However, two of the chapters have activities which give students the opportunity to hit the ground running as young anthropologists by not just reading about anthropology but by doing it. [73] Schuller argues that this failure constitutes a violation of the Haitian IDPs human rights, and it is linked to a long history of exploitative relations between Haiti and the rest of the world. This is a useful tool for those with a verbal/linguistic style of learning and I have found for newcomers to a particular subject. Bohannan, Paul and Laura Bohannan. In our lives, for example, we know that how we view political actors or statements may be shaped by our religious background, our racio-ethnic position, our economic class, our sexual orientation, etc. Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2012. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. They own their own land and they sell the fruits of their labor for guaranteed prices. Power is a concept that has been officially defined in the chapter, Political Anthropology, but used in every chapter to highlight its relevance in economic relations, matriarchal/patriarchal systems, and other aspects of cultural life. 4. And more than one style is used in the chapter bibliographies. Students can download individual chapters or the entire book or read the material directly online through a browser. They will be given opportunities to explore theories from a variety of perspectives, to conduct social science. It processed 243 million returns, and 119 million of these resulted in a tax refund. In many parts of this text that connection is also evident. However, there are some issues that the editors overlooked such as some references not cited correctly; some important terms are presented, but they are not defined/explained, and others. Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition by Nina Brown, Thomas McIlwraith, Laura Tubelle de Gonzlez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Nina Brown, Thomas McIlwraith, Laura Tubelle de Gonz lez 2020 American Anthropological Association 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1301. Bob Muckle, Capilano University They all live in a single camp and move together for part of the year. Friedrich Schneider, Andreas Buehn, and Claudio E. Montenegro, Shadow Economies from All Over the World: New Estimates for 162 Countries from 1999 to 2007,, Robyn Curnow and Teo Kermeliotis, Is Your Old T-Shirt Hurting African Economies?. My only quibble is that I hope in future iterations the authors will include more interviews with practitioners (as they did in section on "why anthropology is important" pp. When the earthquake struck, Haitis economy already revolved around international aid and foreign remittances sent by migrants (which represented approximately 25 percent of the gross domestic product). The chapters are organized in a way that the beginning highlights some of the development and foundation of each concept before diving deeper into case studies that are supposed to speak more to students. While these farmers are producing a product for the global market, it is not strictly a capitalist mode of production. I think perspectives does an excellent job of applying these concepts. [19] Mauss asked why humans feel obliged to reciprocate when they receive a gift. Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology), The Intimate University: Korean American Students and the Problems of Segregation, From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death. Mauss, Marcel. Culture and Sustainability: Environmental Anthropology in the Anthropocene, 16. I have used the textbook with large classes where students on the autism spectrum and those receiving learning and physical disabilities assistance have used it without noting any distracting features or images. I. Schuller argues that the NGOs constitute a form of trickle-down imperialism as they reproduce the world system. The 18 chapters cover major topics in Cultural Anthropology ranging from a very critical introduction by Laura Nader on what this discipline has historically been about, its It covers quite a lot of ground in terms of different cultures, social structures, etc. In addition, some of the hyperlinks (such as http://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/Endangered-Languages/Hear-Them-Spoken.html) are either broken or link to material which is no longer accessible (such as the McDonald's menu items hyperlinked on pg. [1] As humans, we all have the same basic needs, but understanding how and why we meet those needsin often shared but sometimes unique waysis what shapes the field of economic anthropology. Students in an introductory Anthropology course are often in the process of deciding if Anthropology is for them and being able to make life and career applications are important. However, as noted below, because of the ease in "remixing" these sections to suite individual course needs this does not pose a problem. Schuller argues that the world system continually applied pressure to Haiti, draining its resources and forcing it into the debt bondage that kept it from developing. Robert Borofsky advocates for anthropologys ability to empower people and facilitate good. It reflects our ideas about the generalized interchangeability of all thingsit makes products and services from all over the world commensurable in terms of a single metric. [1] His definition of culture is still used frequently