Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Women's and Gender Studies

College

College of Education and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Ina Seethaler

Second Advisor

Jennifer Mokos

Abstract/Description

This project brings awareness to the cultural significance of places that scientists (specifically marine scientists associated with CCU) study and do field work at. It is important to be respectful of places you work in and understand what environment and land you are working with. It is also important to know your privilege when working in areas of less privilege. For example, CCU students travel to Bucksport on field trips, and the majority of them are not aware of the fact that Bucksport is a largely Black and lower income town that has extreme flooding issues that impact the residents often. Being aware of the culture behind the area you are studying can bring a more unbiased and ethical approach to your research. Studies show benefits to conservation rooted in a cultural and historical background knowledge of an area (Thornton and Scheer, 2012; Wiener and Matsumoto, 2014). Most scientists are aware of respecting the species they are working with but think less about the areas they are in and making sure they have cultural humility. I created a document of the history and cultural significance of Bucksport, Waties Island, and Winyah Bay, and I sent it to the Chair of the Marine Science Department, multiple marine science professors, and presented an academic poster about it at the Honors Symposium. I urged the professors to pass down this knowledge to other faculty and students that study these areas. I hope to make people more aware of the environments they work in and that my research is implemented in order to boost ethics and the conservation of these areas. Ideally, professors and researchers will share and acknowledge the history/culture whenever they visit these places.

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