Title: Engaging anthropological theory : a social and political history /
Authors: Moberg, Mark, 1959-
Publisher: Routledge,
Year: 2013
Subjects: Anthropology Philosophy; Anthropology History; Anthropology Methodology
Abstract: This text offers a fresh look at the history of anthropological theory. Anthropological ideas about human diversity have always been rooted in the socio-political conditions in which they arose, and exploring them in context helps students understand how and why they evolved, and how theory relates to life and society.
Contents: Of politics and paradigms -- Claims and critiques of anthropological knowledge -- The prehistory of anthropology -- Marx -- Durkheim and Weber -- Spencer, Darwin, and an evolutionary parable for our time -- Boas and the demise of cultural evolution -- Culture and psychology -- Structure and function -- Decolonization and anti-structure -- Ecological and neo-evolutionary approaches -- Contemporary materialist and ecological approaches -- Symbols, structures, and the "web of significance" -- Postmodern political economy and sensibilities -- The contemporary anthropological moment.