Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology (Paperback)

~ Robert Lavenda (Author), Emily Schultz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This very concise, accurate introduction to the basic ideas and practices of contemporary cultural anthropology is designed to address the needs of anthropology professors who make extensive use of ethnographies and other supplementary readings in their courses. Not a standard textbook, Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology functions as a thorough annotated bibliography of the terms and concepts that anthropologists use in their work; its conceptual framework prepares students to read ethnography more effectively, with less misunderstanding.

About the Author

Robert H. Lavenda is Professor of Anthropology at St. Cloud State University, and is director of the Latin American Studies Program. He received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Indiana University in 1977 and has done fieldwork in Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and small-town Minnesota. He is the author of Corn Fests and Water Carnivals: Celebrating Community in Minnesota, numerous articles on festivals and play, and is co-author of three anthropology textbooks. His special interests are play, festival behavior, world view, culture and communication, Latin America, and North American culture. Emily A. Schultz is Associate Professor of Anthropology at St. Cloud State University and editor of the anthropology journal City and Society. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Indiana University in 1980. She did fieldwork in Cameroon, and has also worked in Ecuador and Costa Rica. She is the author of Dialogue at the Margins: Whorf, Bakhtin, and Linguistic Relativity, and is co-author of three anthropology textbooks. Her special interests are language and culture, globalization, and the anthropology of science and technology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 3 edition (January 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073050458
• ISBN-13: 978-0073050454
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,238 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Small, Concise, but Complete Introduction to the Field, April 3, 2006

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This small book is intended to be a rapid and concise introduction to basic ideas that form the central concepts of cultural anthropology. The format of the book is to have a short chapter on each of the major aspects of anthropology such as: culture, religion, politics, economics, kinship, marriage, and capitalism.

Each subject is given a few pages of discussion (around ten) and then a bibliography for further reading. In these few pages, the reader will grasp the central ideas that represent the current thinking in the field.

It has been successfully used as a textbook by making this the cental theme of the class, but then supplementing the study with a significant amount of outside reading. This is the third edition of this book. it has several sections expanded to reflect greater depth in areas like neoliberalism, transnational citizenship, human rights, and so on.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding overview, September 29, 2008

By	Michael R. Evans - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The authors of this book emphasize that it should be used in conjunction with collections of ethnographies and other volumes. With that in mind, this is an exceptionally clear, useful, and well-considered book about cultural anthropology. The authors have done an outstanding job of making complex theories and ideas accessible in a short amount of space.

I recommend this book for anyone seeking to learn the overall outlines or remind themselves of the major ideas in cultural anthropology. I am VERY glad I bought it!