today and remains the foundation to the culture concept in anthropology. We want all readers to be inspired by the intensely personal writings of the anthropologists who contribute to this volume. Jargon and technical terms are explained and each chapter has a list of keywords and definitions, which is very helpful. Each chapter includes its own glossary and bibliography. Both the overall structure of the book as well as the organization of each individual chapter makes this book relevant, up-to-date and easily modifiable. In the process, I make myself easily identifiable within the larger fan community. In contrast, anthropology is a largely descriptive social science; we analyze what people actually do and why they do it. Thomas Mcllwraith is a cultural anthropologist conducting research with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, Canada. The trajectory/story arc makes logical sense, so I would say this is well designed. This is an incomplete definition. [45] Finally, the Ithaca HOURS complementary currency system encourages community members to shop at locally owned businesses. This textbook is free of all such problematic and exotifying images of "other" cultures, which really helps students see the universality of the discussions on spiritual well-being, non-industrial food production, non-Christian beliefs and gendered subjectivities, to name a few. Doing Fieldwork: Methods in Cultural Anthropology, 7. Since the early 1990s the group has produced high-quality organic and fair-trade certified coffee for the U.S. market. Each individual essay is the work of an anthropologist with expertise in that specific area, so that each chapter is mostly comprehensive in its own terms. In my classes, students have commented that even though I don't cover all of them in class, they get a good picture of a lot of different ideas of what anthropology can be from the case studies from around the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa an estimated 50 percent of purchased clothing consists of these secondhand imports, referred to by some consumers as dead mans clothes because of the belief that they come from the deceased. I would also like to see the integration of media be consistent in all chapters. [68] Haiti suffers from widespread unemployment and underemployment, and more than two-thirds of people in the labor force do not have formal jobs. Subsistence 6. Foraging societies are also characterized by (1) the collective ownership of the primary means of production, (2) lower rates of social domination, and (3) sharing. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014. Terms are explained well in the text and also defined in a glossary at the end of each chapter. The nature of the examples and commentary in some cases make the chapters less than ideal in my view. Lin Bentley Keeling, El Paso Community College The text as a whole is very comprehensive, as are the individual chapters. A Kula ring involves the ceremonial exchange of shell and bead necklaces (soulava) for shell arm bands (mwali) between trading partners living on different islands. The Tiv were able to convert their wealth upwards through the spheres of exchange. In the PDF version of the text some of the pages have large gaps between text and images but this problem does not occur when reading online. Other language usage hinders the texts longevity as well. The review was done on the PDF version of the book, which is my preferred reading format for students and myself. Only 50 percent of households have access to safe water, and only 25 percent have adequate sanitation. Family_and_Marriage. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1988. Under this CC BY-NC 4.0 copyright license you are free to: I enjoy reading the perspective from different authors! This successfully expands the range of individuals with whom products of labor, such as meat from a kill, must be shared. A key strength of this source is its comprehensive coverage of the key concepts found in Cultural Anthropology. 3. I had a very difficult time reading the Public Anthropology chapter. Section headings are also in line with the conversational pattern of the prose and key terms are dispersed at adequate intervals to allow for easy cognitive processing. In that sense social groups base their identity on imagined common roots and descent. Seeing Like an Anthropologist: Anthropology in Practice. Content coverage is mostly our basic content found in all anthropology texts. Thus, power can be a keyword repeated in individual chapter glossary, but with an emphasis on labor relations in one chapter and on racism in another. Part 1 1. to my young niece. How many of us give and receive gifts during the holiday season? And in Ch. Indeed, as Katie Nelson reminds us, anthropology exposes the familiarity in theideas and practices of others that seem bizarre. We also appreciate the assistance of Janine Chiappa McKenna, Director of Publishing for the American Anthropological Association, who helped us develop this book as an open access publishing project. In our complicated world of increasing migration, nationalism, and climate challenges,cultural diversity might actually be the source of conflict resolution and new approaches to ensuringa healthier world. For example, the Dobe Ju/hoansi (also known as the !Kung), a society of approximately 45,000 people living in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana and Namibia, typically