BIO

Hi everyone! My name is Sophia and I am a student at Florida State University, pursing a degree in Interdisciplinary Medical Studies: Pre-Clinical Professions. I am involved in UROP, and will be an upcoming learning assistant for General Chemistry I! I love to read, go to the movies, and hang out with my family.

Biocultural Anthropology: A Museum Exhibit Proposal

Abstract

Museums serve communities across the world, small or large, as centers for learning. Florida State University houses an extremely unique course that delves into the specifics of curating museum exhibits based on research from professors within the anthropology department. Past exhibits include “Deconstructing Race,” “Panama Archeology,” and “Peopling of the America’s.” This project serves as a museum exhibit proposal to showcase the work of Dr. Eric Shattuck, a biocultural anthropologist, that will be developed in Fall of 2024. The exhibit will begin with an introduction to what biocultural anthropology is as it is a complex, interdisciplinary subject. The following section Dr. Shattuck, his educational background, and why he pursued the biocultural branch of anthropology will be briefed. The next portion of the exhibit will be centered around his research with the indigenous Wixárika in Jalisco, Mexico. Dr. Shattuck explores the effects of rural and urban location on sleep health within the community, and how social pressures placed on indigenous members to acclimate to urban areas may affect a good night's rest. The final portion of the exhibit will touch on comparative data from previous biocultural sleep research conducted within other cultural groups, such as African Americans.

Keywords: museum, anthropology, cultural