AshehougAgency

What is Anthropology?

"Social anthropology can change your life. In this book I wanted to show some of the magic of anthropology to those who are not already smitten by it."

Leading anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen shows how anthropology is a revolutionary way of thinking about the human world. Perfect for students, but also for those who have never encountered anthropology before, this book explores its key issues in an exciting and innovative way. Eriksen explains how to see the world from below and from within – emphasising the importance of adopting an insider’s perspective. He reveals how seemingly enormous cultural differences actually conceal the deep unity of humanity.Lucid and accessible, "What is anthropology?" draws examples from current affairs as well as anthropological studies.

From the preface:
"Social anthropology! A generation ago, almost no one could even pronounce the word, let alone explain what it meant. Today, the situation is different… Now most people know that social anthropology is the study of cultural variation; it would perhaps be tempting to say the study of foreign societies and peoples, but it would be misleading, seeing as more and more anthropologists do their research within their own societies. (What is more, the word “foreign” is most un-anthropologic. Foreign to whom?)"

The first section presents the history of anthropology, its unique research methods and some of its central concepts, such as society, culture and translation. Eriksen shows how anthropology helps to shape contemporary thinking and why it is inherently radical.

In the second section he discusses core issues in greater detail. Reciprocity, or exchange, or gift-giving, is shown to be the basis of every society. Eriksen examines kinship in traditional societies, and shows why it remains important in complex ones. He argues that nature is partly cultural, and explores anthropological views on human nature as well as ecology. He delves into cultural relativism and the problem of understanding others. Finally, he describes the paradoxes of identity – ethnic, national, religious or postmodern, as the case may be.

“In short, formidable communication. Well-shaped and well-written. Along the way one can become a lot wiser, not only of the lives one has not lived, but also of the life one actually does live.” ( Politiken, Denmark)

First published: 2003, Universitetsforlaget
Thomas Hylland Eriksen: Biography and bibliography

Rights sold to