live in small groups consisting of siblings of both sexes, their spouses, and children. They are constructs I would not use in an Introduction to Cultural/Social Anthropology courses. The Culture Concept 3. Although the individual glossaries in the individual chapters in Part One allow for the chapters to be used independently, this leads to much duplication. In other words, catch and price are inversely related: when the catch is lowest, the price is highest, and when the catch is highest, the price is lowest. Yet amidst this great diversity there are also universals. Finally, although ownership of the arm bands and necklaces was always temporary (for eventually participants are expected to gift the items to other partners in the ring), Kula participants took great pride and pleasure in the items they received. Other vital infrastructure, such as hospitals, communication systems, and roads, was also damaged, making it harder to respond to immediate needs after the quake.[71]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Redistribution can occur alongside other forms of exchange. Seeing Like an Anthropologist: Anthropology in Practice. This creates a lot of flexibility in which chapters can be assigned to students. The chapter on gender in particular struck me as quite long perhaps finding a way to create two chapters would have been helpful. Balanced reciprocity generally occurs at a social level more distant than the family, but it usually occurs among people who know each other. The learning objectives, glossaries, discussion questions, video and hyperlink call-outs, and special text boxes, all contribute to a smooth consistency throughout. I really appreciate the inclusion of case studies with very interesting and current perspective. Doing Fieldwork: Methods in Cultural Anthropology, 7. Structural violence can include things like infectious disease, hunger, and violence (torture, rape, crime, etc.). In the Chinese imperial system, rulers not only demanded tribute in the form of material goods but also organized large-scale production and state-organized projects such as irrigation, roads, and flood control. From other reviews on the book (on this website), people noted that some of these video links don't work. It is written in a non-didactic way and encourages critical thinking quite naturally and seamlessly. Edition: 2nd Edition ed. The discussion in the political anthropology chapter about ISIS and the formation of state is fascinating. Helpful instructor resources are provided on the website. The text and each chapter is very well organized and extremely consistent in its layout. 308). Anthropologists have identified forms of structural inequality in countless places around the world. Students that are asked to read several of the chapters in Part One may struggle to understand the concept of "culture," given multiple definitions encountered. Lets face it: Christmas is a lot of work! Each chapter includes a glossary and bibliography. First, like the construct of race, intersex is a social construct, and reflects multiple elements. N/A. This is a bit dangerous in my view given that many students in introductory courses may be skeptical of anthropology's validity. His work includes an effort to understand the attitudes and biases that underpin consulting anthropology projects such as traditional land use and occupancy studies. read more. Because the authors are different, students are exposed to a variety of approaches. I think the text does a great job of outlining material that needs to be covered in a way that is appropriate and clear. Together, they form an all-encompassing, integrated whole that binds people together and shapes their worldview and lifeways (p.17). We start with Laura Nader's observation that cultural differences need not be seenas a problem. Andrew Walsh, University of Western Ontario, Stacy Dreyer, Natalie Karst, and Janet Keller, copyeditors The currency has been in circulation since 1991, and the system was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1998. Similarly, at Halloween we give out handfuls of candy (sometimes spending $50 or more in the process). It provides a foundation of early/classic anthropological readings for any student so inclined to delve a bit deeper than the textbook. Use social media to ask us questions or to send us commentsthe details are below. Finally, the third, most prestigious sphere was limited to marriageable females. That said, I work to balance that with the awareness that many students find it easy to dismiss the findings and perspectives of the discipline as simply "liberal opinion." 3. Media Anthropology: Meaning, Embodiment, Infrastructure, and Activism, 18. Anthropologists have identified three distinct types of reciprocity, which we will explore shortly: generalized, balanced, and negative. The text covers all areas appropriately and in depth. (December 20, 2019) Language: English 510 pages ISBN-10: 1931303673 ISBN-13: 978-1931303675 We are delighted to bring to you this novel textbook, a collection of chapters on the . Economic anthropologists are also interested in why objects become status symbols and how these come to be experienced as an aspect of the self. The use of multiple authors makes it unavoidable that as a whole it is not as consistent as a book by a single author would be, but again, the consistency is very good given that fact. We believe strongly in the importance of learning about cultural diversity and we assert that the ideas and skills of anthropologists can inform work in any career. The text opens with teaser questions on the topic followed by personal anecdotes and experiences from the field, such as the author's reflection on people's perceptions of their racial and ethnic heritage in school based on appearance in the chapter, Race and Ethnicity, to begin a discussion on the social construction of race, which ease the reader into deconstructing the concepts that will be covered. The authors&#x27 . New York: W. W. Norton, 1978[1852]. