Principles of Subjective Anthropology

Principles of Subjective Anthropology
Author: Binggong Chen
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 488
Release: 2023-03-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9811988838

This book puts forward the concept of “subjective anthropology” and outlines a theoretical system that will allow subjective anthropology to qualify as a new academic discipline in its own right. In an effort to respond to the field’s proper role as the science of humanity, subjective analysis has been introduced into the study of anthropology. The book fills two distinct gaps in our knowledge and understanding of modern man, offering detailed descriptions of personality and of groups, while also advancing the theory of “structure and choice.” The book formulates seven basic principles of subjective anthropology and divides anthropology into three major branches: subjective anthropology, cultural anthropology, and biological (or physical) anthropology, which can be further divided into sub-branches. The book pursues three key goals: advancing and developing the theoretical system of subjective anthropology, reconstructing the discipline of anthropology, and establishing a Chinese anthropology with Chinese characteristics, Chinese visions, and Chinese styles.

Science, Reason, and Anthropology

Science, Reason, and Anthropology
Author: James Lett
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2000-01-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0585080569

For courses on anthropological theory, history, and methods... Science, Reason, and Anthropology explores the philosophical foundations of anthropology and identifies the fundamental principles of rational inquiry upon which all sound anthropological knowledge is based. As a field guide to critical thinking, with examples throughout, it is devoted to a thorough explication and analysis of the nature of reason and the practice of anthropological inquiry. Chapter one reviews the historical context of the contemporary debate between scientific and humanistic perspectives in anthropology, highlighting essential differences between the two approaches. Chapter two examines the nature of knowledge and explains the essential elements of epistemological analysis. Chapter three describes the basic features of the scientific method; it defines science as an objective, logical, and systematic approach to propositional knowledge, and explains each feature in detail. Chapter four applies the fundamental principles of critical thinking to an analysis of contemporary anthropological theory. Chapter five suggests a reconciliation between the scientific and humanistic approaches, arguing that the essential elements of sound reasoning are common to both perspectives. Science, Reason, and Anthropology argues forcefully for the preeminent value of the scientific approach in anthropology, but it does so while recognizing the inherent worth and innate appeal of the humanistic perspective. Even those who are not predisposed to share the author's conclusions will appreciate the clear and forthright manner with which he presents his arguments.

Anthropology in Theory

Anthropology in Theory
Author: Henrietta L. Moore
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 629
Release: 2014-01-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0470673354

This second edition of the widely praised Anthropology in Theory: Issues in Epistemology, features a variety of updates, revisions, and new readings in its comprehensive presentation of issues in the history of anthropological theory and epistemology over the past century. Provides a comprehensive selection of 60 readings and an insightful overview of the evolution of anthropological theory Revised and updated to reflect an on-going strength and diversity of the discipline in recent years, with new readings pointing to innovative directions in the development of anthropological research Identifies crucial concepts that reflect the practice of engaging with theory, particular ways of thinking, analyzing and reflecting that are unique to anthropology Includes excerpts of seminal anthropological works, key classic and contemporary debates in the discipline, and cutting-edge new theorizing Reveals broader debates in the social sciences, including the relationship between society and culture; language and cultural meanings; structure and agency; identities and technologies; subjectivities and trans-locality; and meta-theory, ontology and epistemology

An Introduction to Theory in Anthropology

An Introduction to Theory in Anthropology
Author: Robert Layton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 258
Release: 1997
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780521629829

In this innovative introduction, Robert Layton reviews the ideas that have inspired anthropologists in their studies of societies around the world. An Introduction to Theory in Anthropology provides a clear and concise analysis of the theories, and traces the way in which they have been translated into anthropological debates. The opening chapter sets out the classical theoretical issues formulated by Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and Durkheim. Successive chapters discuss Functionalism, Structuralism, Interactionist theories, and Marxist anthropology, while the final chapters address the competing paradigms of Socioecology and Postmodernism. Using detailed case studies, Professor Layton illustrates the way in which various theoretical perspectives have shaped competing, or complementary, accounts of specific human societies.

