Introducing Anthropology - What Makes Us Human? - What Makes Us Human?

The perfect starting point for any student new to this fascinating subject, offering a serious yet accessible introduction to anthropology.
 
Across a series of fourteen chapters, Introducing Anthropology addresses the different fields and approaches within anthropology, covers an extensive range of themes and emphasizes the active role and promise of anthropology in the world today. The new edition foregrounds in particular the need for anthropology in understanding and addressing today's environmental crisis, as well as the exciting developments of digital anthropology.
 
This book has been designed by two authors with a passion for teaching and a commitment to communicating the excitement of anthropology to newcomers. Each chapter includes clear explanations of classic and contemporary anthropological research and connects anthropological theories to real-life issues at the local and global levels. The vibrancy and importance of anthropology is a core focus of the book, with numerous interviews with key anthropologists about their work and the discipline as a whole, and plenty of ethnographic studies to consider and use as inspiration for readers' own personal investigations. A clear glossary, a range of activities and discussion points, and carefully selected further reading and suggested ethnographic films further support and extend students' learning.
 
Introducing Anthropology aims to inspire and enthuse a new generation of anthropologists. It is suitable for a range of different readers, from students studying the subject at school-level to university students looking for a clear and engaging entry point into anthropology.

List of contents

Preface Who is This Book For?
What Makes Us Human?
Culture: Universality and Diversity
Ethnographic Research
How to Use This Book
Acknowledgements
1 What Makes Us Human?
Key issues and debates
How Did Humans Evolve?
Cultural Evolution
How Do Humans Vary? The Concept of Race and a Critique of the Concept
Conclusion
2 Research Methods
Key issues and debates
Ethnography
Digital Anthropology
Conclusion
3 The Body
Key issues and debates
Body Modifications and Decorations
Body Types
Anthropological Theories of the Body
Symbolic Classification and the Body: The Body and Society
Conclusion
4 Ways of Thinking and Communicating
Key issues and debates
Classification
Explaining Events
Language
Nonverbal Communication
Human Communication before Writing: Oral Traditions
How Are Modern Technologies Affecting Communication?
Conclusion
5 Social Relations
Key issues and debates
Social Class, Caste, Gender, Age
Kinship
Marriage Patterns
Kinship Relationships with Nonhuman Species and Objects
The Effect of Technological Advances on Definitions of Kinship
Using Objects to Express Social Relations.
The Spread of Capitalism
Conclusion
6 Engaging with Nature
Key issues and debates
Cultural Practices in Relation to the Environment
The Nature versus Culture Debate
The Relationship between Humans and Animals
Anthropology and Climate Crisis
Conclusion
7 Personhood
Key issues and debates
Development of the Western Philosophical Concept of Personhood
Examples of Concepts of Personhood
How is Personhood Expressed and Understood by Anthropologists?
Personhood and Boundaries.
Conclusion
8 Identity
Key issues and debates
How Do Anthropologists Understand Identification?
Social Memory: 'Folk' Memory-Making
Language
Music
Shaping Group Identities
Conclusion
9 Ritual
Key issues and debates
Types of Ritual
Functions of Rituals
Anthropological Approaches to Ritual
Political Rituals
Rites of Passage
Conclusion
10 Gender
Key issues and debates
Gender and Biology
Feminism
Queer Theory
Gender, Relationships and Power
Alternative Gender Identities
Conclusion
11 Boundaries
Key issues and debates
Boundaries and Bodies
Boundaries between Ethnic Groups
Boundaries between Humans and Cyborgs
Conclusion
12 Globalization
Key issues and debates
The History of Globalization
How Do Anthropologists Study Globalization?
Anthropology of Tourism
The Impact of Globalization
Creolization
Does Globalization Lead to Homogeneity?
Globalization and Migration
Consequences of the Global Economy
Local and Global Impacts of Globalization
Conclusion
13 The Role of Material Culture
Key issues and debates
What Is Material Culture?
Archaeology, Anthropology and the Role of Material Culture
Are Digital Objects Material?
Aesthetics: The Culturally Constructed Nature of Beauty
How Do Material Objects Symbolize Relationships?
Theories of Material Culture
Material Objects Used to Communicate and Negotiate Identity
The Representation of Material Culture
Conclusion
14 Applied Anthropology
Key issues and debates
What is Applied Anthropology?
Advocacy in Anthropology
Applied Anthropology and Public Health
Ethics and Applied Anthropology
The American Anthropological Association
Examples of Applied Anthropology
Anthropologists' Testimonies and Case Studies
Conclusion
Key Terms
References
Ethnographic Films
Websites
Index

