Small Places, Large Issues - Second Edition: An Introduction to Social and Cultural AnthropologyRanging from the Pacific islands to the Arctic north and from small villages to modern nation states, this concise introduction to social and cultural anthropology reveals the rich global variation in social life and culture. The text also provides a clear overview of anthropology, focusing on central topics such as kinship, ethnicity, ritual and political systems, offering a wealth of examples that demonstrate the enormous scope of anthropology and the importance of a comparative perspective. Unlike previous texts on the subject, Small Places, Large Issues broadens the study to incorporate the anthropology of complex modern societies, thus providing a unique key text for all students of social and cultural anthropology. Using reviews of key monographs to illustrate his argument, Eriksen's lucid and accessible text remains an established introductory text in anthropology. This new edition is updated throughout and includes a new chapter on the history of anthropology. It also shows clearly and comprehensively, through numerous new examples, why classic studies of small-scale societies are relevant for the study of complex phenomena such as nationalism, consumption and the Internet. In this way, the book bridges an often perceived gap between "classic" and "contemporary" anthropology. |
Contents
Comparison and Context | 1 |
A Brief History of Anthropology | 9 |
Fieldwork and its Interpretation | 24 |
Copyright | |
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actors African analysis anthro argues aspects Azande become biological capitalist caste Chapter clan classification complex concept conflict context create cultural relativism cultural variation defined described developed distinction division of labour Dogon E.E. Evans-Pritchard economic emphasises ethnic groups ethnographic European Evans-Pritchard example exchange exist fieldwork Fredrik Barth Fulani function Geertz gender global gumsa Hindu household human identity ideology important Indian individual institutions integrated Kachin Kaguru kin group kind kinship knowledge language Lévi-Strauss lineage live Malinowski marriage Mauss Mbuti means Merina migration modern societies nationalism nature nevertheless Ningerum norms Nuer one's patrilineal persons perspective political population principle problems production regarded relationship relatives religion rites ritual role Sahlins seen sense social and cultural social anthropology social organisation social system statuses structural-functionalism structure symbolic theory traditional Trobriand Trobriand Islands universal village wagework witchcraft women Yanomamö