Cultural Anthropology  

This introductory text introduces basic concepts in cultural anthropology by comparing cultures of increasing scale and focusing on specific universal issues throughout human history. Cultural materials are presented in integrated ethnographic case studies organized by cultural and geographic areas to show how ideological, social organization, and material features fit together in specific sociocultural systems. Bodley explicitly seeks a balance between ecological-materialist and cultural-ideological explanations of sociocultural systems, while stressing the importance of individual power-seeking and human agency. Part One examines domestic-scale, autonomous tribal cultures. Part Two presents politically organized, class-based civilizations and ancient empires in the imperial world. Part Three surveys global, industrial, market-based civilizations in the contemporary commercial world. Cultural Anthropology uniquely challenges students to consider the big questions about the nature of cultural systems.

Explorations in Cultural Anthropology is a collection of readings chosen to demonstrate the varied and valuable applications of the anthropological perspective to real-world problems on local, regional, and global scales. It introduces undergraduates to the exciting, perplexing, and troubling issues that socio-cultural anthropologists confront in their work in academia and beyond. Students now have a one-stop source for a variety of key ethnographic and cultural materials without having to buy or search for numerous texts.
Explorations in Cultural Anthropology offers 31 classic readings and contemporary anthropological essays as well as pieces written by journalists, scholars from other disciplines, cultural consultants, and community leaders. The selections are meant to thoughtfully challenge students and provoke further discussion within introductory-level classrooms.

Tracing the story to the origins of the Fur state in the seventeenth century, through imperial expansion, revolution, and finally Darfur's annexation by the Angol-Egyptian Sudan this book shows how years of neglect has left this region unprepared for independence. A complex and often harrowing story, told with compassion, insight and a strong sense of place.

The writing is lively, the illustrations and examples are engaging and relevant. Each semester I ask students if I should continue to use a text, they always vote to keep Lassiter's book on the syllabus. I will be using it again this fall and I would absolutely recommend it to colleagues. (Colleen Boyd )

My students thoroughly enjoyed it and raved about its ease of use, its small size, fairly inexpensive cost, and more importantly, how clearly the concepts of cultural anthropology were presented. Seldom have I had students announce in class that they enjoyed reading a text book, yet my students did this very thing. (Sebastian LeBeau II )

This book tells the story of Teeda Butt Mam, a Cambodian and his family who endured through Genocide in their native country. Experience the terror, horror and pain of their life during this time period.