Product Description
Explore cultural anthropology in an applied and fascinating way with Gary Ferraro's CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: AN APPLIED PERSPECTIVE. This contemporary and student-relevant text gives you all the key material you need for your introductory course, plus it will show you that anthropology is for you! With real world applications of the principles and practices of anthropology, this book will help you learn to appreciate other cultures as well as your own. Apply what you learn in this course to those situations that you are likely to encounter in your personal and professional life. What can you do with anthropology today? Check out the real-life examples of cross-cultural misunderstandings and issues (in our popular "Cross-Cultural Miscues" features) to view 'culture at work.' Also, the book takes a look at specialized vocabularies as illustrated by "chickspeak" (the language of single, urban, upwardly mobile women), the war in Iraq, environmental degradation, and other contemporary topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Cultural Anthropology
Good delivery time and book was in good condition.Would purchase from this seller again.

Intro to Anthro
This book was required for my Intro to Anthropology course.It is an interesting book, but I would not recommend it as a good text for an Intro class because it focuses only on cultural anthro, and aside from a brief mention, completely ignores the other sub fields of the discipline.It would be a good introduction to -cultural- anthropology but not to anthropology in general.The sub fields are so varied that one cannot take one and then assume that all other areas of the discipline are similar.It is true that they do overlap and each provides insight to the other, but do not assume this book will introduce you to all that you need to know about anthropology.

Highly Readable Textbook
How often can you say you actually read an entire textbook for a course?I read this whole book; it was that well-written.

The material is well presented, with plenty of examples from all over the world.The Cross-Cultural Miscues are frequently amusing and always informative.One of my favorites involved differences in humor across cultures.

This textbook made a freshman level basics course more enjoyable than one expects of that type of course.

Cultural Anthropology
This item was in good shape but it took over 3 weeks to get to me when it said that it would take 3-5 days. ... Read more

Product Description

Cultural Anthropology is a leading textbook that integrates the important issues of globalization and culture change in every chapter by introducing students to the concepts and methods that anthropologists bring to the study of cross-cultural diversity.

Nancy Bonvillain, a best-selling author in linguistics, gender and Native American studies, has written an introductory textbook that encourages students to see what is going on in the world and how it affects cultures.  By presenting extended examples from a variety of cultures and incorporating the voices of these peoples, she brings the study of cultural anthropology to life, so that students may come to understand the global processes that affect us all. 

Customer Reviews (5)

Cultural Anthropology required reading
The book had a lot of interesting information to read, its a lot of dense material that makes a chapter. I am not a slow reader but there is alot of information in this book that it went over my expected time I reserved for studying.In each chapter there is a few "green boxes" that help go over what the previous paragraphs you read was all about, which is helpful when dazing in/out of conciousness, besides having a end of chapter review section.Bold Key Terms are located on the margins with definiations, besides using the example of how the author used the word. The book was put together very nicely.

excellent
before i ordered for this product, i was quite skeptical because i had had a terrible experience with a previous seller. but after i went through this buyers reviews, i decided to give him/her the benefit of doubt. the product arrived very fast and in a far better condition than i expected it.

College Anthropology
This book is really well written.I used this book as a textbook at college and my professor was not very good.This book is the only reason I learned anything.I got an A in the class.The added personal stories and cultural perspectives really made Anthropology come alive.

Interesting
I enjoyed reading the topics and it covered so many aspects of various cultures thoroughly. I was also taking a sociology class at the time and that class and book had nothing on this one -- I will definitely remember what I learned from this book. It was all very relevant in understanding how our culture is set up and why we have the points of view that we have, and how and why other cultures are different (although that seems like the obvious intention of a cultural anthropology book, my sociology book was also supposed to glean similar insight but failed miserably, whereas this book did a thorough and good job of it).

I didn't think the book was long-winded or confusing -- those opinions probably have something to do with either the class or one's opinion of the subject.

It references native american cultures a lot -- because they're so varied, it's interesting, but it seems the author had a particular love of them (though it doesn't detract from the text, and many, many other cultures are referenced, also).

I think if you read this book and understand the implications of it, you'll be able to better understand what being a human is really comprised of and will probably walk away more open-minded and tolerant.

Also, I have a custom edition book for my school that has the same name and author and year but a different cover -- I'm assuming has the same general information, whether or not the format is the same.

