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
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Page 239
... theory . Evolutionary materialism is primarily a synthesis of cultural materialism and world - systems theory , whereas Darwinian conflict theory builds on this synthesis by incorporating a perspective on human behavior informed by ...
... theory . Evolutionary materialism is primarily a synthesis of cultural materialism and world - systems theory , whereas Darwinian conflict theory builds on this synthesis by incorporating a perspective on human behavior informed by ...
Page 249
... theory and cultural materialism is more me- chanical juxtaposition than synthesis because he typically does not use elements of cultural materialism and world - systems theory at the same time . It is true that he employs cultural ...
... theory and cultural materialism is more me- chanical juxtaposition than synthesis because he typically does not use elements of cultural materialism and world - systems theory at the same time . It is true that he employs cultural ...
Page 251
... theory with evolutionary theory improves theories that a priori avoid reference to human biology . The example I will discuss is Sanderson's theory of human fertility decline in the modern world . I argue that , while Sanderson's theory ...
... theory with evolutionary theory improves theories that a priori avoid reference to human biology . The example I will discuss is Sanderson's theory of human fertility decline in the modern world . I argue that , while Sanderson's theory ...
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