About the author

Laura Pountney delivers teaching training for secondary education and is the author of a number of anthropology and sociology textbooks. She teaches at Colchester Sixth Form College

Tomislav Mari¿ is Assistant Head Teacher at Bentley Wood High School

Summary

The perfect starting point for any student new to this fascinating subject, offering a serious yet accessible introduction to anthropology.

Across a series of fourteen chapters, Introducing Anthropology addresses the different fields and approaches within anthropology, covers an extensive range of themes and emphasizes the active role and promise of anthropology in the world today. The new edition foregrounds in particular the need for anthropology in understanding and addressing today's environmental crisis, as well as the exciting developments of digital anthropology.

This book has been designed by two authors with a passion for teaching and a commitment to communicating the excitement of anthropology to newcomers. Each chapter includes clear explanations of classic and contemporary anthropological research and connects anthropological theories to real-life issues at the local and global levels. The vibrancy and importance of anthropology is a core focus of the book, with numerous interviews with key anthropologists about their work and the discipline as a whole, and plenty of ethnographic studies to consider and use as inspiration for readers' own personal investigations. A clear glossary, a range of activities and discussion points, and carefully selected further reading and suggested ethnographic films further support and extend students' learning.

Introducing Anthropology aims to inspire and enthuse a new generation of anthropologists. It is suitable for a range of different readers, from students studying the subject at school-level to university students looking for a clear and engaging entry point into anthropology.

Report

This new edition of Introducing Anthropology updates a formidable and thought-provoking inquiry into what makes us human, and highlights how students can knowledgeably take part in important but sometimes difficult conversations that help shape a more just and sustainable world.
Edward Liebow, Executive Director, American Anthropological Association
 
"A classroom text written by teachers for teachers. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
David Shankland, Director, Royal Anthropological Institute
 
"Now, more than ever, we need to gain an empathetic understanding of the peoples with whom we share our planet. This makes anthropology essential to basic education. Fortunately, this book provides an excellent introduction to the subject replete with fascinating illustrations and insights that convey just how absorbing and interesting this task can be. It is one of those books one immediately wishes everyone would read."
Daniel Miller, University College London
 
PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION
 
"A lively and comprehensive introduction to a broad range of anthropological themes, peppered with ethnographic examples showcasing the diversity of human lives and societies, this book fills a gap and not only reveals the knowledge contributions of anthropology but also gives a hint of its magic."
Thomas Hylland Eriksen, University of Oslo
 
"A thorough introduction to anthropology which is as engaging as it is informative. A must-read for all students starting in the subject, as well as an excellent book for those who simply want to know more about the subject matter and methods of anthropology."
Dave Latham, Birmingham Metropolitan College

Product details

• Authors: Tomislav Maric, Tomislav Marić, Pountney, Laur Pountney, Laura Pountney, Laura Maric Pountney, Pountney Laura
• Publisher: Polity Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2021
• EAN: 9781509544141
• ISBN: 978-1-5095-4414-1
• No. of pages: 368
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Pre and early history, antiquity; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Anthropologie, Mensch, Anthropology, Social & cultural anthropology, Soziale u. kulturelle Anthropologie, Allg. Anthropologie, Anthropological Theory & Methods/Ethnography, Anthropologie / Theorie u. Methoden, Ethnographie