ABSTRACT

This concise, contemporary option for instructors of cultural anthropology breaks away from the traditional structure of introductory textbooks. Emphasizing the interaction between humans and their environment, the tension between human universals and cultural variation, and the impacts of colonialism on traditional cultures, Inside Cultures shows students how cultural anthropology can help us understand the complex, globalized world around us. This third edition:

  • contains brand new material on many subjects, including anthropological approaches to anti-racism social movements in the Global North during 2020;
  • includes findings in anthropological research regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, and its relation to other recent global events and conditions;
  • updates the organization and presentation of cultural universals and cultural variations;
  • presents updated and enhanced discussions of anthropological studies of humankind and the environment, with expanded analysis of industrial agriculture in the age of globalization;
  • includes more illustrations and updates to existing illustrations, sidebars, and guideposts throughout the volume;
  • is written in clear, supple prose that delights readers while informing on content of one of the important courses in a liberal arts education, one that effectively bridges humanities and the sciences.

 

chapter 1|26 pages

The Study of Us

chapter 2|27 pages

What Makes Us Human

chapter 3|27 pages

Cultural Variation

chapter 4|25 pages

Where Anthropology Comes From

chapter 5|24 pages

Contemporary Theory and Method

chapter 6|19 pages

Social Organisation in Kin-Based Societies

chapter 7|17 pages

Politics and Power

chapter 8|20 pages

Ecology, Landscape and Culture

chapter 9|17 pages

Colonialism and the World System

chapter 10|15 pages

Collapse and Change

chapter 11|21 pages

Applications of Cultural Anthropology

chapter 12|20 pages

Globalisation and Indigeneity

chapter |6 pages

Concluding Remarks