Thank You!

Mar 21, 2018

304

Thank You!I'd like to start by thanking everyone who donated. I really, truly appreciate each one of you. I am especially thankful to those of you who I don't know; I am humbled by the kindness of strangers. It's been interesting to see which of my friends, acquaintances, and colleagues backed this somewhat novel endeavor. 
I'm not the only one who finds it intriguing either. I had a digital archaeologist reach out to find out about the process. We think crowd sourcing and social media outreach are the waves of the future. I'm thrilled to be one of the front runners and I'm grateful you all have joined me.
I have received some negative feedback. A few people seem to think that research that doesn't receive traditional grant funding should be paid for out of pocket by researchers. However, research is a job and as with most jobs, the costs for equipment and labor aren't paid for by the laborer. 
Think of it this way, does someone researching medical cures pay the millions of dollars necessary to run a new drug trial out of their own pocket? No. It's both impossible and unexpected. Do office workers buy their own copy paper and toner cartridges? No. 
Social sciences and humanities often receive budget cuts before other sectors. I think this is because their value is underestimated. Disciplines that bring monetary gain (rather than knowledge, community cohesion, empathy and understanding for the cultures and lifeways of minority and marginalized groups, and other intangible gains) seem to be better supported. In a university setting for example, sports and STEM fields are forerunners. Their budgets are seemingly less often cut when compared to the "softer" sciences. 
So, I'm left wondering why social scientists are expected to fund our own work. It's food for thought and I'd appreciate feedback on the issue. It's certainly going to be rolling around in my mind for some time. 
I am thrilled that I was able to reach my goal. It really has restored my faith in humanity and reminded me why it is that we social scientists do what we do. People are interesting and complex creatures for sure.
I'm excited about the upcoming fieldwork and am looking forward to sharing my findings with you all. Keep your eyes out for posts and updates here. Feel free to share with anyone and everyone so we can spread the word on what archaeology is, how it works, and why we do it. 

-Brandy

Evan, Amy Oglesby Price, and 8 others like this.

3 comments

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Nicole SharpeBacker

The more I learn about crowdfunding, the more I believe that it's a major missing piece in our current view of funding. In the six years that Experiment has been alive, we've enabled researchers to collect pilot data that has led to at least one major NSF grant and a large handful of other "traditional grants". Other researchers have been able to collect data that suggested their original hypothesis was wrong, and changed direction so that they could go down the right path. Students have been able to be paid to be scientists, or even been able to afford the lab supplies to finish their thesis. Science and discovery shouldn't be a pay-to-play world. This shouldn't be a place that only the rich and well connected can come to test out their pet hypotheses. And I don't think that just a few people in an ivory tower should get to decide what is important social research for everyone else. The world is changing, but traditional funding programs aren't changing with it. I think that there's a huge place for crowdfunding in social and physical sciences, and that role is growing. We just have to get everyone else on board.

Mar 22, 20183

Brandy JoyResearcher

I agree 100%. I think we need to democratize the whole process such that knowledge, drive, and ideas get attention rather than prestige and power. In general, but especially here in South Carolina, people sometimes shy away from new ways of seeing and doing. Many internet-based changes that happened in other places starting in the 1990s still haven't happened here. The same is true for the institutions within the state. For example, the state site files (where archaeological site information and records are kept) have been actual papers, which are filed in a cabinet aside paper maps with pencil drawn polygons indicating the locations of archaeological sites. Just a few years ago a few motivated individuals began digitizing the files so they are now available on line. This is just one example of how comfortable we can be with routines and how fear of change holds back individuals, disciplines, and even broader segments of our world. It's certainly not limited to archaeology or to South Carolina. My experience with Experiment.com has really made me think about how we do things and how else they might be done. Thanks to you, Nicole, for your support throughout the process.

Mar 22, 20181

Lance GreeneBacker

Brandy, I'm happy to see you are funded! I'm excited about your future research. It is unfortunate that the social science fields are consistently underfunded (and undervalued) and that alternative funding methods are required. Given that situation, though, it is good to see that there is still public support (including funding) for this kind of research.

Mar 22, 20181

Brandy JoyResearcher

Thank you, Lance. I'm happy too and I'm interested to see what the future brings for support of all kinds.

Mar 22, 20180

Christopher JanusBacker

Splendidly worded, Brandy. Discovering our past is equally important, or perhaps more important, then chartering our future. One cannot exist without that other. I admire your curious mind, determination and thoughtful insides. You are the best by "the Beagle" standard (for you and others to discover what I mean here 😉). Good luck with your research and continue to share your thoughts with others. Much appreciated!

Mar 21, 20182

About This Project

"Hog Meat en Rabbit en Fish en Such as Dat": Pre- and Post-Emancipation Foodways in the South Carolina Lowcountry

University of South Carolina

Archaeologists and historians of slavery know that the foodways of slaves -- their diet, dishes, and social mores of eating -- changed over time for a variety of reasons. Was emancipation one such reason? Did it further change the way people ate in the South? I am studying the foodways of enslaved and recently emancipated people in order to find out.