Cultural Anthropology

Jack David Eller is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology with Woxsen University in Hyderabad, India. An experienced teacher and author, his other books for Routledge include Introducing Anthropology of Religion (second edition, 2014), Cultural Anthropology: 101 (2015), Culture and Diversity in the United States (2015), Social Science and Historical Perspectives (2016), and Psychological Anthropology for the 21st Century (2018).

Praise for previous editions"Cultural Anthropology stands apart from other textbooks and is a truly unique option for introductory anthropology classes. Eller’s use of language is concise and accessible to the entry-level student. More importantly, the text offers a refreshingly clear focus on the relationship between culture, power and the central social issues of the world."Andrew Nelson, University of North Texas, USA"I have repeatedly returned to Eller for his ability to make difficult subjects accessible without condescension or dilution. This very good introduction is well written and hits all the marks of four field anthropology (and beyond) while never losing the important focus of culture and the human experience."Anjana Mebane-Cruz, Farmingdale State College, SUNY, USA"I would definitely recommend this text to students … it is simply excellent"Peter Collins, Durham University, UK"This textbook will undoubtedly prove invaluable to anthropology students, orientating them into the extensive world of contemporary anthropology. Of particular note is the clarity with which anthropology is presented as offering indispensable insights into the globalized world, whilst not shying away from addressing global political and economic concerns."Hannah Rumble, University of Exeter, UK"Finally, an introductory textbook with real substance. Eller’s thoughtful account takes his readers seriously, providing them with a no-nonsense rendition of cultural anthropology, both past and present. This book does true justice to our discipline."John T. Friedman, University College Roosevelt Academy/Utrecht University, the Netherlands

• Introduction 1. Understanding anthropology 2. Understanding and studying culture 3. History and theory of cultural anthropology 4. Language and social relations Seeing culture as a whole #1: Blogging about war in Lebanon 5. Sex and gender 6. Race and ethnicity 7. Applied anthropology 8. Health, illness, body, and culture Seeing culture as a whole #2: Gender, body, and personhood in Mapuche shamans 9. Economics: humans, nature, and society 10. Kinship and non-kin groups: being, becoming, and social organization 11. Politics: social order and social control 12. Religion: relating to the nonhuman world Seeing culture as a whole #3: Pilgrimage, politics, and purchasing in Malaysian Islam 13. Cultural dynamics: tradition and change 14. Colonialism and the origin of globalization 15. The search for political order and identity in the twenty-first century 16.The struggle for economic independence and prosperity in the twenty-first century: development, neoliberalism, and (de)globalization 17. Cultural survival and revival in the twenty-first century Seeing culture as a whole #4: Culture, colonialism, nationalism, neoliberalism, and competing indigeneities in India