The Study of Culture at a Distance

The Study of Culture at a Distance
Author: Margaret Mead
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 584
Release: 2000
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9781571812155

In 1953 Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraux produced The Study of Culture at a Distance, a compilation of research from this period. This work, long unavailable, presents a rich and complex methodology for the study of cultures through literature, film, informant interviews, focus groups, and projective techniques.

Human Cultures through the Scientific Lens

Human Cultures through the Scientific Lens
Author: Pascal Boyer
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2021-07-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1800642091

This volume brings together a collection of seven articles previously published by the author, with a new introduction reframing the articles in the context of past and present questions in anthropology, psychology and human evolution. It promotes the perspective of ‘integrated’ social science, in which social science questions are addressed in a deliberately eclectic manner, combining results and models from evolutionary biology, experimental psychology, economics, anthropology and history. It thus constitutes a welcome contribution to a gradually emerging approach to social science based on E. O. Wilson’s concept of ‘consilience’. Human Cultures through the Scientific Lens spans a wide range of topics, from an examination of ritual behaviour, integrating neuro-science, ethology and anthropology to explain why humans engage in ritual actions (both cultural and individual), to the motivation of conflicts between groups. As such, the collection gives readers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the applications of an evolutionary paradigm in the social sciences. This volume will be a useful resource for scholars and students in the social sciences (particularly psychology, anthropology, evolutionary biology and the political sciences), as well as a general readership interested in the social sciences.

Cultures and Societies in a Changing World

Cultures and Societies in a Changing World
Author: Wendy Griswold
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2012-01-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1452289409

In the Fourth Edition of Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, author Wendy Griswold illuminates how culture shapes our social world and how society shapes culture. She helps students gain an understanding of the sociology of culture and explore stories, beliefs, media, ideas, art, religious practices, fashions, and rituals from a sociological perspective. Cultural examples from multiple countries and time periods will broaden students′ global understanding. They will develop a deeper appreciation of culture and society, gleaning insights that will help them overcome cultural misunderstandings, conflicts, and ignorance; equip them to be more effective in their professional and personal lives, and become wise citizens of the world.

The Interpretation of Cultures

The Interpretation of Cultures
Author: Clifford Geertz
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 484
Release: 2017-08-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0465093566

One of the twentieth century's most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is With The Interpretation of Cultures, the distinguished anthropologist Clifford Geertz developed the concept of thick description, and in so doing, he virtually rewrote the rules of his field. Culture, Geertz argues, does not drive human behavior. Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand what that behavior means. A thick description explains not only the behavior, but the context in which it occurs, and to describe something thickly, Geertz argues, is the fundamental role of the anthropologist. Named one of the 100 most important books published since World War II by the Times Literary Supplement, The Interpretation of Cultures transformed how we think about others' cultures and our own. This definitive edition, with a foreword by Robert Darnton, remains an essential book for anthropologists, historians, and anyone else seeking to better understand human cultures.

The Art of Being Human

The Art of Being Human
Author: Michael Wesch
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2018-08-07
Genre:
ISBN: 9781724963673

Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. "Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage," Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. "Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. ... It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one's hands dirty, to get down in the dirt, and to commit yourself, body and mind. Susan Sontag called anthropology a "heroic" profession." What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the the light and life of places forgotten. Real anthropology cannot be contained in a book. You have to go out and feel the world's jagged edges, wipe its dust from your brow, and at times, leave your blood in its soil. In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human. This special first draft edition is a loose framework for more and more complete future chapters and writings. It serves as a companion to anth101.com, a free and open resource for instructors of cultural anthropology. This 2018 text is a revision of the "first draft edition" from 2017 and includes 7 new chapters.

The Interpretation of Cultures

The Interpretation of Cultures
Author: Abena Dadze-Arthur
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 101
Release: 2017-07-05
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1351351397

Clifford Geertz has been called ‘the most original anthropologist of his generation’ – and this reputation rests largely on the huge contributions to the methodology and approaches of anthropological interpretation that he outlined in The Interpretation of Cultures. The centrality of interpretative skills to anthropology is uncontested: in a subject that is all about understanding mankind, and which seeks to outline the differences and the common ground that exists between cultures, interpretation is the crucial skillset. For Geertz, however, standard interpretative approaches did not go deep enough, and his life’s work concentrated on deepening and perfecting his subject’s interpretative skills. Geertz is best known for his definition of ‘culture,’ and his theory of ‘thick description,’ an influential technique that depends on fresh interpretative approaches. For Geertz, ‘cultures’ are ‘webs of meaning’ in which everyone is suspended. Understanding culture, therefore, is not so much a matter of going in search of law, but of setting out an interpretative framework for meaning that focuses directly on attempts to define the real meaning of things within a given culture. The best way to do this, for Geertz, is via ‘thick description:’ a way of recording things that explores context and surroundings, and articulates meaning within the web of culture. Ambitious and bold, Geertz’s greatest creation is a method all critical thinkers can learn from.