Loooooooong winded.
This textbook is so long winded. When it tells personal stories related to the topics, it is very interesting. However, when it gets technical, boy does it get technical. It seems as if it wants to confuse the reader on purpose. The index is worthless. For example, a question on the test will ask about the Neur men, look for Neur in the index and you get nothing. However, it is in the book. The glossary is just a contnuation of the confusing overly technical speak this book does too well.

Bottom line, if you have a decent prof. then this book will suffice, otherwise be prepared to feel like you are being tortured for the secret rocket code. ... Read more

Product Description
What is the role of culture in human experience? This introductory cultural anthropology textbook helps readers explore and understand this crucial issue from a Christian perspective. The book covers standard cultural anthropology topics with special attention given to issues of concern to Christians, such as cultural relativism, evolution, and missions.This concise yet solid introduction represents the authors' years of experience in the classroom and offers a fresh, contemporary approach. Each chapter includes objectives, text boxes, terms, and discussion questions. In addition, plentiful maps, photos, and sidebars are sprinkled throughout the text. A companion website features numerous support materials. ... Read more

Product Description
This important resource covers such topics as anthropology and missions; man, culture, and society; verbal and nonverbal communication; technology and economics; and anthropology and the Bible. It is designed for classroom use with diagrams, discussion questions, and suggested readings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Christian Perspective
Cultural Anthropology is an introductory book written by two Christian anthropologists for Christian missionaries and pastors.The sub-title declares after all that it is a "Christian Perspective."Grunlan and Mayers have taken various insights which they have learned from studying anthropology and have applied it to the Christian context.They have correctly noted the usefulness of anthropological study for the task of missions in particular and any cross-cultural encounter in general.

One of the most helpful contributions this book provides is its discussion of Cultural Relativity in relation to Biblical Authority.Cultural relativity is achieved when one recognizes that no two cultures are alike and that those differences do not necessarily constitute matters of validity or non-validity.The rightness of wrongness of culture cannot be determined solely by comparing it with another culture.This recognizes that every culture has problems and no culture is superior to the other.Yet, if one held only to cultural relativity than one would slide deep into a morass of relativism.Everything in every culture would become acceptable and right.

It is here where it becomes necessary to recognize the authority of the Bible.Biblical absolutes help ground cultural relativity.In fact, biblical authority is the bedrock foundation upon which cultural relativity is built.Biblical authority shows that there are some things within culture and transcending culture which are wrong.Scripture is the ultimate authority in matters of right and wrong.Every culture and every cultural practice must be weighed by the teaching of Scripture.Therefore, "each culture defined the situation (cultural relativity), but it was on the basis of the biblical principles (biblical authority) that the action was evaluated" (260).Such recognition of biblical authority keeps cultural relativism in check.

Unfortunately, the book suffered from what I thought were some basic shortcomings which affected its usefulness.First, throughout the book, there is a quiet tendency to drift more toward cultural relativism than toward biblical authority.Of course, this is after all a fine line and I am sure that no one can walk it without falling, yet I do believe that Grunlan and Mayers were in danger of falling off in numerous places.While for the most part I agree with their understanding of cultural relativity and biblical authority I don't think we should hold to it to tightly.There are many times where the Bible may not specifically speak to an issue and yet one culture may have a better way than the other.Cultural relativity can tend to smack of arrogance in saying that both cultures are right.What actually needs to be done is for both cultures to have a willingness to listen and learn from each other.There may be some things that are "culturally relative" but should none the less be changed for the better of the culture.

One of things that what most annoying in reading this book is that for most chapters it read like a dictionary with examples.They would define a term and then provide a few examples from some preliterate culture and then define another term along with more examples.There didn't seem to be much of a critical evaluation of the terms they were borrowing from secular anthropology.Maybe the inclusion of more in-depth case studies would have proven more helpful than just brief illustrations of the definitions they provided.One can quickly get bogged down in trying to remember what endogamy, proximic communication, sororate marriage, and phratry are.Thankfully they at least provided a glossary of terms at the back.

Despite a lot of the profuse vocabulary the book remained rather readable.The illustrations helped move the book along, but after a while they grew tiresome.I would have enjoyed them using more illustrations from western and Middle Eastern countries along with the smaller tribal communities which they primarily used.

This book is written for a selective audience.Those interested in tribal missions in particular and those who have an interest in other cultures would benefit from reading this work.I honestly question its usefulness for pastors who already know the culture in which they minister.Yet, for the missionary it does help awaken their eyes to be prepared for what they are about to step into when they first get off that plane and enter into a new culture.

