Cultural Anthropology

by Ember, Carol R.; Ember, Melvin R.

• ISBN13: 9780132197335
• ISBN10: 0132197332
• Edition: 12th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

The human species may be the most widespread species in the world today. Humans have been moving tremendous distances ever since Homo erectus moved out of Africa. In the last 100 years or so, the number of migrants has grown enormously. With jet planes, cell phones, and the internet, people live more and more global lives, and often move back and forth from one country to another. Anthropology is increasingly studying immigrant populations and the flow of people and ideas across the globe. Cultural Anthropology, 12/E, will help to enrich your understanding of this fascinating discipline. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Boxes	vii
Preface	ix
About the Authors	xvi
Part I Introduction
What Is Anthropology?	3	(14)
The Scope of Anthropology	3	(1)
The Holistic Approach	4	(1)
The Anthropological Curiosity	4	(1)
Fields of Anthropology	4	(5)
Specialization	9	(2)
The Relevance of Anthropology	11	(6)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	15	(2)
The Concept of Culture	17	(16)
Defining Features of Culture	17	(2)
Attitudes That Hinder the Study of Cultures	19	(3)
Cultural Relativism	22	(1)
Describing a Culture	22	(4)
Some Assumptions about Culture	26	(7)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	31	(2)
Theoretical Approaches in Cultural Anthropology	33	(16)
History of Theoretical Orientations	34	(11)
The Hypothesis-Testing Orientation	45	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	47	(2)
Explanation and Evidence	49	(14)
Explanations	49	(1)
Why Theories Cannot Be Proved	50	(2)
Generating Theories	52	(1)
Evidence: Testing Explanations	52	(4)
Types of Research in Cultural Anthropology	56	(7)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	61	(2)
Part II Cultural Variation
Communication and Language	63	(22)
Communication	63	(4)
The Origins of Language	67	(1)
Descriptive Linguistics	68	(4)
Historical Linguistics	72	(2)
The Processes of Linguistic Divergence	74	(1)
Relationships between Language and Culture	75	(3)
The Ethnography of Speaking	78	(4)
Writing and Literacy	82	(3)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	83	(2)
Getting Food	85	(18)
Food Collection	86	(2)
Food Production	88	(7)
Environmental Restraints on Food-Getting	95	(2)
The Origin of Food Production	97	(2)
The Spread and Intensification of Food Production	99	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	101	(2)
Economic Systems	103	(22)
The Allocation of Resources	103	(6)
The Conversion of Resources	109	(5)
The Distribution of Goods and Services	114	(11)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	123	(2)
Social Stratification: Class, Ethnicity, and Racism	125	(18)
Variation in Degree of Social Inequality	126	(1)
Egalitarian Societies	127	(1)
Rank Societies	128	(1)
Class Societies	129	(6)
Racism and Inequality	135	(2)
Ethnicity and Inequality	137	(2)
The Emergence of Stratification	139	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	141	(2)
Sex, Gender, and Culture	143	(18)
Gender Concepts	144	(1)
Physique and Physiology	144	(1)
Gender Roles	145	(2)
Relative Contributions to Work	147	(2)
Political Leadership and Warfare	149	(2)
The Relative Status of Women	151	(2)
Personality Differences	153	(2)
Sexuality	155	(6)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	159	(2)
Marriage and the Family	161	(22)
Marriage	161	(1)
Why Is Marriage Universal?	162	(2)
How Does One Marry?	164	(3)
Restrictions on Marriage: The Universal Incest Taboo	167	(3)
Whom Should One Marry?	170	(3)
How Many Does One Marry?	173	(3)
The Family	176	(7)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	181	(2)
Marital Residence and Kinship	183	(22)
Patterns of Marital Residence	183	(2)
The Structure of Kinship	185	(4)
Variation in Unilineal Descent Systems	189	(2)
Functions of Unilineal Descent Groups	191	(4)
Ambilineal Systems	195	(1)
Explaining Variation in Residence	195	(3)
The Emergence of Unilineal Systems	198	(1)
Explaining Ambilineal and Bilateral Systems	198	(1)
Kinship Terminology	199	(6)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	203	(2)
Associations and Interest Groups	205	(16)
