Geophagy in eastern North Carolina / by Owen J. Furuseth, Jr.
| Author/creator | Furuseth, Owen J., 1949- author. |
| Other author | Gritzner, Charles F., degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Geography. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 1973. |
| Description | 67 leaves : maps, photographs ; 29 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Summary | The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the occurrence of the culture trait of geophagy on the coastal plain of North Carolina. The practice of geophagy, the deliberate consumption of earth, is found throughout much of the world. Its occurrence on the coastal plain, as well as other areas of the New World, is the product of cultural diffusion from West Africa. Although geophagy was found in several American Indian cultures, the practice was not widespread until its introduction from Africa by Negro slaves. As an exercise in cultural geography, the study's initial objective is the assemblage of the culture history of geophagy, from historical African and pre-1865 New World data. The culture history of geophagy facilitates the understanding of the present-day distribution and the perception of the practice. The principal objectives of the thesis are to compile and analyze the distribution of geophagy within an arbitrarily selected study area - a twenty-county area of the North Carolina coastal plain - and to discover the culturally perceived values associated with the trait. Additionally, the phenomenon of starch eating is spatially analyzed. Starch eating is closely associated with geophagy, and evidence suggests that it is an acculturated form of the practice. The study attempts to validate this hypothesis. In completing these objectives the study delimits micro-regional variations in geophagical practices (both earth and starch consumption), and analyzes the role of cultural, economic, and physiologic factors in affecting spatial variations in the practice. These variations are analyzed, in terms of individual counties and the region as a whole. In order to better understand geophagy, the thesis undertakes a cultural ecology of the practice in the black community. Through ecological analysis it is possible to investigate the value and importance within the subculture, and document the plethora of practices, traditions, and folklore associated with geophagy. Finally, the thesis identifies trends for the future occurrence of the practices, in terms of both distribution and magnitude. In attaining these goals, the study attempts to analyze those factors which are seemingly causing and continue to affect the incidence of geophagy and starch eating. |
| General note | "Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geography ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Geography." |
| General note | Advisor: Charles F. Gritzner |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 1973 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-67). |
| Genre/form | dissertations. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | University Archives | ASK AT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DESK | ✔ Available | Request Material |
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |