Social and Cultural Anthropology in Perspective: Their Relevance in the Modern World

by Lewis,Ioan M.

• ISBN13: 9780765809865
• ISBN10: 0765809869
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2003-09-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Transaction Edition	vii
Introduction to the Transaction Edition	ix
Preface	7	(4)
Preface to the 1985 Edition	11	(4)
CHAPTER ONE Aims and Methods	15	(21)
CHAPTER TWO The Rise of Modern Social Anthropology	36	(32)
CHAPTER THREE Misfortune and the Consolations of Witchcraft	68	(24)
CHAPTER FOUR The Natural Order	92	(28)
CHAPTER FIVE Myth, Rite and Eschatology	120	(32)
CHAPTER SIX Patrimony and Patriotism	152	(45)
CHAPTER SEVEN Exchange and Market	197	(37)
CHAPTER EIGHT Vital Statistics: Marriage and Kinship	234	(47)
CHAPTER NINE Power at the Centre	281	(40)
CHAPTER TEN The Law of the Jungle	321	(39)
CHAPTER ELEVEN Anthropology and the Contemporary World	360	(22)
Bibliography	382	(11)
Index	393