Nothing like anthropology
Anthropology entails 3 perspectives: (1) cross-cultural, or looking at other cultures than our own, (2) holistic, or looking at all parts of culture in relation to each other, and (3) relativistic, or looking at each culture as its own standard of values and meaning.Notice there is no "Christian perspective."Anthropology is not about judging other cultures, and it is certainly not about changing them.This book should not be called "Cultural Anthropology."What it suggests is nothing like anthropology.It should be called something like "Destroying Other Cultures with Your Culture" or "Destroying Anthropology by Misusing It."No real anthropologist would read this book, other than to learn about the mind of the true believer.

Horrible misuse of anthropology
This book is a horrible, almost criminal, misuse of anthropology.If the author understood anything about the discipline, he would know that it is about relativism and respect for differences, not about trying to use cultural concepts to invade and indoctrinate other societies.There is no way we can control how our tools are used, but to employ anthropological knowledge and methods to overthrow another culture's religion is a betrayal of anthropology and cultural genocide against that culture.This book disgusts me, like all missionization.

A Introductory book
It's a good introductory book to who wants to know something about anthropology, or cross-culture communication. The book provides each aspect of anthropology study, very easy to understand. It may also help Christian to understand the human behavior. Open your mind to a new vision about the world. The book emphasizes the importance of anthropology for missionaries, is a very correct vision. Evangelism is also communication. It exposes whom the culture may influence faith and bible interpretation. There books indication at the end of each chapter should be very helpful, but major of the book are very difficult to find because they are too old. A basic book, but can help. ... Read more

Product Description

"The Anthropology of Stuff" is part of a new Series dedicated to innovative, unconventional ways to connect undergraduate students and their lived concerns about our social world to the power of social science ideas and evidence. Our goal with the project is to help spark social science imaginations and in doing so, new avenues for meaningful thought and action. Each "Stuff" title is a short (100 page) "mini text" illuminating for students the network of people and activities that create their material world.　

From the coffee producers and pickers who tend the plantations in tropical nations, to the middlemen and processors, to the consumers who drink coffee without ever having to think about how the drink reached their hands, here is a commodity that ties the world together. This is a great little book that helps students apply anthropological concepts and theories to their everyday lives, learn how historical events and processes have shaped the modern world and the contexts of their lives, and how consumption decisions carry ramifications for our health, the environment, the reproduction of social inequality, and the possibility of supporting equity, sustainability and social justice. 　

Product Description
Using engaging stories and clear writing, ADVANTAGE BOOKS: HUMANITY: AN INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Eighth Edition introduces cultural anthropology within a solid framework centered around globalization and culture change. Peoples and Bailey focus on the social and cultural consequences of globalization, emphasizing culture change and world problems. The book's engaging narrative provides new ways of looking at many of the challenges facing the world in this century. As you explore more contemporary issues, including recent debates on gay marriage, cultural and economic globalization, population growth, hunger, and the survival of indigenous cultures, you'll gain a better understanding of the cultural information you need to successfully navigate in today's global economy. The authors emphasize the diversity of humanity and reveal why an appreciation and tolerance of cultural differences is critical in the modern world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

exellent service
The book was dilivered within a week, and it was on conditions that was decribe to me before I got the book.It was an exellent service. I would defenitly by onther book from this seller.

Perfect Transaction
The book was in perfect condition.I received it right away.I'm happy!

Book for class
I got my book in a reasonable amount of time and it was in good condition. ... Read more

