Wealth and Rebellion: Elsie Clews Parsons, Anthropologist and Folklorist (Publication of the American Folklore Society. New Series) [Hardcover]

Rosemary Zumwalt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Zumwalt's biography portrays the interweaving of the personal and professional in the life of preeminent American anthropologist and folklorist Parsons. Through interviews and a meticulous search of Parsons's personal papers, correspondence, and publications, Zumwalt has provided a far more complete picture of this wealthy patron, traveler, prolific writer, sociologist, feminist, pacifist, oral historian, ethnologist, and wife and mother. Unlike A Woman's Quest for Science (Prometheus Bks., 1985), by Parsons's grandnephew Peter Hare, which largely focused on her personality, Zumwalt's portrait documents the huge role that Parsons played in the development of American anthropology, her close working relationship with Franz Boas, and her legacy to the many colleagues and students who worked and studied with her. Highly recommended for anthropology and feminist collections.
- Christina Carter, California State Univ. Lib., Fresno
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; First Edition edition (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252019091
• ISBN-13: 978-0252019098
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,467,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Biography, February 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Wealth and Rebellion: Elsie Clews Parsons, Anthropologist and Folklorist (Publication of the American Folklore Society. New Series) (Hardcover)

The contributions of women in the history of ethnographic studies, folklore research, and anthropology are now seen as important and fascinating areas of research. This biography is an excellent and highly readable study of an early pioneer in the study of culture. In this study, the book provides an intriguing portrait of a facet of the history of anthropological and folklore studies during the early part of the 20th century. It also outlines and adumbrates the formation of key concepts in the study of culture. The book is also useful for discovering how a creative and highly intelligent woman helped to found various disciplines and support a professional society designed to further the understanding of folklore. Finally, as a bonus, the story also includes an intriguing subtext that reveals professional and personal liaisons throughout Parsons' life story. Although the various liaisons were not exactly dangerous, they do point the way toward gaining a more complete understanding of ways that intellectual history is spawned in various fields of intellectual inquiry.