Cultural Anthropology?

Question

Can anyone recommend some good reads for a cultural anthro major? Or even 'must read' books for someone in my major. thanks!

Answer 1

I disagree. That's more physical anthro, if applicable at all. If you're starting out in cultural anthropology I'd say you'll inevitably have the opportunity to read (aka "be forced to read") at least some of these:

"Argonauts of the Western Pacific" by Malinowski (so painful, but inevitably will be assigned in some intro anthro class)

"Patterns of Culture" by Ruth Benedict

"Coming of Age in Samoa" by Margaret Mead

"Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman" by Shostak

"The Gift" by Marcel Mauss

"Outline of a Theory of Practice" by Pierre Bourdieu

"The Elementary Forms of Religious Life" by Emile Durkheim
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PS, in response to JONMCN49-- I'm not saying these are all *good* or *accurate* books in the field, in fact many have been strongly critiqued/discredited over the years, especially those by Benedict, et. al. (whose work, for the record, i personally can't stand), for providing a false and antiquated picture of a "primitive" people and the concept of a "cultural whole" to describe a people. However, they are still essential to the study, particularly if studing the History & Theory of Anthropology, tracing its trajectory from its inception, and seeing how and why the field and its methods have changed in a postmodern setting.

Evolution can be important, and I did study that a bit. And more physical Anthropology (for which evolutionary theory is a basis-- I certainly did not mean to imply they were the same) is certainly a valuable field as well. But since Cultural Anthropology largely eschews traditional/biological definitions such as "race," evolution only gets you so far, and in fact can insert certain biases into a field which tries to practice at some level cultural relativism. Seeing less modern peoples as "primitive" or less "civilized" was a major justification for subjugating millions of colonized peoples, and is a perfect demonstration of the danger of "evolution" taken too far in the field of Anthropology.

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PPS-- I really hate to do this, since I really just posted my answer to help someone out, but I feel the need to respond to JONMCN49's constant attacks. Yes, relative to an actual anthropologist, I have studied little. However, I got my degree from a top-10 school, and graduated with honors from my department for my undergraduate work, which included an over 100-page thesis which was the product of over a year of fieldwork, analysis, and application/development of social theory. Because I am currently in Law School, I have not continued my study of Anthropology into graduate school. Yet compared to someone who has, oh, I don't know, a degree in zoology, I think my studies have been rather extensive.

As to your remarks re: cultural relativism and female circumcision, no, of course I don't agree with it or think it's ok in the name of culture. Anthropology is very self-questioning, leading to much criticism, divisions/schools, and revision occuring within the field. The limits of cultural relativism have indeed been shown, tested, and cautiously broken. The same is true for the limits of culture itself. Since people and how they see themselves in relation to the rest of the world are constantly changing, so must/does Anthropology. In terms of practices like female circumcision, Anthroplogists don't endorse it, but seek *why* and *how* it functions in that group, and what that tells us about how that group conceptualizes other larger issues (e.g. women, purity, the home). While I'm sure fieldwork like this leads many anthropologists to become politically active and want to affect change, that is separate from the actual job of the anthropologist, and rightfully so.

Answer 2

Alot of ethnographys and participant observation books. Try some Chagnon or hunt around is a cultural section for your favorite part of the globe. Also some early anthropologist wrote interesting books "The Gift" "Golden Bough" the book on religion. . Look for Authors, Boaz, Durkhiem, Morgan, Tylor, Frazer. These are early anthroplogists so take with a grain of salt, but Golden Bough is a must read.

Answer 3

Marvin Harris's books
Rise of Anthropological Theory
Cultural Materialism
Cows, Pigs, Wars and WItches: riddles of culture

all books by StephenJ Gould
though himself an evolutionary biologist, you must read his books, as he gives several examples of how science can often be abused, misused. offers one of the strongest critique of the concept of 'race', racism of any kind and devastates all theories which justify racial inequality (in terms of IQ for example).

Ruth Behar's
Vulnerable Observer

Street corner society by Whyte (more of sociological work, but a classic, and can be seen as an example of good ethnography)

Evans Pritchard's books on Nuer

Adam Kuper's book
Culture: the anthropologist's account

Clifford Geertz
The Inerpretation of Cultures

Erving Goffman books
Stigma
Asylums
The presentation of self in everyday life

Answer 4

Marvin Harris' "Rise of Anthropological Theory". Jared Diamond's books "Collapse" and "Guns Germs and Steel".

Answer 5

I am reading A World Lit only By Fire by William Manchester

its great and my anthropology major freind gave it to me

she allso suggested margret mead

Answer 6

" On The Origin of Species ", by Charles Darwin. We do not need another cultural anthropologist evolutionarily ill informed.

PS That is not physical anthropology, Zucca, that is evolutionary theory, which is sadly lacking in all anthropology. That is brought into sharp relief by the reading list you provided. Ruth Benedict and Margret Mead indeed!!

Evolution inserts biases?!?! Truly you only studied a little, Zucca, as your defense of " cultural relativism " shows. A pernicious doctrine, that has far outlived any usefulness it ever had. Why would I judge some culture by my own, when I have a universal, evolved human nature to judge by when a culture has violated humanity? You and your type, Zucca, sit and justify such barbarities as what is euphemistically called " female circumcision in the name of cultural relativism and pat yourself on the back for doing it.

Questioner; steep yourself in biology, so you do not ascribe to delusion.

Answer 7

**no no no no, if you read NOTHING else, you MUST read these 2 authors
Fukuyama and Huntington. End of history and clash of civilisations are not only central to contemporary discourse, they are good thought provoking reads. i would be very interested to see how you felt about everything after reading both. they will challenge all your beliefs.

Answer 8

Foucault and Kuhn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!