Product Description
The objective of this book remains to introduce cultural anthropology to readers with limited background in the subject. Material is presented in a unified framework rather than as an encyclopedia of anthropological concepts and findings or a series of subtopics. Cultural Anthropology, Third Edition is based on the central theme that individuals are active decision-makers, continually involved in creating and using their culture. Faced with new problems and new situations in their environment, people will often attempt to find solutions that go beyond traditional customs and cultural prescriptions. It also stresses the importance of placing humans in a wider evolutionary context. For anyone interested in learning about Cultural Anthropology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Had to Buy It
I had to buy this for class and I have to say, I feel like there are better books out there. This is very informative and gets the ideas across but it is pretty dry. Anthropology is an interesting subject but this book doesn't really set a fire or spark any further interest. Good but not great. ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting new text teases out the common core of the cultural anthropological way of thinking, makes it explicit in a set of eleven questions, and uses those questions to enhance learning. Each question receives treatment in a brief chapter, accompanied by several exercises and classroom demonstrations.The textbook is intended to be accompanied by—and applied to—a reader, a few ethnographies, or a monograph with topical focus such as language, globalization, technology, art, or gender. The eleven questions that organize the text can be applied singly and cumulatively to address the cultures presented in the ethnographies or case studies chosen by each instructor.A comprehensive guide written by John Omohundro assists instructors who adopt this novel approach and suggests numerous examples of ethnographies and readers that would be effective companions for the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great toolbox for beginning anthropologists
This is the best introductory textbook to anthropology that I've read so far, and was recommended to me by a friend who teaches first-year anthropology (my second-favorite is Investigating Culture: An Experiential Introduction to Anthropology, which also tries to ask questions, but not as broadly).

Rather than giving student a pat list of human domains (economy, family, government) and the same old "exotic" practices of African hunter-gatherers - and all of this straight out of the 1950s - Omohundro actually teaches students how to think like a modern-day anthropologist: by asking questions, and looking at one issue from many angles.

His 11 questions are, briefly:
* What is Culture?
* How Do I Learn About Culture?
* What is the Context for This Practice or Idea?
* Do Other Societies Do Something Like This?
* What Was This Idea or Practice Like in the Past?
* How are Human Biology, Culture, and Environment Interacting?
* What Are the Groups and Relationships?
* What Does That Mean?
* What is My Perspective?
* Am I Judging This?
* What Do the People Say?

Using his own experience studying Newfoundlanders in Canada, as well as a large variety of exercises that can be done in class or as homework, he encourages students to ask these questions about the world around them, and in doing so, learn how to think like an anthropologist. Well done! ... Read more

Product Description

From a Japanese colony to an authoritarian regime to a new democracy, Taiwanese society has gone through many phases of social transition since 1945. This book examines the processes of cultural, social and political transition in Taiwan since 1945, investigating their impact on the Taiwanese cultural industries, with a particular focus on cinema and theatre, and showing how changes in cinema and theatre illustrate the broader cultural, social and political changes taking place. It sets out the history of the development of Taiwanese theatre and cinema since the 1930s, and relates this to broader changes within Taiwanese society. It analyses the socio-politics of Taiwanese-language cinema, and the impact of language policies including the government’s encouragement and promotion of Mandarin in the 1960s. Important issues are considered, notably the modernization and commercialization of cinema and theatre in Taiwan, focusing in particular on Taiwanese produced gangster movies, and also questions of liberalization and democratization, especially the new wave of independent cinema that arrived in the mid 1980s. The book includes interviews with important movie directors, actors, producers, industry workers and critics, including Chen Qiu-yan and Huang Jian-ye. Overall, it provides a full account of cultural, political and social change in Taiwan over the last eighty years, and its relationship with Taiwanese cinema and theatre.

Product Description
Food is an important and endlessly fascinating lens for social and cultural analysis –not only for anthropologists, but also for scholars of history, literature, cultural studies, political economy, and public policy. The subject is a central idiom for understanding cultural practices and for teaching about culture on many levels. The Cultural Politics of Food and Eating is a collection of readings that uses the study of food as a vehicle for addressing broad themes that are emerging in social anthropology: globalization, capitalism, market economies, and consumption practices.

The Cultural Politics of Food and Eating offers an ethnographically informed perspective on the ways in which people use food to make sense of life in an increasingly interconnected world. It includes studies from eleven countries across five continents on such hot topics as sushi, fast food, gourmet foods, and food scares and contamination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Left me hungry for more!
The book makes an interesting case using good evidence for most of it's text.

Susanne Friedberg argues that in spite of egalitarian origins to transform the world, the organic/natural foods revolution begun in the 1960's has done little to eradicate the conditions in other countries--where tainted food is a defacto way of life for people. The most careful washing cannot fully eliminate everything every time.

However, ongoing disparities in America where people on public assistance cannot presently afford to eat healthy--regardless of how much they want to also needed to be addressed in Warren Belasco's essay on how the hippies introduced organic food. Low-income people do not necessarily have to contend with the same degree of food impurity as overseas, but are also subject to economic disparities in their access to healthy food. They ironically remain stuck with the brands the hippies and their present day counterparts shun because it IS the cheapest to purchase with the resources they do have and the organic companies have not found a way to make the American dollar stretch further. Why should only certain groups of people be able to eat safe and healthy food?

