The very form and reach of the modern state are changing radically under the pressure of globalization. Drawing on fieldwork in Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka,... Peru, Guatemala, India, Chad, Colombia, and South Africa, the contributors examine official documentary practices and their forms and falsifications; the problems that highly mobile mercenaries, currency, goods, arms, and diamonds pose to the state; emerging non-state regulatory authorities; and the role language plays as cultures struggle to articulate their situation.

The 57 articles collected in this volume---together with the editors’ introduction---provide an overview of the key debates in anthropological theory... over the past century.Provides the most comprehensive selection of readings and insightful overview of anthropological theory available Identifies crucial conceptual signposts and new theoretical directions for the discipline Discusses broader debates in the social sciences: debates about society and culture; structure and agency; identities and technologies; subjectivities and translocality; and meta-theory, ontology and epistemology

Anthropology Matters! examines the research methods, perspectives, and application of anthropology in a way that bridges the gap between the real world... and the academic study of anthropology. What does anthropology have to do with shopping, body image, and watching television? What unique skills and perspectives do anthropologists bring to discussions on controversial issues like ethnic conflict, female circumcision, and same-sex marriage? These questions form the basis of a book that challenges students to link common concepts discussed in anthropology to contemporary issues and practices, to think of anthropology not only as an academic discipline but as a venue for their citizenship in both local and global communities. Anthropology Matters! enhances the discussions put forth in general anthropology textbooks and brings those discussions to life.

It is nearly impossible to discuss alcohol, tobacco, and drugs without applying our own cultural prism. In a concise, nontechnical manner,... anthropologist Irene Glasser combines her own research with that of others to show the importance of removing cultural biases to uncover crucial understandings about substance use and misuse. Ethnographic examples elucidate the diverse meanings of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs around the world as well as the psychological and physiological effects of their use. Glasser applies anthropological research methods in her examination of treatment and recovery and uncovers why some programs are more effective than others. The book's focus on culture and how it affects people's relationships to mind-altering substances, together with experiential learning activities at the end of each chapter, will generate new realizations and open doors for further exploration. Titles of related interest also from Waveland Press: Dei, Ties That Bind: Youth and Drugs in a Black Community (ISBN 9781577661993); Singer, Drugging the Poor: Legal and Illegal Drugs and Social Inequality (ISBN 9781577664949); Singer, The Face of Social Suffering: The Life History of a Street Drug Addict (ISBN 9781577664321); Singer, Something Dangerous: Emergent and Changing Illicit Drug Use and Community Health (ISBN 9781577663768); and Spradley, You Owe Yourself a Drunk: An Ethnography of Urban Nomads (ISBN 9781577660859).

In Anthropology off the Shelf, leading anthropologists reflect on the craft of writing and the passions that fuel their desire to write books.First of... its kind volume in anthropology in which prominent anthropologists and 3 respected professionals outside the discipline follow the tradition of the “writers on writing” genre to reflect on all aspects of the writing processContributors are high-profile in anthropology and many have a strong presence outside the field, in popular cultureUnique in its format: short essays, revealing and straightforward in content and writing style

Ottenheimer's authoritative yet approachable introduction to the field's methodology, skills, techniques, tools, and applications emphasizes the kinds... of questions that anthropologists ask about language and the kinds of questions that intrigue students. The text brings together the key areas of linguistic anthropology, addressing issues of power, race, gender, and class throughout. Further stressing the everyday relevance of the text material, Ottenheimer includes "In the Field" vignettes that draw you in to the chapter material via stories culled from her own and others' experiences, as well as "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross-Language Miscommunication" features that describe real-life applications of text concepts.

A cross-cultural study of gender roles and relationships, this book presents a synthesis of a wide range of ethnographic and historical data concerning... the roles of women and men in wide range of different kinds of societies--with a focus on both material conditions and ideological valuations that affect and reflect cultural models of gender. First looks at the impact of material conditions on gender roles: Foragers; Farmers; Agricultural States; Industrial Economy: The United States; and Women and Global Economic Development. Then explores ideological constraints on gender constructs: Gender and the Body; Gender and Religion; Gender and Language. For anyone interested in gender roles from an anthropological, sociological, and psychological perspective.

Arguing that policy has become an increasingly central concept and instrument in the organisation of contemporary societies and that it now impinges on... all areas of life so that it is virtually impossible to ignore or escape its influence, this book argues that the study of policy leads straight into issues at the heart of anthropology.

This text offers an alternative to the case-driven approach that the sole use of a reader tends to foster. It provides students with ways of... conceptualizing what religion is, what its social and psychological functions are, the nature of religious symbolism and religious behavior, and the organizational structure of religions. This text covers all the standard topics (e.g., ideology and symbolism, ritual and ceremony, organizational forms, and social and psychological functions of religion) as well as ones of more recent interest such as religion and gender, the psychology of religion, and pilgrimage.

How do anthropologists work today and how will they work in future? While some anthropologists have recently called for a new "public" or "engaged"... anthropology, profound changes have already occurred, leading to new kinds of work for a large number of anthropologists. The image of anthropologists "reaching out" from protected academic positions to a vaguely defined "public" is out of touch with the working conditions of these anthropologists, especially those junior and untenured. The papers in this volume show that anthropology is put to work in diverse ways today. They indicate that the new conditions of anthropological work require significant departures from canonical principles of cultural anthropology, such as replacing ethnographic rapport with multiple forms of collaboration. This volume's goal is to help graduate students and early-career scholars accept these changes without feeling something essential to anthropology has been lost. There really is no other choice for most young anthropologists. 

Defines the most important aspects of various forms of anthropology, including archeology, cultural and biological anthropology. For students studying... anthropology; most helpful for those in introductory anthropology. 6-page laminated guide includes: - Archeology • common methods • dating types • pottery • tool making • transitional periods • civilizations • theories; evolution of civilizations - Cultural Anthropology • culture • language • enculturation • subsistence • family & kinship • marriage • economics • art • non-kin groups • political organization • religion • culture change - Biological Anthropology • Mendelian genetics • molecular biology & genetics • primatology • paleoanthropology • human evolution • theories of modern human

What does it mean to be human in the twenty-first century? Susan Ross explores this question through the lens of human desires: for God, freedom,... knowledge, love, and pleasure, but also for power, consumer goods, self-gratification, and money. Beginning with biblical narratives of human desires, she goes on to consider how ancient, medieval, and modern thinkers have wrestled with the various ways that human beings have sought fulfillment in the world and in God. The twenty-first century brings new questions and continuing challenges: In a world of increasing complexity and fragmentation, can we still talk about the self ? How have feminism and new thinking about sexuality changed the ways we think about ourselves? How do we maintain our humanity in the face of monstrous human evil? What do the findings of science say about our uniqueness as human beings? Anthropology: Seeking Light and Beauty offers a path through the many conflicting views of humanity, suggesting a fuller way of living as we try to follow the example of Jesus.