Tucson Garbage Project
Encyclopedia
The Tucson Garbage Project is an archaeological
and sociological
study instituted in 1973 by Dr. William Rathje
in the city of Tucson in the Southwestern
American state
of Arizona
. This project is sometimes referred to outside of academic circles as the "garbology
project".
in order to examine patterns of consumption. Quantitative
data from bin
s was compared with information known about the residents who owned them. The results have shown that information people freely volunteered about their consumption habits did not always tally with the contents of their waste bins. For example, alcohol consumption was proven to be significantly higher in reality than in the questionnaires completed by the people studied. Such findings have highlighted the difference between people's self-reported and actual behaviours.
Such findings cast doubt on the reliability of the historical record when applied to archaeological sites in general and follow a processualist approach stressing the benefits of scientific analysis.
The project has since expanded to other American cities and has undertaken excavation of landfill
sites.
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and sociological
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
study instituted in 1973 by Dr. William Rathje
William Rathje
William Laurens Rathje is an American archaeologist. He is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Arizona, with a joint appointment with the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, and is consulting professor of anthropological sciences at Stanford University...
in the city of Tucson in the Southwestern
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
American state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. This project is sometimes referred to outside of academic circles as the "garbology
Garbology
The primary academic meaning of garbology is the study of refuse and trash. As an academic discipline it was pioneered at the University of Arizona and long directed by William Rathje. The project started in 1973, originating from an idea of two students for a class project...
project".
History
Dr. Rathje and his students studied the contents of Tucson residents' wasteWaste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
in order to examine patterns of consumption. Quantitative
Quantitative research
In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to...
data from bin
Bin
Bīn may refer to:* Pungi, a South Asian double clarinet* Veena, a North Indian stick zither* 宾 , a Chinese character meaning guest, visitor...
s was compared with information known about the residents who owned them. The results have shown that information people freely volunteered about their consumption habits did not always tally with the contents of their waste bins. For example, alcohol consumption was proven to be significantly higher in reality than in the questionnaires completed by the people studied. Such findings have highlighted the difference between people's self-reported and actual behaviours.
Such findings cast doubt on the reliability of the historical record when applied to archaeological sites in general and follow a processualist approach stressing the benefits of scientific analysis.
The project has since expanded to other American cities and has undertaken excavation of landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
sites.
Further reading
- William Rathje, Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage; ISBN 0-06-016603-7; Harpercollins (hardback, 1992)
- William Rathje, Once and Future Landfills; National Geographic, May 1991.