I am interested in a range of topics ranging from: anthropology, the natural sciences, ethnobotany, sustainable agriculture and others. Making connections between seemingly disparate subjects is one of my favorite aspects of research and thinking.
The foremost reason for this paper is to identify and understand four specific cultural systems w... more The foremost reason for this paper is to identify and understand four specific cultural systems which identify ayahuasca as a focal component of a certain framework. In order to do so holistically it is imperative to elucidate the ethnomedical and biomedical understandings of how ayahuasca interacts with the person who consumes it. Using an ethnobotanical approach to examine the relationships between the plants themselves and the people will shed light on the various modes of understanding present amongst the four cultural systems: traditional cultures, mestizo shamanism, Santo Daime, and União do Vegetal. The basic plant components used to make ayahuasca will be examined in order to illustrate: what they are, where they are found, and why they are valued in traditional Amazonian medicine, blended medical systems and religious syncretism. Through analysis of the dieta that typically accompanies ayahuasca consumption in indigenous Amazonian cultures as well as more recently established forms of ayahuasca cultural systems it becomes even clearer how this seemingly ancient medicine is intimately connected to the various frameworks it is part of.
In light of the recent opening of relations between Cuba and the United States it is timely to co... more In light of the recent opening of relations between Cuba and the United States it is timely to consider the various cultural changes that might occur. This paper explores the issues of cultural diffusion, cultural appropriation, and religious syncretism in the context of ever increasing globalization, commodification, and commoditization. In specific it juxtaposes two religious and medical systems in an attempt to understand how Regla de Ocha (RDO) might adapt to the pressures of globalized markets and cultural diffusion. Through comparative analysis, using examples of how ayahuasca religious frameworks have been altered in response to, adapted for and by, and appropriated over the past three to four decades latent changes to RDO may be elucidated. Although speculative and inferential, this research is not meant to provide falsifiable data- rather it is meant to extrapolate the data regarding ayahuasca and cultural change and collate it with RDO.
* The Callahan Neighborhood has undergone significant gentrification since the authoring of this ... more * The Callahan Neighborhood has undergone significant gentrification since the authoring of this paper. The garden, however, is still thriving and the gardeners maintain its importance as a dynamic cultural space.
The Parramore Community Garden (PCG) opened on March, 2nd, 2009. It is one of the first community gardens established in Orlando, Florida. The PCG is located in the historic Callahan Neighborhood at 654 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando. The purpose of this semester long ethnographic research endeavor is to identify the various ways that the garden empowers the residents of the surrounding neighborhood to foster civic ecology. Using a number of methods to gather data it became clear that the seasonal harvests did hold value to members of the garden. Beyond this, however, the garden is a conduit for members to develop a sense of agency as well as connect with their ancestral heritages. The annual harvest festival celebrates the culmination of the entire year of work that the members of the PCG have put forth and its invitation extends beyond the fences of the garden to all those who wish to celebrate with the community; in other words the harvest festival is a symbolic reification for how the garden is a catalyst for civic ecology.
This research paper focused on the Sufi order of Islam- in particular how they interact with, inf... more This research paper focused on the Sufi order of Islam- in particular how they interact with, influence, and are influenced by today’s societies.
The foremost reason for this paper is to identify and understand four specific cultural systems w... more The foremost reason for this paper is to identify and understand four specific cultural systems which identify ayahuasca as a focal component of a certain framework. In order to do so holistically it is imperative to elucidate the ethnomedical and biomedical understandings of how ayahuasca interacts with the person who consumes it. Using an ethnobotanical approach to examine the relationships between the plants themselves and the people will shed light on the various modes of understanding present amongst the four cultural systems: traditional cultures, mestizo shamanism, Santo Daime, and União do Vegetal. The basic plant components used to make ayahuasca will be examined in order to illustrate: what they are, where they are found, and why they are valued in traditional Amazonian medicine, blended medical systems and religious syncretism. Through analysis of the dieta that typically accompanies ayahuasca consumption in indigenous Amazonian cultures as well as more recently established forms of ayahuasca cultural systems it becomes even clearer how this seemingly ancient medicine is intimately connected to the various frameworks it is part of.