Nonvoluntary Associations	206	(6)
Voluntary Associations	212	(6)
Explaining Variation in Associations	218	(3)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	219	(2)
Political Life: Social Order and Disorder	221	(22)
Variation in Types of Political Organization	222	(8)
The Spread of State Societies	230	(1)
Variation in Political Process	231	(1)
Resolution of Conflict	232	(11)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	241	(2)
Psychology and Culture	243	(20)
The Universality of Psychological Development	244	(2)
Cross-Cultural Variation in Psychological Characteristics	246	(12)
Psychological Explanations of Cultural Variation	258	(5)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	261	(2)
Religion and Magic	263	(16)
The Universality of Religion	264	(1)
Variation in Religious Beliefs	265	(4)
Variation in Religious Practices	269	(5)
Religion and Adaptation	274	(5)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	277	(2)
The Arts	279	(16)
Body Decoration and Adornment	280	(1)
Explaining Variation in the Arts	281	(10)
Viewing the Art of Other Cultures	291	(1)
Artistic Change and Culture Contact	291	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	293	(2)
Culture Change and Globalization	295	(22)
How and Why Cultures Change	295	(7)
Culture Change and Adaptation	302	(1)
Types of Culture Change in the Modern World	303	(6)
Ethnogenesis: The Emergence of New Cultures	309	(3)
Globalization: Problems and Opportunities	312	(1)
Cultural Diversity in the Future	313	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	315	(2)
Part III Using Anthropology
Applied and Practicing Anthropology	317	(14)
Motives for Applying and Practicing Anthropology	319	(1)
History and Types of Application	320	(1)
Ethics of Applied Anthropology	321	(1)
Evaluating the Effects of Planned Change	322	(1)
Difficulties in Instituting Planned Change	323	(3)
Cultural Resource Management	326	(1)
Forensic Anthropology	327	(4)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	329	(2)
Medical Anthropology	331	(16)
Cultural Understandings of Health and Illness	332	(2)
Treatment of Illness	334	(3)
Political and Economic Influences on Health	337	(1)
Health Conditions and Diseases	338	(9)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	345	(2)
Global Social Problems	347	(15)
Natural Disasters and Famine	348	(1)
Inadequate Housing and Homelessness	349	(3)
Family Violence and Abuse	352	(1)
Crime	353	(2)
War	355	(3)
Terrorism	358	(2)
Making the World Better	360	(2)
Discovering Anthropology: Researchers at Work	361	(1)
Glossary	362	(7)
Notes	369	(12)
Bibliography	381	(35)
Photo Credits	416	(2)
Index	418

Excerpts

PREFACE The human species may be the most widespread species in the world today. Humans have been moving tremendous distances ever since Homo erectus moved out of Africa. To highlight this fact, this uniqueness of humans, we have prepared a new box feature for this edition which we call "Migrants and Immigrants." Almost half the chapters now contain a box about some aspect of the movement of people, ranging from prehistory to recent times. Examples are research on when hominids first migrated out of Africa, possible routes humans may have taken in their migration to the Americas, the spread of foods in recent times, arranging marriages in the diaspora, and the problem of refugees. We have decided to reintroduce a separate chapter on theoretical approaches in cultural anthropology, which reviewers suggested. The separate chapter on "Explanation and Evidence" now has new material on ethics in fieldwork and an expanded discussion of cross-cultural research. Ethical issues are also given more attention in various other chapters. In updating the book, we try to go beyond descriptions, as always. We are interested not only in what humans are and were like; we are also interested in why they got to be that way, in all their variety. When there are alternative explanations, we try to communicate the necessity to evaluate them logically as well as on the basis of the available evidence. Throughout the book, we try to communicate that no idea, including ideas put forward in textbooks, should be accepted even tentatively without supporting tests that could have gone the other way.