Theory Can Be More than It Used to Be

Theory Can Be More than It Used to Be
Author: Dominic Boyer
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2015-12-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1501700898

Within anthropology, as elsewhere in the human sciences, there is a tendency to divide knowledge making into two separate poles: conceptual (theory) vs. empirical (ethnography). In Theory Can Be More than It Used to Be, Dominic Boyer, James D. Faubion, and George E. Marcus argue that we need to take a step back from the assumption that we know what theory is to investigate how theory—a matter of concepts, of analytic practice, of medium of value, of professional ideology—operates in anthropology and related fields today. They have assembled a distinguished group of scholars to diagnose the state of the theory-ethnography divide in anthropology today and to explore alternative modes of analytical and pedagogical practice. Continuing the methodological insights provided in Fieldwork Is Not What It Used to Be, the contributors to this volume find that now is an optimal time to reflect on the status of theory in relation to ethnographic research in anthropology and kindred disciplines. Together they engage with questions such as, What passes for theory in anthropology and the human sciences today and why? What is theory’s relation to ethnography? How are students trained to identify and respect anthropological theorization and how do they practice theoretical work in their later career stages? What theoretical experiments, languages, and institutions are available to the human sciences? Throughout, the editors and authors consider theory in practical terms, rather than as an amorphous set of ideas, an esoteric discourse of power, a norm of intellectual life, or an infinitely contestable canon of texts. A short editorial afterword explores alternative ethics and institutions of pedagogy and training in theory.

Theory in Anthropology

Theory in Anthropology
Author: Robert A. Manners
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 917
Release: 2013-11-05
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1136550127

This is VII in a series of ten volumes on the Theory in Anthropology. Originally published in 1968, this is a sourcebook that was created by the authors’ need for making accessible in a single volume a sample of those important pieces which are presently scattered in numerous publications, some of which are difficult for the student to obtain. Our second reason had to do with certain convictions they hold about the aims and methods of anthropology.

The Unity of Theory and Practice in Anthropology

The Unity of Theory and Practice in Anthropology
Author:
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2009-04-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1444306944

NAPA Bulletin is a peer reviewed occasional publication of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, dedicated to the practical problem-solving and policy applications of anthropological knowledge and methods. peer reviewed publication of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology dedicated to the practical problem-solving and policy applications of anthropological knowledge and methods most editions available for course adoption

Experiments in Holism

Experiments in Holism
Author: Ton Otto
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2011-08-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1444351850

Experiments in Holism Experiments in Holism: Theory and Practice in Contemporary Anthropology presents a series of essays that critically examine the ongoing relevance of holism and its theoretical and methodological potential in today’s world. Contributions from a diverse collection of leading anthropologists reveal how recent critiques of the holistic approach have not led to its wholesale rejection, but rather to a panoply of experiments that critically reassess and reemploy holism. The essays focus on aspects of holism including its utilization in current ethnographic research, holistic considerations in cultural anthropology, the French structuralist tradition, the predominantly English tradition of social anthropology, and many others. Collectively, the essays show how holism is simultaneously central to, and problematically a part of, the theory and practice of anthropology. Experiments in Holism reveals how contemporary attempts to rescale and retool anthropology entail new ways of coming to terms with anthropology’s heritage of holism, seeking to obviate its current excesses while recapturing its critical potential to meet the challenges of our contemporary world.

Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology

Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology
Author: R. Jon McGee
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 1053
Release: 2013-08-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1452276307

Social and cultural anthropology and archaeology are rich subjects with deep connections in the social and physical sciences. Over the past 150 years, the subject matter and different theoretical perspectives have expanded so greatly that no single individual can command all of it. Consequently, both advanced students and professionals may be confronted with theoretical positions and names of theorists with whom they are only partially familiar, if they have heard of them at all. Students, in particular, are likely to turn to the web to find quick background information on theorists and theories. However, most web-based information is inaccurate and/or lacks depth. Students and professionals need a source to provide a quick overview of a particular theory and theorist with just the basics—the "who, what, where, how, and why," if you will. In response, SAGE Reference plans to publish the two-volume Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia. Features & Benefits: Two volumes containing approximately 335 signed entries provide users with the most authoritative and thorough reference resource available on anthropology theory, both in terms of breadth and depth of coverage. To ease navigation between and among related entries, a Reader's Guide groups entries thematically and each entry is followed by Cross-References. In the electronic version, the Reader's Guide combines with the Cross-References and a detailed Index to provide robust search-and-browse capabilities. An appendix with a Chronology of Anthropology Theory allows students to easily chart directions and trends in thought and theory from early times to the present. Suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each entry and a Master Bibliography at the end guide readers to sources for more detailed research and discussion.