ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a succinct analysis of the main biological characteristics of the human species in comparison with other species of living organisms set within an overall evolutionary framework. It then explores what could be defined as the qualitative difference between the human species and the rest. The book looks at how anthropologists go about studying cultural meanings and what theories they have produced to explain those cultural meanings. It deals with one of the most controversial issues in the study of human behaviour and human cultural diversity. The book aims to identify broad theoretical arguments in each of those schools of thought that can pave the way for the integrative biocultural perspective. It summarizes the fundamental ideas developed throughout the text.