The editor and her contributors are empathetic to the subject matter--which I have not previously seen in other anthologies. Yet, they mostly present it with a critical perspective, demanding that the reader examine previous assumptions about the relationship between food and politics--and our own personal relationship.

A useful and timely collection
Despite the fact that, through some oversight, the editors neglected to include any of my own writing in the collection, it is the state-of-the-art in the cultural anthropology of food. I will definitely be using it as a basic text in my food and culture class. The chapters include contributions by many of the best people working in this growing subfield, and they really show how much the field has changed in a relatively short period. It has a good balance of cultural analysis, political-economy and culture history. I plan to supplement it with Lien and Nerlich's "The Politics of Food" collection from Berg, which is more issues-oriented and has more on food safety, the politics of localism, and fast/slow conflicts.

Culture through the lens of food - and vice versa
This book is a collection of essays that were previously published in journals such as "Foreign Affairs" and "journal of consumer culture." The authors are anthropologists, political scientists, and historians among others. Most essays focus on one piece of food item, brand or food related issue (such as McDonalds, green beans, or Mad Cow disease) and examines this issue within the context of a country (such as China, Burkina Faso, or the U.K.) The essays are academically written, but highly readable and they give interesting and unique information about the country as well as the food issue in question within the context of the country. The overall theme of many of the essays seemed to be that food influences culture, and culture interprets food so that the influence is two-way. Some of the articles were fascinating to read. For example, I enjoyed learning about how McDonalds in China was accepted into the local culture, and how its meaning in China is significantly different from that in the USA. I liked learning about the functions served by Indo-Pak grocery stores in Indian communities, of how sushi became a well known product across the world, and how and why French chocolatiers opposed Belgian ones. The most interesting article to me was one about the reactions to genetically manipulated crop in the USA and Europe, and how these reactions affect those in developing countries in adverse ways. Even if I did not know anything about the country in question, the book gave sufficient background information about the country and the issue to make it interesting and exciting. While reading about one product or issue, I found that I learned a lot about the country and its people.

The essays differed in their approaches to the issues. I guess this reflected the backgrounds of authors (whether they were anthropologists or political scientists). For example, there were two articles about McDonalds in China where the writings mainly focused on how McDonalds was accepted and interpreted in China, without a discussion of any health implications of these changes. As someone who read Fast Food Nation, I was saddened by the seemingly unquestioned acceptance of junk food into foreign countries and was curious to know the most recent developments if any. This issue was more prominently discussed in essays written by political scientists. One author discussed the implications of fast food for Mexican diet, and rising health concerns traced to changes in diet, which I found interesting and important.

All in all, this is one very good book. I highly recommend it if you are interested in food, culture, or both. ... Read more

Product Description
An introductory cultural anthropology text, this book introduces basic concepts of cultural anthropology by comparing cultures of increasing scale and focusing on specific universal issues."Understanding how tribes, states, and global systems work and how they differ might help citizens design a more secure and equitable world," says Bodley; it is this advocacy position that informs the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Prompt Delivery and Good Product
I was Very pleased with the seller and will do business again if needed. Thank you ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

exellent service
The book was dilivered within a week, and it was on conditions that was decribe to me before I got the book.It was an exellent service. I would defenitly by onther book from this seller.

Perfect Transaction
The book was in perfect condition.I received it right away.I'm happy!

Book for class
I got my book in a reasonable amount of time and it was in good condition. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume 3 of the Cultures & Globalization series, Creativity and Innovations, explores the interactions between globalization and the forms of cultural expression that are their basic resource. Bringing together over 25 high-profile authors from around the world, this volume addresses such questions as: What impacts does globalization have on cultural creativity and innovation? How is the evolving world ‘map’ of creativity related to the drivers and patterns of globalization? What are the relationships between creative acts, clusters, genres or institutions and cultural diversity? ... Read more

Product Description

This new edition of the highly-acclaimed Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology provides a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. Combining anthropological theory and ethnography, it includes 275 substantial entries, over 300 short biographies of important figures in anthropology, and nearly 600 glossary items.

The new entries reflects the move into the centre of traditional subdisciplines like medical anthropology; recent work around issues of gender and sexuality; and anthropology’s new ethnographic engagement with central institutions of the modern world including finance and science. Anthropology is now a global discipline, so the second edition celebrates other traditions of anthropological work (Japanese anthropology, Latin American anthropology) as well as the complex processes of globalization itself.

