Customer Reviews

Theories of Culture in Postmodern Times

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This is a great update and companion to the classic, The Rise of Anthropological Theory. Harris builds on the arguments he first laid out in the previous work. Harris's cultural materialist critiques of other anthropological research strategies have stood the test of time and only need to be updated to include some of the newer trends that arose in the intervening thirty years.

In the first part of the book Harris clarifies some of the theoretical and epistemological principles underlying cultural materialism. He defines culture, discusses the emics/etics debate, discusses holism and individualism and defends science. The second part stands out as the strongest part of the book. He thoroughly critiques sociobiology and biological reductionism. His critique is scathing and pointed yet wide ranging. An interesting note is how some evolutionary biologists seem to agree with his critiques of those who would, at first glance, seem to be their comrades.

The third part of the book is mostly a short explaination of the heart of cultural materialism that answers some questions left from his previous works. The end of this section is a much too short critique of postmodernism. Seeing as how this is the title one would have hoped Harris would have written more. The fourth part discusses some more "recent" cultural topics. In a chapter inappropriately titled Origins of Capitalism Harris explores an excellent cultural materialist explaination of the rise of feudalism in Europe and Japan which was, as he says, the basis for the rise of capitalism. The last chapter wonderfully explains the collapse of the Soviet Union and Stalinist style communism.

All in all this is an excellent update to some of Dr. Harris's earlier books. As with all Marvin Harris's books it includes a wonderful bibliography and index. It is a shame that he did not live long enough to do a complete rewrite and update of The Rise of Anthropological Theory.

This man is the top social scientist of his generation. He is still near the top of his form. His critiques of postmodernism and sociobiology, are compelling. The chapter on the fall of the Soviet Union is fascinating (and consistent with his theory of cultural materialism). The book is well worth the read.

The book seems slightly skimpy, but it's great nevertheless. Harris knows his subject - human culture from the perspective of cultural materialism - inside out. His critique of the Bell Curve is especially astute.