The Modern Anthropology of South-East Asia: An Introduction

by King; Victor T.

• ISBN13: 9780415297516
• ISBN10: 0415297516
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-02-28
• Publisher: RoutledgeCurzon

Summary

This is the first comprehensive introduction to the social and cultural anthropology of South-East Asia. It provides an overview of the major theoretical issues and themes which have emerged from the engagement of anthropologists with South-East Asian communities; a succinct historical survey and analysis of the peoples and cultures of the region. Most importantly the volume reveals the vitally important role which the study of the area has occupied in the development of the concepts and methods of anthropology: from the perspectives of Edmund Leach to Clifford Geertz, Maurice Freedman to Claude Levi-Strauss; Lauriston Sharp to Melford Spiro.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	vii
List of abbreviations	ix
Preface	xi
Introduction	xiii
Maps	xxi
South-East Asia: a field of anthropological enquiry?	1	(24)
Anthropology and the colonial impact (1900--1950)	25	(43)
Anthropology in the period of decolonization (1950--1970): the American tradition	68	(48)
Anthropology in the period of decolonization (1950--1970): the European tradition	116	(40)
Social and economic change: `peasants' as part-societies	156	(37)
Ethnicity, identity and nationalism	193	(38)
Ecology and environmental change	231	(31)
Gender and the sexes	262	(27)
Urban ways of life	289	(19)
Conclusion	308	(13)
Appendix: list of ethnic groups	321	(2)
Glossary	323	(4)
Bibliography	327	(33)
Author/name index	360	(6)
Subject index	366