Authoritative entries have been commissioned from among the world’s leading anthropologists. Alphabetically organized, the main entries contain clear, concise and provocative explanations of key anthropological themes and ideas, as well as surveys of the most important ethnographic regions and regional traditions of ethnographic research. Each major entry contains cross-references and a list further reading.

Areas covered include, among others:

• AIDS, ethics, violence, war
• Affect, emotions, the body
• Kinship, relatedness, the person, gender, the body
• Politics, nationalism and the state
• Cosmopolitanism, migration, race, transnationalism
• Art, language, aesthetics, film, text
• Relations with other disciplines
• History of anthropology and national traditions

Customer Reviews (3)

Do not buy the Kindle Edition
The Kindle edition of this encyclopedia does not have live links between the table of contents and the entries in the main text.Consequently it is impossible to look for an entry on a particular subject, which makes it rather useless as an encyclopedia.The publishers should figure out how to format digital content before trying to sell it.

Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology
I am studying anthropological courses in the university and bought the encyclopedia to help and guide me through the new terms I encountered. For these purposes I found this book extremely unhelpful. This is definitely not a book for students, those who start studying anthropology, but rather for those who already know a lot about the science.

For example, here is the definition of essentialism:

"Essentialism commonly appears as both a violation of anthropological relativism and one of the besetting conceptual sins of anthropology. Exemplified by such totalizing ideologies as nationalims and biological determinism, it is also frequently conflated with reification, objectivism and literalism". Etc.

For me in order to understand this definition, I need to read 3-4 page articles in the same encyclopedia about: relativism, biological determinism, objectivism, literalism. And even after that I don't think I will be able to understand what the authors wanted to say by this definition. And its the same almost about every other term or concept I was looking up.

Of course, if you are familiar with all these terms - it is easy, but then do you really need this encyclopedia.

A frustrating experience for me. This publication is collecting dust on a shelf now, and I turned to more popular publications, like "What is anthropology" (terms are explained in a much more accessible language), "Understanding social and cultural anthropology", etc. And... never underestimate wikipedia, the best for me as a student.

Would strongly not recommmend this book for students and whoever is starting to learn anthropology. Will advise it to my anthropology university professor with 20 years teaching experience, he may find it interesting.

Max

A loyal friend
This book is invaluable. Whatever be your interest in anthropology, this will serve as a comprehensive guide and jumping off point for all areas of the discipline.It is easy to follow, well-written and full of references for further reading.Although it is not suitable for in-depth study (as the title suggests, it is an encyclopedia), it is a fantastic aid for clarifying and summarizing a broad spectrum of topics. For students and the novice, this book is a gem, just don't rely on it to get you through your exams. ... Read more

Product Description

Using a cultural materialist approach, the seventh edition of Cultural Anthropology provides a framework for explaining how the parts of sociocultural systems are interrelated and how they change over time.

“Marvin Harris' lifelong commitment to a scientific anthropology shines through in this comprehensive and well-written textbook,” praises one reviewer.

Described as accessible, engaging, well-illustrated, and comprehensive, this text covers a wide range of Western and non-Western cultures for analysis and comparison. “Marvin Harris can continue to bring new insights to the field of anthropology and provide ways to inspire students new to this discipline,” writes a long-time user.

“Cultural Anthropology excels in making anthropology accessible and relevant to today's students. The authors succeed in showing not only what the current status of anthropology is but also the potential of anthropology to explain human culture in all of its diversity and magnificence,” writes another.

For the seventh edition, rReadings from Spradley/McCurdy, Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12/e have been integrated with wherever possible through emic and etic interpretations within the levels of infrastructure, structure and superstructure.  Chapter 9, “Descent, Locality, and Kinship,” has been rewritten to provide more streamlined coverage. Increased use of the universal pattern model through graphics and new content throughout each chapter. The universal pattern model is introduced in Chapter 2 and applied throughout the text to reinforce how differences in civilization impact infrastructure and adaptive patterns.

Enhanced problem-orientation in the new edition capitalizes on this growing trend through interim questions after each section in each chapter.

Customer Reviews (6)

Fast delivery
The seller was great and send the item in such record time! I was quite surprised. I was prepared for 2 weeks tops but it came in 3 days. The book was exactly in the condition described. Definetly will buy from this seller for future textbooks.

satisfied customer
I was very satisfied with my items condition which was brand new, better than what was advertised as. The delivery was very quick.

