Studying Societies and Cultures: Marvin Harris's Cultural Materialism and Its LegacyLawrence A. Kuznar, Stephen K. Sanderson "A thought-provoking, stimulating volume on the past, present and future of cultural materialism that is both laudatory of Harris' research strategy and critical of it." Paul Shankman, University of Colorado One of the most important anthropologists of all time, Marvin Harris was influential worldwide as the founder of cultural materialism. This book accessibly analyzes Harris's theories and their important legacies today. The chapters explore cultural materialism's epistemology and its relation to rational choice theory, Darwinian social science, and population pressures. The authors assess recent attempts to extend and reformulate cultural materialism and highlight cross-cultural, archaeological, and ethnographic applications of cultural materialism today. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 54
Page 100
... empirical realities . Thoughts , religious beliefs , kinship systems , and the other elements associated with culture may be abstractions but they are material and empirically analyzable ( Harris , 1999b : 52–54 ) . 3. Cultural ...
... empirical realities . Thoughts , religious beliefs , kinship systems , and the other elements associated with culture may be abstractions but they are material and empirically analyzable ( Harris , 1999b : 52–54 ) . 3. Cultural ...
Page 251
... empirical testing . Harris often resisted the incorpo- ration of biological variables into theories explaining human behavior in the interest of parsimony . In fact , he identifies emphasis on parsimony in the hypothesizing of panhuman ...
... empirical testing . Harris often resisted the incorpo- ration of biological variables into theories explaining human behavior in the interest of parsimony . In fact , he identifies emphasis on parsimony in the hypothesizing of panhuman ...
Page 252
... empirical test . Hillard Kaplan ( 1994 ) tested the theory that high fertility societies had children because of their eco- nomic value . Instead of being net economic producers , Kaplan showed that children remained costly even under ...
... empirical test . Hillard Kaplan ( 1994 ) tested the theory that high fertility societies had children because of their eco- nomic value . Instead of being net economic producers , Kaplan showed that children remained costly even under ...
Contents
A Bibliometric Analysis | 20 |
The Theoretical Legacies of Cultural Materialism | 56 |
Cultural Materialism Rational Choice and the Problem | 78 |
Copyright | |
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American analysis anthropology approach argues argument authors behavior believe biological called capitalism causal causes century Chapter chiefdoms chiefs Citation cited communities complex critical cultural materialism cultural materialist Current Darwinian determinism developed distinction ecology economic effects Ember empirical environment evidence evolution evolutionary example existence explain fact factors Figure forces groups Harris's History human ideas important increase individuals infrastructural interest islands Journal knowledge languages linguistic major male Marvin Harris Marxism materialist means nature noted organization origins particular patterns period perspective political population present Press pressure principles problem production rational reference reproductive result Review Sanderson scientific seems selection significant similar social societies sociocultural status structure subjects success suggest theoretical theory understanding University variables warfare wealth writing York