Visions of culture : an introduction to anthropological theories and theorists

cover image

Where to find it

Davis Library (5th floor)

Call Number
GN33 .M587 2004
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

This new edition of Jerry D. Moore's Visions of Culture presents introductory anthropology students with a brief, readable, and balanced treatment of theoretical developments in the field from the days of Tylor and Morgan to the present. The key ideas of 24 major theorists are briefly described and--unique to this textbook--linked to the biographical and fieldwork experiences that helped shape their theories. The impact of each scholar on contemporary anthropology is presented, along with numerous explanatory examples, illuminating quotes from the theorists' writings, and a description of the broader intellectual setting in which these anthropologists worked. New to this edition are pieces on Sherry Ortner, Pierre Bourdieu, and Eric Wolf, an Epilogue that describes key current debates over theory, and an update of earlier chapters. This is an ideal text for classes on the theory or the history of anthropology-- balanced, interesting, student-friendly. Theorists covered include Tylor, Morgan, Boas, Durkheim, Kroeber, Benedict, Sapir, Mead, Mauss, Malinowski, Radcliffe-Brown, Evans-Pritchard, White, Steward, Harris, Leacock, Levi-Strauss, Turner, Geertz, Douglas, Fernandez, Ortner, Bordieu, and Wolf.

Contents

Edward Tylor : the evolution of culture -- Lewis Henry Morgan : the evolution of society -- Franz Boas: culture in context -- Emile Durkheim : a science of society -- Alfred Kroeber : configurations of culture -- Ruth Benedict : patterns of culture -- Edward Sapir : culture, language, and the individual -- Margaret Mead : the individual and culture -- Marcel Mauss : elemental categories, total facts -- Bronislaw Malinowski : the functions of culture -- A.R. Radcliffe-Brown : the structures of society -- Edward Evans-Pritchard : social anthropology, social history -- Leslie White: evolution emergent -- Julian Steward : cultural ecology and multilinear evolution -- Marvin Harris : cultural materialism -- Eleanor Burke Leacock : feminism, marxism, and history -- Claude Lévi-Strauss : structuralism -- Victor Turner : symbols, pilgrims, and drama -- Clifford Geertz : an interpretive anthropology -- Mary Douglas : symbols and structures, pollution and purity -- James Fernandez : the play of Tropes -- Sherry Ortner : symbols, gender, practice -- Pierre Bourdieu : an anthropology of practice -- Eric Wolf : culture, history, power -- Postscript : current controversies.

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