Culture and Society: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Culture and Society: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology is a concise, accessible, and engaging introduction to the field of cultural anthropology. It provides an overview of the major findings and contributions of the field together with useful supplemental material, including recommended readings, descriptions of specific culture groups, discussion questions, and links to related resources. 

The volume opens with three introductory chapters that summarize the history of anthropology, place cultural anthropology in the context of the other fields of anthropology, introduce cultural anthropology’s signature method (ethnography), and explore definitions of culture. Subsequent chapters present the knowledge ethnographic research has contributed about major areas of the human experience, including subsistence, gift exchange, kinship, sex/gender, religion, and globalization. Across these chapters, major theoretical concepts are introduced and revisited, including ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, materialism, evolution, complexity, structure, function, symbol, and reflexivity. The book includes references to classic works as well as new research.