Charitie V. Hyman

Charitie V. Hyman is a second year graduate student in Cultural Anthropology. Originally, she is fromLouisiana where she earned a B.S. in Anthropology and Psychology at L.S.U. Her regional area of interest is Ukraine , specifically the western region that is known as Galicia . Topically, she studies religion, folklore, and East Slavic shamanism. This past summer she spent six weeks in an intensive Ukrainian language course. Even today, the issue of language is particularly relevant in Ukraine . Many Ukrainians still speak Russian in public settings, at work, and even at home. In the rural areas of Galicia and in Lviv, Ukrainian is more prevalent than in Kyiv or the Eastern regions of the country. For years, Western Ukrainians have strived hard to preserve their culture in opposition to being ruled by surrounding countries such as Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and of course the Soviet Union. Learning Ukrainian therefore is essential to research in the Western cities and towns. During her six weeks studying the language, she also learned about the culture. To quote her undergraduate advisor Dr. Jill Brody, “language is culture and culture is language” --- the two are inseparable.

In this picture, she is wearing a traditional Ukrainian blouse. It was hand embroidered by her teacher's grandmother. The embroidering of clothing, towels, and of course the famous elaborate pysanky or Ukrainian Easter eggs are only a few basic examples of the culture that she hopes to learn much more about through research and study next summer in Lviv.

Curriculum Vitae