The Origin and Evolution of Cultures

The Origin and Evolution of Cultures
Author: Robert Boyd
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 465
Release: 2005-01-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0195347447

Oxford presents, in one convenient and coherently organized volume, 20 influential but until now relatively inaccessible articles that form the backbone of Boyd and Richerson's path-breaking work on evolution and culture. Their interdisciplinary research is based on two notions. First, that culture is crucial for understanding human behavior; unlike other organisms, socially transmitted beliefs, attitudes, and values heavily influence our behavior. Secondly, culture is part of biology: the capacity to acquire and transmit culture is a derived component of human psychology, and the contents of culture are deeply intertwined with our biology. Culture then is a pool of information, stored in the brains of the population that gets transmitted from one brain to another by social learning processes. Therefore, culture can account for both our outstanding ecological success as well as the maladaptations that characterize much of human behavior. The interest in this collection will span anthropology, psychology, economics, philosophy, and political science.

Understanding Social Psychology Across Cultures

Understanding Social Psychology Across Cultures
Author: Peter B Smith
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2006-01-05
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1446266206

`This book is not an arcane tome restricted for use by specialists in cross-cultural psychology. It deals directly with what it sets out to do: How can social psychology both address and incorporate what is known about cultural constants and variations in human thought and behavior? In achieving this, the authors have delivered in spades. Their book is a must for social psychologists, whether in their roles as teachers or researchers. Importantly, it is also a valuable text for advancing students of social psychology and should be required reading for any who propose to undertake postgraduate psychological research' - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology `It is useful in informing interactions with those of similar or different cultures and in understanding how cultural misunderstanding can occur. For these reasons I believe it is worth reading and would recommend' - The Psychologist `This will be my favourite text for recommending to graduate students who want to know what cross-cultural psychology is about. I wished all of their professors had read it. For example, I never saw levels of analysis explained so clearly. I was comforted by the statement in the book that many studies in the published literature don't clearly state their level of analysis - so failing to understand those articles is not only my problem! The book is impressively comprehensive and broad, yet very readable, up-to-date and practically oriented. Every source cited has been read critically and put into context. A masterpiece' - Geert Hofstede `The authors of this gracefully-written text have a vision of their field that incorporates but far transcends the experimental social psychology familiar to Americans. Using concepts and data from a range of cultures, they address problems in developmental, personality, and applied psychology, with a particular emphasis on cross-cultural interactions and global change. Not since Roger Brown's classic has a text made social psychology so interesting!' - Robert R. McCrae `This book is one of the best available texts on cross-cultural psychology. It reviews a large amount of cross-cultural studies and covers a wide range of perspectives on culture.... It reveals what is unique to cross-cultural psychology and reminds us that culture is central to the advancement of psychology as a discipline' - Patricia M Rodriguez Mosquera, Brunel University `The concept for this book is excellent. As a global society we have many pressing problems. It is wonderful to see these leading cross-cultural psychologists make a highly sophisticated effort at applying the resources of social psychology to the needs of cultures throughout the world' - Jim Nelson, Valparaiso University, USA Illustrating ways in which culture shapes psychological processes across a wide range of social contexts, Understanding Social Psychology Across Cultures examines the strengths and limitations of the key theories, methods and instruments used in cross-cultural research. The book contains a broad range of pedagogical devices including: further reading and discussion questions at the end of each chapter; chapters on culture-level studies, personality and developmental issues, and a glossary of key terms.

Cultures in Conversation

Cultures in Conversation
Author: Donal Carbaugh
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2014-04-04
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1135606226

Explores how linguistic differences can lead to cultural misunderstandings. For use in communication/linguistics courses and scholarship in those areas.

Changing Values, Persisting Cultures

Changing Values, Persisting Cultures
Author: Thorleif Pettersson
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2008
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9004162348

In 1981, the European and World Values surveys started the empirical investigation of cultural values on a global scale. This volume builds upon the findings of these surveys and analyzes value change in a number of key countries around the globe. The authors track value change and stability in their respective countries during the last decade (the last two decades where data are available) of the 20th century. All authors have been actively involved in value surveys and have a great deal of expertise in countries that they write on. Thus, the volume is a valuable complement to studies that deal with the topic from a global perspective without providing any detail about individual societies. The countries covered are: Argentina, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.