In light of the recent opening of relations between Cuba and the United States it is timely to co... more In light of the recent opening of relations between Cuba and the United States it is timely to consider the various cultural changes that might occur. This paper explores the issues of cultural diffusion, cultural appropriation, and religious syncretism in the context of ever increasing globalization, commodification, and commoditization. In specific it juxtaposes two religious and medical systems in an attempt to understand how Regla de Ocha (RDO) might adapt to the pressures of globalized markets and cultural diffusion. Through comparative analysis, using examples of how ayahuasca religious frameworks have been altered in response to, adapted for and by, and appropriated over the past three to four decades latent changes to RDO may be elucidated. Although speculative and inferential, this research is not meant to provide falsifiable data- rather it is meant to extrapolate the data regarding ayahuasca and cultural change and collate it with RDO.
* The Callahan Neighborhood has undergone significant gentrification since the authoring of this ... more * The Callahan Neighborhood has undergone significant gentrification since the authoring of this paper. The garden, however, is still thriving and the gardeners maintain its importance as a dynamic cultural space.
The Parramore Community Garden (PCG) opened on March, 2nd, 2009. It is one of the first community gardens established in Orlando, Florida. The PCG is located in the historic Callahan Neighborhood at 654 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando. The purpose of this semester long ethnographic research endeavor is to identify the various ways that the garden empowers the residents of the surrounding neighborhood to foster civic ecology. Using a number of methods to gather data it became clear that the seasonal harvests did hold value to members of the garden. Beyond this, however, the garden is a conduit for members to develop a sense of agency as well as connect with their ancestral heritages. The annual harvest festival celebrates the culmination of the entire year of work that the members of the PCG have put forth and its invitation extends beyond the fences of the garden to all those who wish to celebrate with the community; in other words the harvest festival is a symbolic reification for how the garden is a catalyst for civic ecology.
This research paper focused on the Sufi order of Islam- in particular how they interact with, inf... more This research paper focused on the Sufi order of Islam- in particular how they interact with, influence, and are influenced by today’s societies.
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The Parramore Community Garden (PCG) opened on March, 2nd, 2009. It is one of the first community gardens established in Orlando, Florida. The PCG is located in the historic Callahan Neighborhood at 654 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando. The purpose of this semester long ethnographic research endeavor is to identify the various ways that the garden empowers the residents of the surrounding neighborhood to foster civic ecology. Using a number of methods to gather data it became clear that the seasonal harvests did hold value to members of the garden. Beyond this, however, the garden is a conduit for members to develop a sense of agency as well as connect with their ancestral heritages. The annual harvest festival celebrates the culmination of the entire year of work that the members of the PCG have put forth and its invitation extends beyond the fences of the garden to all those who wish to celebrate with the community; in other words the harvest festival is a symbolic reification for how the garden is a catalyst for civic ecology.
The Parramore Community Garden (PCG) opened on March, 2nd, 2009. It is one of the first community gardens established in Orlando, Florida. The PCG is located in the historic Callahan Neighborhood at 654 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando. The purpose of this semester long ethnographic research endeavor is to identify the various ways that the garden empowers the residents of the surrounding neighborhood to foster civic ecology. Using a number of methods to gather data it became clear that the seasonal harvests did hold value to members of the garden. Beyond this, however, the garden is a conduit for members to develop a sense of agency as well as connect with their ancestral heritages. The annual harvest festival celebrates the culmination of the entire year of work that the members of the PCG have put forth and its invitation extends beyond the fences of the garden to all those who wish to celebrate with the community; in other words the harvest festival is a symbolic reification for how the garden is a catalyst for civic ecology.