The effect of community on migration: three Minnesota townships 1885–1905

For a long time European immigrant settlements were considered more community-oriented than those of Old Americans. In recent years, however, historians have asserted that there was little difference in observable behaviour between immigrants and Old Americans. Using geographical mobility as one type of observable behaviour, this revision was tested in three Minnesota townships of largely immigrant populations between 1885 and 1905. The unit of analysis was the community defined by membership in the parish church and consisted of populations with largely common origins in Europe. The economic functions of land giving, land taking and labour supply occurred largely within the community as did such social functions as socialization of youth, marriage and care for the aged. The community thus provided pecuniary as well as non-pecuniary utilities that allowed for a stabilization of the lives of the immigrants. Probably because of these utilities, the mobility rates of community members, independent of age or wealth, were noticeably lower than those who are termed non-community members. Due to a combination of weakening ties among second generation community members and worsening economic conditions in the area, community mobility increased in the second decade of analysis. Nevertheless, the mobility rates of the community remained lower than those not in a community suggesting that the revisionist position needs careful re-evaluation.     

All hyped up and no place to go

In this paper we think about the performance of sexual identities in space, and try to explore the notions of transgression and parody implicit in recent queer theory, particularly in the work of Judith Butler. To do this, we take a long hard look at two current dissident sexual identities—the hypermasculine ‘gay skinhead’ and the hyperfeminine ‘lipstick lesbian’. We describe their evolution as sexual‐outlaw styles of the 1990s, and assess the effects of their performance in spaces which are, we argue, actively constructed as heterosexual. Although we are ultimately unsure and unable to agree about what kinds of trouble these identities cause, and for whom, and where, we want to share our unease, our questions, our own troubles.     

Island Archaeology,Model Systems,the Anthropocene,and How the Past Informs the Future

The use of islands as ‘model systems’ has become particularly relevant for examining a host of important issues in archaeology and other disciplines. As papers in this special issue of the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology demonstrate, islands can serve as critical and ideal analytical platforms for observing human populations in the past and their evolutionary histories within complex and insular human ecodynamics. In this paper we address the issue of how islands are also important models for future sustainability and as corollaries for the survival of humans generally. In a sense, island cultures and ecosystems can be seen as microcosms of the issues we have faced as humans, and provide important insights for understanding the fate of our species, particularly as it pertains to the exploration and colonization of new worlds.     

The Archaeology of Aquatic Adaptations: Paradigms for a New Millennium

Although aquatic resources are often seen as central to the development of post-Pleistocene cultural complexity, most models of human evolution have all but ignored the role of aquatic or maritime adaptations during the earlier stages of human history. When did aquatic resources, maritime adaptations, and seafaring first play a significant role in human evolution? I explore this fundamental question by (1) reviewing various theories on the subject; (2) discussing a variety of problems that prevent archaeologists from providing a clear answer; and (3) examining the archaeological record for evidence of early aquatic resource use or seafaring. I conclude that aquatic resources, wherever they were both abundant and relatively accessible, have probably always been used opportunistically by our ancestors. Evidence suggests, however, that aquatic and maritime adaptations (including seafaring) played a significantly greater role in the demographic and geographic expansion of anatomically modern humans after about 150,000 years ago. Another significant expansion occurred somewhat later in time, with the development of more sophisticated seafaring, fishing, and marine hunting technologies.