Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology (Routledge World Reference)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 688 pages
• Published by: Routledge
• Edition: 1st Edition August 30, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0415285585
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0415285582
• Book Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.8 x 1.5 inches
• Weighs: 2.6 pounds

Product Review
"Outstanding Academic Book of 1997." -- Choice

"This is one of those few, privileged works of reference that may actually redefine a field. it charts a contemporary discourse that is vibrant, sophisticated, and unexpectedly coherent. This is what post-post-modernist anthropology looks like." -- Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute - February 1997

This is one of those few, privileged works of reference that may actually redefine a field. it charts a contemporary discourse that is vibrant, sophisticated, and unexpectedly coherent. This is what post-post-modernist anthropology looks like.
–Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, February 1997

This is one of those few, privileged works of reference that may actually redefine a field. it charts a contemporary discourse that is vibrant, sophisticated, and unexpectedly coherent. This is what post-post-modernist anthropology looks like.
–Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, February 1997

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology provides a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline which discusses human social and cultural life in all its diversity and difference.
Theory, ethnography and history are combined in over 230 substantial entries on topics as wide ranging as race, postmodernism, witchcraft and essentialism, magic and methodology.

Areas covered

* History of anthropological research, colonialism, orientalism and occidentalism, theories of culture and society
* Kinship, gender and family, marriage, the body
* Ritual and religion, language and linguistics, poetics, literacy, aesthetics, film, museums
* Relations with other disciplines (e.g. archaeology, sociology)

Structure and key features

Comprehensive coverage - over 230 substantial entries provide detailed information on every major idea, individual and sub-discipline of social and cultural anthropology. The entries give insights into anthropological thinking and definitions of specific terms.
International and up-to-date - over 100 international contributors, all experts in their fields, write clearly yet provocatively. They provide a variety of perspectives on crucial debates in anthropology today.
Covers key terms, ideas and people - the Encyclopedia eliminates the need to refer to other books for specific definitions or biographies. It contains a glossary with short explanations of more than 600 key terms and ideas. A biographical appendix details the lives and work of over 250 important figures in the history of anthropology.

Unique interdisciplinary approach - this is the only encyclopedia of social and cultural anthropology to cover fully the many important areas of overlap between anthropology and related disciplines, from history and literary studies to social psychology. Such topics include semantics, evolutionary theory and the influence of social theorists such as Marx, Durkheim and Weber.No other encyclopedia takes such a broad approach.
Highly accessible and easy to use - alphabetically organized and with extensive cross-referencing and indexing leading readers to specific definitions and explanations. Fully annotated primary and secondary bibliographies focus on established classics as well as recent works and provide further reading signposts to aid research.

Reader Reviews
I am studying anthropological courses in the university and bought the encyclopedia to help and guide me through the new terms I encountered. For these purposes I found this book extremely unhelpful. This is definitely not a book for students, those who start studying anthropology, but rather for those who already know a lot about the science. For example, here is the definition of essentialism: "Essentialism commonly appears as both a violation of anthropological relativism and one of the besetting conceptual sins of anthropology. Exemplified by such totalizing ideologies as nationalims and biological determinism, it is also frequently conflated with reification, objectivism and literalism". Etc. For me in order to understand this definition, I need to read 3-4 page articles in the same encyclopedia about: relativism, biological determinism, objectivism, literalism. And even after that I don't think I will be able to understand what the authors wanted to say by this definition. And its the same almost about every other term or concept I was looking up. Of course, if you are familiar with all these terms - it is easy, but then do you really need this encyclopedia. A frustrating experience for me. This publication is collecting dust on a shelf now, and I turned to more popular publications, like "What is anthropology" (terms are explained in a much more accessible language), "Understanding social and cultural anthropology", etc. And... never underestimate wikipedia, the best for me as a student. Would strongly not recommmend this book for students and whoever is starting to learn anthropology. Will advise it to my anthropology university professor with twenty years teaching experience, he may find it interesting. Max