Synopses & Reviews
Professor Harris – the leading theorist in cultural materialism – bases this comprehensive work on the perspective of thematic and theoretical coherence, giving the book depth and continuity. Speaking directly to students, helpful chapter introductions and end-of-chapter summaries focus on key points before and after reading each chapter. This seventh edition includes meticulous updating of research and scholarship, especially in the very active field of physical anthropology and archaeology. A new feature – “America Now Updates” – turns an anthropological eye on the contemporary U.S., emphasizing the comparative aspects of anthropology and making the discipline relevant to students. |
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 434-464) and indexes.
Table of Contents
I.PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. 1.Introduction. 2.Biology, Genetics, and Evolution.
3.The Human Pedigree and Human Nature.
4.The First Hominids.
5.The Origins of Homo Sapiens.
6.Race, Human Variation, and the Forces of Evolution.
II.CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. 7.The Nature of Culture.
8.Language.
III.ARCHAEOLOGY AND PREHISTORY. 9.The Old World Paleolithic.
10.From the Neolithic to the Rise of States.
11.The Second Earth.
IV.INFRASTRUCTURE. 12.Production.
13.Reproduction.
14.Human Sexuality.
V.STRUCTURE. 15.Economic Organization.
16.Domestic Organization.
17.Descent, Locality, and Kinship.
18.Law, Order, and War in Non-State Societies.
19.Origins and Anatomy of the State.
20.Class and Caste.
21.Ethnicity, Race, and Racism.
22.Gender Hierarchies.
VI.SUPERSTRUCTURE. 23.Psychological Anthropology.
24.Religion.
25.Art.
VII.ANTHROPOLOGY AND MODERN LIFE. 26.Applied Anthropology.
Appendix: A History of Theories of Culture.