Customer Reviews

Human Materialism: A Model of Sociocultural Systems and a Strategy for Analysis

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Amazon's only other review of this book is written so as to make me wonder whether the "reader" actually read the book or not. Human Materialism is not Material Culturalism (Whatever that is.) It is also not Cultural Materialism, the paradigm developed by anthropologist Marvin Harris. I presume that the "reader" was referring to cultural materialism when he or she made the misleading reference. Although HM bears some resemblance to Harris' model it is significantly different.

Magnarella observed that the causal explanations of certain cultural phenomenon by reference to purely material factors without regard for the effects of key human actors was wanting in explanatory power. Magnarella, without falling into the old "great man" trap profers that key persons in positions of political and economic power can have a profound effect on the precise outcomes of specific socio-cultural events. Magnarella places these key individuals directly into the infra-structural component of his model.

The "reader" also makes poor reference to HM being proposed as a "new anthropological" theory. HM is a model for anthropological research to be used in the development of explanatory theories. The model is not the theory itself although it is founded upon material theory. The "reader" also makes reference to Magnarella's going to great lengths to discuss the difference between HM and (presumably) CM. Exactly! This is precisely what Magnarella should do. He is exhibiting willingness for his model to be compared with and to compete against other causal models of current use in anthropology. The "reader" does not exhibit any understanding of the goals and processes of anthropological research. Further, the general tenor of the "reader's" comments border on ad hominem. This is unacceptable in academic practice.

I encourage further readers to ignore the earlier review and make their minds up for themselves. HM is a welcome addition to the body of literature in anthropology and should be an essential read for anyone interested in anthropological history, method and theory.

Oh I get it, the author thought we would think he'd come up with a "new" anthropological theory if only he changed the name a little and then went on at great lenghts in the text to discuss differences between his new theory, and the old theory he is replacing. Yeah, that ought to do it. Right? No problemo, I'm sure no one will pick up on this.