Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology
by Robert H. Lavenda, Emily A. Schultz
8th Edition
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Book Details
| Print ISBN | 9780197756515 |
| eText ISBN | 9780197756522 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Publishing Year | 2024 |
| Edition | 8th Edition |
| Language | English |
Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, 8th Edition, is a book that provides a concise overview of fundamental ideas and methods in cultural anthropology. Rather than functioning as a conventional textbook, the volume serves as an annotated compilation of central terminology and frameworks.
Broad thematic areas include anthropological perspectives, the development of sociocultural theory from the nineteenth century to the present, and linguistic meaning-making. The discussion also surveys religious traditions, forms of social organization, political dynamics, and economic systems.
Designed for courses that incorporate ethnographies and supplementary readings, the text is structured to help students engage ethnographic studies with greater understanding. An appendix supports this preparation by outlining reading strategies, text components, and the interpretation of local terminology.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Anthropology
- • 1.1 An Anthropological Perspective
- • 1.2 The Subfields of Anthropology
- • 1.3 Is Anthropology a Science? Modernism, Postmodernism, and Beyond
- • 1.4 Reflexive Anthropology
- • 1.5 Moral Anthropology
Chapter 2: Theory in Sociocultural Anthropology?
- • 2.1 Anthropology as Science?
- • 2.2 Nineteenth-Century Approaches?
- • 2.3 Early Twentieth-Century Approaches?
- • 2.4 Mid-Twentieth-Century Approaches?
- • 2.5 Late Twentieth-Century Debates?
- • 2.6 New Directions in the Twenty-First Century?
Chapter 3: Culture?
- • 3.1 Culture Against Racism: The Early Twentieth Century?
- • 3.2 The Evolution of Culture?
- • 3.3 Culture and Symbolism?
- • 3.4 Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism?
- • 3.5 The Boundaries of Culture??
- • 3.6 The Concept of Culture in a Global World: Problems and Practices
- • 3.7 Culture: Contemporary Discussion and Debate
- • 3.8 Culture: A Contemporary Consensus?
Chapter 4: Meaning-Making and Language
- • 4.1 Making Meaning?
- • 4.2 Studying Language: A Historical Sketch
- • 4.3 The Building Blocks of Language
- • 4.4 Language and Culture
- • 4.5 Language and Society
- • 4.6 Discourse
- • 4.7 Language Contact and Change
- • 4.8 Meaning-Making and Art
- • 4.9 The Anthropology of Media and the Arts
Chapter 5: Worldview and Religion
- • 5.1 Religion
- • 5.2 Myth
- • 5.3 Ritual
- • 5.4 Magic and Witchcraft
- • 5.5 Religious Practitioners
- • 5.6 Change in Religious Systems
- • 5.7 Secularism, Fundamentalism, and New Religious Movements
Chapter 6: The Dimensions of Social Organization
- • 6.1 What Is Social Organization?
- • 6.2 Dimensions of Social Organization
- • 6.3 Caste and Class
- • 6.4 Race
- • 6.5 Ethnicity
Chapter 7: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
- • 7.1 Sex, Gender, and Feminism in the Twentieth Century
- • 7.2 Sex, Gender, Race, and Class
- • 7.3 Gender Performativity
- • 7.4 Theoretical Diversity in Studies of Sex and Gender
- • 7.5 Sex, Gender, and the Body
- • 7.6 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
- • 7.7 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Ethnographic Context
Chapter 8: Relatedness: Kinship, Marriage, Family, and Friendship
- • 8.1 Kinship Versus Biology
- • 8.2 Descent
- • 8.3 Bilateral Descent
- • 8.4 Unilineal Descent
- • 8.5 Kinship Terminologies
- • 8.6 What Is Marriage?
- • 8.7 Whom to Marry and Where to Live
- • 8.8 How Many Spouses?
- • 8.9 Marriage as Alliance
- • 8.10 Family
- • 8.11 Divorce
- • 8.12 Friendship
Chapter 9: Political Anthropology
- • 9.1 Power
- • 9.2 Political Ecology and Political Economy
- • 9.3 Disputes and Dispute Resolution
- • 9.4 Forms of Political Organization
- • 9.5 Social Stratification
- • 9.6 Forms of Political Activity
- • 9.7 Social Control and Law
- • 9.8 Nationalism and Hegemony
Chapter 10: Economic Anthropology
- • 10.1 The “Arts of Subsistence”
- • 10.2 Subsistence Strategies
- • 10.3 Explaining the Material Life Processes of Society
- • 10.4 Modes of Exchange
- • 10.5 Production, Distribution, and Consumption
- • 10.6 Mode of Production
- • 10.7 Peasants
- • 10.8 Consumption
- • 10.9 The Anthropology of Food and Nutrition
- • 10.10 Politics, Economics, and the Anthropology of Development
Chapter 11: Globalization
- • 11.1 The Cultural Legacy of Colonialism
- • 11.2 Analyzing Sociocultural Change in the Postcolonial World
- • 11.3 Globalization
- • 11.4 The Cultural Effects of Contact
- • 11.5 Globalization, Citizenship, and Human Rights
- • 11.6 New Global Institutions
Chapter 12: The Anthropology of Science, Technology, and Medicine
- • 12.1 Science and Anthropology
- • 12.2 Anthropology, Science, and Technology
- • 12.3 The Anthropology of Medicine
- • 12.4 Human Health in Evolutionary Context
- • 12.5 Human Health and Nutrition
- • 12.6 Health and Human Reproduction
- • 12.7 Sickness and Health in the Global Capitalist Economy
Chapter Appendix: Reading Ethnography
- • The Parts of an Ethnography
- • The Use of Indigenous and Local Terms
- • The Photographs
- • Why Are You Reading This Ethnography (and How Should You Read It)?
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