ABSTRACT

Appetites and Identities is a clear, inviting and fascinating introduction to the social anthropology of western Europe. It covers food, migration, politics, urban and country life, magic, religion, sex and language in an accessible and straightforward fashion, introducing the student to aspects of the anthropology of contemporary European culture from mussel farmers in the Netherlands to Basque chambermaids in Lourdes, and from unhappy bachelors in western Ireland to unwitchers in Portugal.
Avoiding the technical language of many anthropological textbooks, Appetites and Identities sets out the anthropological literature on the rich diversity of dialects, cultures and everyday lives of western European people, offering fascinating insights on how each region and community differs from its counterparts despite the notion of an integrated Europe. The book will stimulate curiosity about social anthropological investigation, and about life in Europe today.

chapter 1|18 pages

Travellers on a hill

Introduction to the social anthropology of western Europe

chapter 2|23 pages

The golden oranges

Food, appetites and identity

chapter 3|21 pages

The vines that trail

Farming and fishing in western Europe

chapter 4|21 pages

The trampled garden

Invasion, refugees, migrants and tourists

chapter 5|22 pages

The smokeless homes

Peripheral regions in western Europe

chapter 6|20 pages

Towns with towers: the city as symbol and the neighbourhood as home

The city as symbol and the neighbourhood as

chapter 7|21 pages

And with great lies

Politics, patronage and leadership

chapter 8|25 pages

Turned in prayer

Religion, magic, science and the supernatural

chapter 9|21 pages

The gossips of the town

Sex and gender in contemporary Europe

chapter 10|16 pages

All Babel tongues

Language and identity in Europe

chapter 11|1 pages

Ringed with a lake of fire

Conclusions