Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac®) (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author), Dana Walrath (Author), Bunny McBride (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The information provides a good introduction to the field, providing a rich balance between theory and example and application."

"The quality of Haviland is outstanding with regard to the introduction of key concepts and the discussion of those concepts."

"With regard to the comparison with the present text I am using, I’m beginning to think that the Haviland text is written in a more interesting and engaging style!"

"Clearly written and conceptualized."

"This is an exceptionally well written text and very easy to digest by entry-level students."

Product Description

Comprehensive, readable and written for the student, Haviland/Prins/Walwrath's market-leading text, CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, is a highly relevant, high-quality teaching tool. The narrative voice of the text has been thoroughly internationalized and the "we:they" Western voice has been replaced with an inclusive one that will resonate with both Western and non-Western students and professors. In addition, gender, ethnicity, and stratification concepts and terminologies have been completely overhauled in accordance with contemporary thinking and the narrative streamlined using more fully developed, balanced, and global examples. In CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, the authors present students with examples of "local responses" to challenging globalization issues, designed to provide students with a "cross-cultural survival guide" for living in the diverse, multicultural world of the 21st century. This edition is a truly exciting and unique examination into the field of cultural anthropology, its insights, its relevance, and the continuing role of cultural survival issues.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 11 edition (July 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534624871
• ISBN-13: 978-0534624873
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,003 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introductory Text, June 20, 2005

By	The Professor (Florida) - See all my reviews

This is one of the better anthropology texts available today. It is very comprehensive, well-organized, and takes a very broad view of the human condition. The problem with textbooks is that they sometimes summarize issues as if they were settled questions, when, in reality, many of the problems involved are the subjects of complex debate. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since the majority of undergraduate students are not interested in primary sources that are very difficult to read and take a lot of work to understand. As an instructor I found the book to be very good as a basic resource that allowed me to teach my perspective of the discipline to students using supplementary materials and lectures. The major drawback is that it is so expensive, but not more so than other textbooks out there.

Here is what one of my very good students said about the book, "I found it to be well-organized, thorough, and easy to understand. I have never taken a class in this subject before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but as far as I can tell it is a useful text. I had one other cultural anthropology class this term and I was able to use the textbook from your class as a reference from time to time. I chose anthropology as my minor, and so for further reference purposes I have kept the text from your class."

Students who have strong political views (right or left) will say this book is "biased" since it does not claim that Western civilization, Christianity, or American culture are superior or inferior to other cultures. The book, for example, teaches that ethnocentrism, racism, economic exploitation, colonialism, and polluting the environment are generally not good things-- but these evils are not new to the world or authored by any one particular culture. Those who don't like the idea of multiculturalism will not like the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Curtral Anthropology in a Detailed Sense, December 26, 2007

By	SpeedChick82009 "Speedy" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

I wouldn't have normally purchased this book if it wasn't for a course requirement. From chapter one all the way to the end, the authors take the reader or student through a detailed interface of what life is like experienced in other cultures. It touches upon the four different career interests in cultural anthropology as well. A time consuming read, but loaded with useful information for in and out of the class room.

16 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I agree with the previous reviews..., July 24, 2004

By	Bikelover (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cultural Anthropology (Paperback)

This text was required reading for my anthropology course and although I was looking forward to learning about the subject matter, I felt that Haviland wrote in a way that made it much less enjoyable than it should have been. Often repetitive, always with his own biased version and even his terminology (using such phrases as *something like* when using descriptives)were not what I expected from someone of his caliber. To make matters worse, the *Original Study* segments which were some of the most interesting parts of the book were printed on a green background with the print lightened so that it was barely readable...what were the publishers thinking? I was greatly disappointed.