Introducing Anthropology : A Graphic Guide

Anthropology originated because the examine of ‘primitive’ cultures. However the notion of ‘primitive’ exposes presumptions of ‘civilized’ superiority and the best of the West to talk for ‘much less developed’ others. With the autumn of Empire, anthropology turned suspect and was torn by dissension from inside. Did anthropology function a ‘handmaiden to colonialism’? Is it a ‘science’ created by racism to show racism? Can it support communication between cultures, or does it reinforce our variations? “Introducing Anthropology” is an interesting account of an unsure human science in search of to transcend its unsavoury historical past. It traces the evolution of anthropology from its genesis in Historical Greece to its diversified kinds in up to date instances. Anthropology’s key ideas and strategies are defined, and we’re offered with such big-name anthropologists as Franz Boas, Bronislaw Malinowski, E.E. Evans-Pritchard, Margaret Mead and Claude Levi-Strauss. The brand new kinds of self-critical and postmodern anthropologies are examined, and the main query – of the affect of anthropology on non-Western cultures – is given centre-stage. “Introducing Anthropology” is lucid in its arguments, its good humour supported by apt and witty illustrations. This ebook affords a extremely accessible invitation into anthropology.