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This book on social and cultural anthropology combines an account of the discipline's guiding principles and methodology with examples of anthropologists at work. The book ends with an assessment of its position and a look forward to its future.
This Very Short Introduction explores the fundamental concepts of social and cultural anthropology; its methods; and its contributions to modern thought. This new edition explores the 'cultural construction' of social categories, such as gender, as well as discussing recent work on migration, and the development of ontological anthropology.
This Very Short Introduction deals with the social life of language, presenting a succinct account of the most important aspects - both "micro" and "macro" - of sociolinguistics, such as language variation, language attitudes, and the relationship between language and identity.
During her first visit to the beautiful island of Pohnpei in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, anthropologist Martha Ward discovered people who grew quarter-ton yams in secret and ritually shared a powerful drink called kava. She managed a medical research project, ate dog, became pregnant, and responded to spells placed on her. Thirty years later she returned to Pohnpei to learn what had happened there since her first visit. Were islanders still relaxed and casual about sex? Were they still obsessed with titles and social rank? Was the island still lush and beautiful? Had the inhabitants remained healthy? This second edition of Wards best-selling account is a rare, longitudinal study that tracks people, processes, and a place through decades of change. It is also an intimate record of doing fieldwork that immerses readers in the sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and the sensory richness of Pohnpei. Ward addresses the ageless ethnographic questions about family life, politics, religion, traditional medicine, magic, and death together with contemporary concerns about postcolonial survival, the discontinuities of culture, and adaptation to the demands of a global age. Her insightful discoveries illuminate the evolution of a culture possibly distant from yet important to people living in other parts of the world.
What is the role of culture in human experience? This concise yet solid introduction to cultural anthropology helps readers explore and understand this crucial issue from a Christian perspective. Now revised and updated throughout, this new edition of a successful textbook covers standard cultural anthropology topics with special attention given to cultural relativism, evolution, and missions. It also includes a new chapter on medical anthropology. Plentiful figures, photos, and sidebars are sprinkled throughout the text, and updated ancillary support materials and teaching aids are available through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.
Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages or is it part of human nature? Will winning the lottery really make you happy? Is it possible to build robots that have feelings? In this Very Short Introduction Dylan Evans explores these and many other intriguing questions in this guide to the latest thinking about the emotions. Drawing on a wide range of scientific research, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Evans takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the human heart, discussing the evolution of emotions and their biological basis, the science of happiness, and the role that emotions play in memory and decision making. Greeted by critics as a pop science classic when it was first published in 2001, the book has now been thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate new developments in our understanding of emotions, including new sections addressing the neural basis of empathy and the emotional impact of films. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
In addition to a comprehensive overview of the discipline, CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: AN APPLIED PERSPECTIVE, goes beyond basic introductory material by applying the theory, insights, and methods of cultural anthropology to contemporary situations that students both majors and non-majors are likely to encounter in their professional and personal lives. In the Eighth Edition, new co-author Susan Andreatta adds her expertise in economic and medical anthropology to that of Gary Ferraro, who has worked extensively in the anthropology of business, education, and organizational structures. Through the book’s lucid narrative and wealth of modern examples, students come to understand how to view the world in which they find themselves today. New applied case studies opening each chapter are designed to catch the attention of students and remind them that the study of anthropology really is relevant to our lives. These introductory case studies, the popular Cross-Cultural Miscues presenting real-life examples, and Applied Perspectives features are now designated with a SWAP icon (Share with a Parent or friend) to encourage students to recognize the importance and necessity of understanding culture what it is and how it changes as individuals living in today’s world. The Contemporary Issues features and in-text examples also emphasize the relevance of anthropology to students’ lives and include new topics, including how South Korean society has rethought the value of having female children and whether or not professional anthropologists should work for the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, to help students better understand and participate in the globalized world around them. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
This book offers a concise and accessible overview of cultural anthropology for those coming to the subject for the first time. It introduces key areas of the discipline and touches on its historical developments and applied aspects. As well as traditional topics such as social organization, politics, and economics, the book engages with important contemporary issues including race, gender, sexuality, and colonialism. In a beginner-friendly format, this book is ideal for students of anthropology, as well as for the interested reader as an introduction to the subject.
Michael Allen Fox considers the complex meaning of home. He discusses what dwelling is, and the variety of dwellings people live in. He also looks at the politics of home, homelessness, refugeeism, and migration; the importance of place to our psyche; and the future of the concept of home.
Written by leading scholars in the field, this comprehensive and readable resource gives anthropology students a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. The fully revised and expanded second edition reflects major changes in anthropology in the past decade.
