9318289 Earle This project involves the dissertation research of a student in cultural anthropology from UCLA. The student will study how indigenous households use new commodities and traditional goods to establish social and economic relations. Using ethnographic methods of intensive interviews, surveys, and participant observation, the student will see how the types of resources people control affect their appreciation and use of prestige objects. This research is important because trade in imported goods is ubiquitous and growing. Understanding how "traditional" peoples appreciate and use goods, both imported and domestic, to affect their social status, can help us predict future trends in markets. ***
