Sociocultural Theory in Anthropology

Sociocultural Theory in Anthropology
Author: Merwyn S. Garbarino
Publisher: Waveland Press
Total Pages: 129
Release: 1983-06-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1478608714

This useful resource is designed to serve as a statement, in brief compass, of the major developments in anthropological theory rendered in a historical perspective. Intended as an organizing framework, this book presents all theoretical viewpoints fairly, concisely, and simply.

The Rise of Anthropological Theory

The Rise of Anthropological Theory
Author: Marvin Harris
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
Total Pages: 824
Release: 2001
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780759101333

The best known, most often cited history of anthropological theory is finally available in paperback! First published in 1968, Harris's book has been cited in over 1,000 works and is one of the key documents explaining cultural materialism, the theory associated with Harris's work. This updated edition included the complete 1968 text plus a new introduction by Maxine Margolis, which discusses the impact of the book and highlights some of the major trends in anthropological theory since its original publication. RAT, as it is affectionately known to three decades of graduate students, comprehensively traces the history of anthropology and anthropological theory, culminating in a strong argument for the use of a scientific, behaviorally-based, etic approach to the understanding of human culture known as cultural materialism. Despite its popularity and influence on anthropological thinking, RAT has never been available in paperback_until now. It is an essential volume for the library of all anthropologists, their graduate students, and other theorists in the social sciences.

Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development

Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development
Author: James Lantolf
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2006-03-02
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN:

Integrates theory, research, and practice on the learning of second and foreign languages as informed by sociocultural and activity theory. It familiarizes students, teachers, and other researchers who do not work within the theory with its principal claims and constructs in particular as they relate to second language research. The book also describes and illustrates the use of activity theory to support practical and conceptual innovations in second language education.

Social and Cultural Anthropology in Perspective

Social and Cultural Anthropology in Perspective
Author: Ioan Lewis
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2017-09-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1351490621

Social anthropology is, in the classic definition, dedicated to the study of distant civilizations in their traditional and contemporary forms. But there is a larger aspiration: the comparative study of all human societies in the light of those challengingly unfamiliar beliefs and customs that expose our own ethnocentric limitations and put us in our place within the wider gamut of the world's civilizations. Thematically guided by social setting and cultural expression of identity, Social and Cultural Anthropology in Perspective is a dynamic and highly acclaimed introduction to the field of social anthropology, which also examines its links with cultural anthropology. A challenging new introduction critically surveys the latest trends, pointing to weaknesses as well as strengths.Presented in a clear, lively, and entertaining fashion, this volume offers a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to social anthropology for use by teachers and students. Skillfully weaving together theory and ethnographic data, author Ioan M. Lewis advocates an eclectic approach to anthropology. He combines the strengths of British structural-functionalism with the leading ideas of Marx, Freud, and Levi-Strauss while utilizing the methods of historians, political scientists, and psychologists. One of Lewis' particular concerns is to reveal how insights from ""traditional"" cultures illuminate what we take for granted in contemporary industrial and post-industrial society. He also shows how, in the pluralist world in which we live, those who study ""other"" cultures ultimately learn about themselves. Social anthropology is thus shown to be as relevant today as it has been in the past.

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.

An Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology

An Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology
Author: David Haines
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2017-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 160732718X

An Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology exposes students to the cultural detail and personal experiences that lie in the anthropological record and extends their anthropological understanding to contemporary issues. The book is divided into three parts that focus on the main themes of the discipline: ecological adaptations, structural arrangements, and interpretive meanings. Each chapter provides an overview of a particular topic and then presents two case examples that illuminate the range of variation in traditional and contemporary societies. New case examples include herders’ climate change adaptations in the Arctic, matrilineal Muslims in Indonesia, Google’s AI winning the Asian game Go, mass migration in China, cross-cultural differences in the use of social media, and the North American response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Instructors will also have digital access to all the book’s illustrations for class review. Covering the full range of sociocultural anthropology in a compact approach, this revised and updated edition of Cultural Anthropology: Adaptations, Structures, Meanings is a holistic, accessible, and socially relevant guide to the discipline for students at all levels.

Sociocultural Anthropology

Sociocultural Anthropology
Author: Barbara Miller
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Total Pages:
Release: 2019-12-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9781350000315

This is the first multi-volume collection of major writings on cultural anthropology, the sub-field of anthropology which is concerned with how people in different places live and understand the world around them. It covers key methodologies (participant observation, ethnography) and topics (kinship, ritual, values) and maps the development of the field from its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century through to recent and current debates on the 'critique of anthropology' and the rise of new methodologies such as multi-sited research. The four volumes are arranged thematically and each is separately introduced. Drawing upon essays from anthropology and related disciplines, the volumes together chart the origins of the field, explore its core theories and methods, and trace the proliferation of sub-fields that it has generated, including anthropology of art, urban anthropology, medical anthropology and the anthropology of gender and sexuality. With key texts from James George Frazer, Lewis Henry Morgan, Bronislaw Malinowski, Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, Lucy Mair, Claude Levi Strauss, Melford Spiro, Marshall Sahlins, Laura Nader, Maurice Godelier, David Graeber, Suad Joseph and many more, this set is an essential resource for scholars and students of the subject.

The Handbook of Sociocultural Anthropology

The Handbook of Sociocultural Anthropology
Author: James G. Carrier
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 654
Release: 2020-06-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000184676

he Handbook of Sociocultural Anthropology presents a state of the art overview of the subject - its methodologies, current debates, history and future. It will provide the ultimate source of authoritative, critical descriptions of all the key aspects of the discipline as well as a consideration of the general state of the discipline at a time when there is notable uncertainty about its foundations, composition and direction. Divided into five core sections, the Handbook: examines the changing theoretical and analytical orientations that have led to new ways of carrying out research; presents an analysis of the traditional historical core and how the discipline has changed since 1980; considers the ethnographic regions where work has had the greatest impact on anthropology as a whole; outlines the people and institutions that are the context in which the discipline operates, covering topics from research funding to professional ethics.Bringing together leading international scholars, the Handbook provides a guide to the latest research in social and cultural anthropology. Presenting a systematic overview - and offering a wide range of examples, insights and analysis - it will be an invaluable resource for researchers and students in anthropology as well as cultural and social geography, cultural studies and sociology.

How to Think Like an Anthropologist

How to Think Like an Anthropologist
Author: Matthew Engelke
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2019-06-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0691193134

"What is anthropology? What can it tell us about the world? Why, in short, does it matter? For well over a century, cultural anthropologists have circled the globe, from Papua New Guinea to suburban England and from China to California, uncovering surprising facts and insights about how humans organize their lives and articulate their values. In the process, anthropology has done more than any other discipline to reveal what culture means--and why it matters. By weaving together examples and theories from around the world, Matthew Engelke provides a lively, accessible, and at times irreverent introduction to anthropology, covering a wide range of classic and contemporary approaches, subjects, and practitioners. Presenting a set of memorable cases, he encourages readers to think deeply about some of the key concepts with which anthropology tries to make sense of the world--from culture and nature to authority and blood. Along the way, he shows why anthropology matters: not only because it helps us understand other cultures and points of view but also because, in the process, it reveals something about ourselves and our own cultures, too." --Cover.