends, while George turns his anthropological lens on the college basketball team that he joins years later. For both, everyday activities reveal essential characteristics of Japanese culture.
Until the late 1950s, Irish Travellers lived primarily in rural areas and travelled within relati... more Until the late 1950s, Irish Travellers lived primarily in rural areas and travelled within relatively confined areas. With the urbanisation of the last quarter century, their traditional sources of income have dried up and they have had to adjust to very different circumstances. Emigration, whether temporary or permament, to Britain was one means of adaptation. Plentiful opportunities for unskilled labour and generous welfare benefits were the main attraction. More recently, however, Ireland has become more attractive; in particular, Irish welfare benefits are now almost on a par with those in Britain. 2. We gratefully acknowledge the help of David Smith, who collaborated on the research,
University of California Press eBooks, May 11, 2018
<p>The aim of this applied research, conducted for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game... more <p>The aim of this applied research, conducted for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game, is to examine how residents, both Native and non-Native, of an "urban" Alaskan community harvest and use wild foods. At the time, most research on "subsistence" (or household provisioning) was conducted in small villages with majority Native populations. The goal is to provide baseline data that will be used by the ADF&G and other government bodies to manage Alaska's wild resources. The chapter discusses designing and administering a random household survey and the synergy that can exist between quantitative and qualitative research methods.</p>
In the Field, 2018
In a five-year interdisciplinary team research project on the migration and mobility patterns of ... more In a five-year interdisciplinary team research project on the migration and mobility patterns of rural Newfoundlanders, the author learns the strengths and drawbacks of collaborative research. In this case, the other researchers are sociologists and geographers whose jargon and ways of doing research the anthropologist must learn in order to collaborate successfully.