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. [6] Despite this exception, the Chinese imperial system exhibits many hallmarks of the tributary mode of production, including the political control of production and the collection of tribute to support state projects and the ruling classes. Chapter 4 (Language) incorporates the Try This activities and Chapter 10 (Gender & Sexuality) has a list of Activities to choose from at the end of the chapter. This focus on power and structural relations parallels an anthropological understanding of culture as a holistic system: economic relations never exist by themselves, apart from social and political institutions. The chapters layout on, Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, indeed reproduces what you will expected in a printed version. This site allowed me to access and download each chapter individually. ISBN-13: 978-1-931303-67-5: Barcode: I find that the text gives a good foundation for students that instructors can easily supplement with other materials to get main points across. Religion 12. I cannot wait to use parts of this book in many of my classes. Yet, their mothers resisted their pleas and continued to feed them grains from their own fields because barley consumption was considered a core component of indigenous identity. I find that sometimes the extra content or some random sentences in the text need to be updated with their editing, but nothing egregious or anything that students would have trouble understanding due to grammatical structures. While this is an invaluable skill later in college and particularly graduate school, I would not encourage my freshman or sophomore students to engage in this practice with an introductory textbook. One of the major strengths of this textbook is the writing style. The incorporation of links to videos and other readings is very useful. Because the authors are different, students are exposed to a variety of approaches. . For instance, in the chapter on Gender and Sexuality, the authors actually bring in an example about gendered language and stereotypes brought up during the 2016 United States Presidential Election, demonstrating how our biases/understandings of gender and use of gendered language can be seen in our everyday interactions and EVEN within politics--while many of us may be able to acknowledge that, many of my students have been surprised to see how these everyday situations can show enculturated understandings of the concepts we learn about in class. For example: Ch. The assertion that culture is an all-encompassing, integrated whole or an integrated system of mental elements are not constructs that I have heard at the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) for a good number of years. This means attending receptions when buyers visit, dressing up in traditional clothing to pick coffee on film for marketing materials, and putting up with questions from nosy anthropologists. Very few times I have come across a more comprehensive textbook. View cart for details. Political Anthropology: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, 14. [48] For example, consumption helps us establish and defend differences among people and occasions: I might wear a specific t-shirt and cap to a baseball game with friends in order to distinguish myself as a fan of a particular team. Similarly, in order to legally be sold as Darjeeling tea, the tea leaves must come from the Darjeeling district of the Indian state of West Bengal. 325-326 need to be updated. Part 2 13. The transactors are embedded in networks of social relations and might even have knowledge of the others personality, family, or personal circumstances that helps them trust that the exchange will be satisfactory. Additionally, songs, customs, and cultural influences also traveled along the Kula route. While As we have seen throughout this chapter, people simultaneously participate in both market and reciprocal exchanges on a regular basis. [17] Finally, redistribution occurs when an authority of some type (a temple priest, a chief, or even an institution such as the Internal Revenue Service) collects economic contributions from all community members and then redistributes these back in the form of goods and services. The HOURS system demonstrates a relatively successful approach to challenging the inequalities fostered by general purpose money. The only grammatical error I encountered is found on p. 355: are are. [24] How and why has this one date in the liturgical calendar come to be so central to U.S. culture and what does gift giving have to do with it? The book is accurate on its representation of the multiplicity of approaches the discipline is known for. Chuck Ellenbaum, College of DuPage As instructors, we want to help you easily share anthropological knowledge and understanding.

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