Cultural Anthropology
It was in great condition.No marks.And it shipped super fast.Thank you!

not so good
Cultural materialism, like that of the dialectical, or historical kind, is oversimplifying and has nothing to offer but the most hazy generalities.Yet that is what a modern university education in liberal arts has to offer.Having used this book in a course taken, I came away with a feeling of having learned very little and having been poisoned by much unnecessary cynicism.Ever since, I have never been able to so much as read the paper without some sense of embarrassment at being an American.Then when I would for once work as a temp in the warehouse for the company of this very website, I would see the assumptions of Marx contradicted right in front of my eyes.For as it appeared from casual conversations at breaktime, the workers having been forced by the dialectic of necessity to work long hours with their feet sore from bending, stooping, pushing carts did not wish to strike.Instead each thought, as it were, in terms of exchange of value for value, money, their careers, and climbing the corporate ladder of success, such bourgeois attitudes which even the Clintonians must appeal to in order to get votes, yet it would have disgusted Marx and Lenin would have denounced it as reformism.It is something I have wanted too, yet frustra.Then again, reading Thomas Sowell has recently given me a view of economics, and seemingly of anthropology, that is actually useful; for it has allowed me to feel like I am finally getting the well-rounded education I had missed in school.Thus I learn that the market, through the simple mechanism of price coordination as if by magic, takes care of all the gazillion emic and etic factors which the central planners couldn't possibly imagine, no matter how many fieldworkers they employ.Which must be a sore warning to all interferers and meddlers lest they should think to impose their biased values on the rest of us.

Good book
This was a good book. It sparked my interest in Anthropology and I learned so much from it. The author may be bias in some areas but that contributes to the learning experience. It helped me learn about other countries beliefs and customs. ... Read more

Product Description
The Anthropology of Development and Globalization is a collection of readings that provides an unprecedented overview of this field that ranges from the field’s classical origins to today’s debates about the “magic” of the free market.

Product Description
This Reader offers a remarkable overview of the field of law and anthropology: its development, present, and potential future courses.

• Edited by a preeminent anthropologist, lawyer, and pioneer in the study of law & anthropology.
  
• Brings together classics of political thought and key contemporary work from social scientists and lawyers.
  
• Explores historical issues and more contemporary ones such as illegal migration, human rights, gender discrimination, political corruption, and reparations for injustices committed by previous regimes.

Product Description
Explore cultural anthropology in an applied and fascinating way with Gary Ferraro's CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: AN APPLIED PERSPECTIVE. This contemporary and student-relevant text gives you all the key material you need for your introductory course, plus it will show you that anthropology is for you! With real world applications of the principles and practices of anthropology, this book will help you learn to appreciate other cultures as well as your own. Apply what you learn in this course to those situations that you are likely to encounter in your personal and professional life. What can you do with anthropology today? Check out the real-life examples of cross-cultural misunderstandings and issues (in our popular "Cross-Cultural Miscues" features) to view 'culture at work.' Also, the book takes a look at specialized vocabularies as illustrated by "chickspeak" (the language of single, urban, upwardly mobile women), the war in Iraq, environmental degradation, and other contemporary topics. ... Read more

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Excellent
This book is great for the course I am taking.The seller was excellent as well! ... Read more

Product Description
Written by Kottak, recent inductee to The National Academy of Sciences, this text for cultural anthropology emphasizes anthropology's integrated and comparative nature with "Bringing It All Together" essays that show how anthropology's sub-fields and dimensions combine to interpret and explain a common topic. Another distinctive feature, "Understanding Ourselves," illustrates the relevance of anthropological facts and theories to students' everyday lives. ... Read more

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Cultural Anthropology
Exactly what I needed for my online course.CD did not work; however, I only needed it for one part of an assignment.I got along fine without it.

Cultural Anthropology
Text book.Got in a very timely manner.Saved a lot by not buying in college bookstore.

Cultural anthropology
i have received the product, Cultural anthroloplogy book and i am very pleased with the results when i gt my book. it was overall delivered on time and in great condition. it even included the cd-rom. it was great ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the author's extensive fieldwork, this classic ethnography, now in its fifth edition, focuses on the Yanomamo. These truly remarkable South American people are one of the few primitive sovereign tribal societies left on earth. This new edition includes events and changes that have occurred since 1992, including a recent trip by the author to the Brazilian Yanomamo in 1995. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Just what I was expecting and more!!
This seller has done a great job!I appreciated the quick response when I had questions.Thank you so much!!!

