The Dictionary of Anthropology [Paperback]

Thomas Barfield (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1577180577 | ISBN-13: 978-1577180579 | Publication Date: January 13, 1998 | Edition: 1

The Dictionary of Anthropology is designed to become the standard reference guide to the discipline of social and cultural anthropology. Its core consists of substantial analytical articles focusing on key anthropological concepts, theories and methodologies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Edited by Barfield (chair, anthropology, Boston Univ.), who called on some 125 anthropologists to provide both historical and contemporary definitions of anthropological terms, this dictionary is yet another in a recent spate of anthropology reference tools. Coverage is broad, touching on key concepts, theories, methodologies, and ethnographic and thematic research, though definitions for any religious traditions are lacking. While entries vary in length and depth, many short entries are enhanced with cross references, and there is a cumulative bibliography. With more than 500 entries, including 42 biographies, this dictionary invites comparison with the Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology (LJ 2/1/97), which has 231 subject entries, 238 short and five long biographies, and a 600-term glossary. The encyclopedia, whose entries are expansive, provides meatier discussions and, with the inclusion of the glossary, serves as a dictionary as well. It emphasizes and treats some concepts somewhat differently, covering major religious traditions, geographical areas, and regional anthropological traditions, while entries for such subjects as poverty and social Darwinism are found only in the dictionary. The encyclopedia has far more biographies, but the treatments in the dictionary are fairly substantial. Both provide minimal coverage of archaeology and biological and linguistic anthropology. A bargain at $29.95, the dictionary is a handy ready-reference source and should be particularly useful to students. If one needs only one source for basic information, however, the encyclopedia is the better choice.AJoyce L. Ogburn, Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A bargain, the dictionary is a handy ready-reference source and should be particularly useful to students" Joyce Ogburn, Old Dominion University

"The Barfield work will probably be of greatest value to people in related fields or to beginning teachers of anthropology who may need a quick fix on central ideas or people." Philip K. Bock, University of New Mexico

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (January 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577180577
• ISBN-13: 978-1577180579
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rebuttal, September 29, 2006

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Anonymous - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Dictionary of Anthropology (Paperback)

I have found this book to be extremely helpful in my graduate studies in anthropology (M.A., Ph.D. at Michigan State University). I don't know what the reviewer means by calling this book an "[...] attempt to legitimize anthropology." Those of us practicing anthropology (not to mention all those that have practiced it in the last 100 years or so), know that anthropology is very "legitimate" and essential to the future of the social sciences within the modern academy. No general reference book is perfect, but I highly recommend this as a refresher for general anthropological concepts.

1.0 out of 5 stars Expensive and if you are more than an Anthro 101 Student don't bother!, April 7, 2011

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Katya Anastasia (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Dictionary of Anthropology (Paperback)

Very dissapointed! It's very expensive and the information in the book is so generalized you would have better luck looking it up on Wiki. There are several important concepts completely missing as well as famous therorists.

5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of Anthropology, Barfield (1997), July 21, 2009

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P. L. Kelly Spurles (Sackville, New Brunswick Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dictionary of Anthropology (Paperback)

Barfield provides concise but fairly nuanced summaries of a broad selection of significant terms and themes in sociocultural anthropology. I have recommended it as a supplementary resource for upper-level undergraduates in classical theory as well as thematic courses for several years. It hasn't been updated since 1997, which is a shame, but it is nonetheless an excellent desk reference. I'd love to see a new edition of this book. Note that the cross-references at the end of most entries point the reader to additional pages that often provide relevant information.