The Fierce Nabas
Who says we can't learn anything from primitive peoples?Napolean Chagnon writes a book about the "fierce people," an Amazonian tribe that values violent passion above all, and low and behold -- the Nabas (Norte Americanos) all divide up into tribes and start shooting arrows (or is that errors?) at one another.Chagnon and his fellow "anthros" start wars to film people fight, engage in germ warfare, and don't care about the people they live among.The missionaries give shotguns away that are used for murder, practice cultural imperialism, and work for the CIA.(I believe Hugo Chavez himself pointed that out!)Some guy named Tierney is a dishonest scholar.(Apparently they got that one right, anyway!)

So pick your team, and grab a club.

Meanwhile, if you want a good book about a primitive tribe, both this and Spirit of the Rainforest make great reads, even though they come from opposing factions.Their portrayal of the Yanomamo is generally consistent and fascinating, in a sometimes horrifying way.Chagnon's is more detailed, a bit more objective (though he is certainly not afraid of voicing his opinions, and the personal style and details make the book so much more interesting than just an academic abstract on an Indian tribe).

I appreciated the detail Chagnon offers: the kinds of plants used for arrows, the size of villages, family relations -- though he offered a bit more of that than I wanted -- diet, dance, death, even a bit about "pets."

Spirit of the Rainforest is an even better read, and tells you a lot about the Yanomamo as well.My recommendation: read both.Chagnon didn't always stay in the same village, either.

Sometimes Chagnon touches on what for many may be the most interesting question.To what extent does the violent lifestyle of the Yanomamo reflect that of our own "common ancestors?"Is this what it was like for Cain and Abel?

I've been reading a very interesting, but more difficult book lately called Prehistory of the Americas, which helps answer some of these questions for me.It seems that the earliest tribes were, like the Yanomamo, small kinship groups -- even smaller, wandering bands, mostly living on big game. (mammoths, etc).Graves seem to suggest at times more equality between the sexes, and perhaps less violence, though I'm still a little unsure about that.

What is shocking is that settled peoples in the Americas seem to become, if anything, less attractive.Their diet goes south (food does not seem to be the problem for the Yanomamo), and then hierarchy develops, slavery, and human sacrifice, which seems to get worse as time goes by.Nor is Sumer much better.All of which is to say, I am coming in the process to appreciate our great prophets more -- Confucius, Lao Zi, Epictetus, Buddha, Isaiah, and Jesus -- and what they've done for the human race.Sometimes Chagnon, while recognizing how nasty life has been for the Yanomamo, seems to acquiesce in the nastiness, to display a kind of "zookeeper" mentality towards primitive tribes.He seems a bit conflicted over the issue.

My own feeling is that these two tribes of nabas, anthros and missionaries, can learn a lot from one another. Understanding a people should not, after all, conflict with helping them.Maybe the naba tribes should get together and have a feast.

Hmm
It had some highlighting in it which I didn't expect but at least I have the book for class now!

Great for my anthro. class
Great book for an introduction to the yanomamo. It was interesting and great for my anthropology class. Very helpul to understand the different culture.

Yanomami speak out against Chagnon's work
Although an interesting read, it would be so because it is filled with false information. Davi Kopenawa Yanomami claims not only did Chagnon misrepresent the Yanomamo, but also offered them gifts to fight among themselves so he could take pictures and record the sounds of the fight. In a 2001 interview with Janet Chernela he says the following: "To repeat, Chagnon is not a good friend of our relatives. He lived there, but he acted against other relatives. He had a lot of pans. I remember the pans....When he arrived at the village, and called everyone together, he said 'Whoever is the most courageous will earn more pans. If youkill ten more people I will pay more. If you kill only two, I will pay less.'... This isn't good. This kills. Children cried; fathers, mothers, cried. Only Chagnon was happy. Because in his book, he says we are fierce. We are garbage. The book says this; I saw it. I have the book. He earned a name there, WATUPARI. It means king vulture- that eats decaying meat. ... He ordered the Yanomami to fight. He never spoke about what he was doing.
The purpose of an ethnography is to document, not to fill in gaps to make something more interesting to read. ... Read more