Jack David Eller – författare

The Anthropology of Donald Trumpis an edited volume of original anthropological essays, composed by some of the leading figures in the discipline. It applies their concepts, perspectives, and methods to a sustained and diverse understanding of Trump’s supporters, policies, and performance in office.The volume includes ethnographic case studies of "Trump country," examines Trump’s actions in office, and moves beyond Trump as an individual political fgure to consider larger structural and institutional issues.Providing a unique and valuable perspective on the Trump phenomenon, it will be of interest to anthropologists and other social scientists concerned with contemporary American society and politics as well as suitable reading for courses on political anthropology and US culture.

The Anthropology of Donald Trumpis an edited volume of original anthropological essays, composed by some of the leading figures in the discipline. It applies their concepts, perspectives, and methods to a sustained and diverse understanding of Trump’s supporters, policies, and performance in office.The volume includes ethnographic case studies of "Trump country," examines Trump’s actions in office, and moves beyond Trump as an individual political fgure to consider larger structural and institutional issues.Providing a unique and valuable perspective on the Trump phenomenon, it will be of interest to anthropologists and other social scientists concerned with contemporary American society and politics as well as suitable reading for courses on political anthropology and US culture.

This clear and engaging guide introduces students to key areas of the field and shows how to apply an anthropological approach to the study of religion in the contemporary world. Written by an experienced teacher, it covers major traditional topics including definitions, theories, and beliefs, as well as symbols, myth, and ritual. The book also explores important but often overlooked issues such as morality, violence, fundamentalism, secularization, and new religious movements. The chapters all contain lively case studies of religions practiced around the world. The third edition of Introducing Anthropology of Religion is fully updated and contains additional content on material religion, visual religion, and affect theory, and a new chapter takes a closer look at medical and health topics. The author encourages the reader to engage throughout with the unifying themes of race, gender, and power, and how these themes are intertwined with anthropology of religion. Images, a glossary, and questions for discussion are included and additional resources are provided via a companion website.

This clear and engaging guide introduces students to key areas of the field and shows how to apply an anthropological approach to the study of religion in the contemporary world. Written by an experienced teacher, it covers major traditional topics including definitions, theories, and beliefs, as well as symbols, myth, and ritual. The book also explores important but often overlooked issues such as morality, violence, fundamentalism, secularization, and new religious movements. The chapters all contain lively case studies of religions practiced around the world. The third edition of Introducing Anthropology of Religion is fully updated and contains additional content on material religion, visual religion, and affect theory, and a new chapter takes a closer look at medical and health topics. The author encourages the reader to engage throughout with the unifying themes of race, gender, and power, and how these themes are intertwined with anthropology of religion. Images, a glossary, and questions for discussion are included and additional resources are provided via a companion website.

Nonbelievers, Apostates, and Atheists in the Muslim World offers a contemporary, cross-cultural look at nonbelief and nonreligion in Islam. Providing historical, conceptual, statistical, and ethnographic data on nonbelievers from Morocco to Egypt, Turkey, and Bangladesh, it explores the unique nature and challenges of nonreligion for Muslims.It includes 11 chapters by experts on nonbelief, nonreligion, and atheism in an array of Muslim-majority countries. The book features multiple disciplines and offers both ethnographic and statistical information on this important, growing, but neglected population. It explores the unique nature of nonreligion in Islam, illustrating that nonbelief is specific to a particular religious tradition. It also examines how ex-Muslims navigate complexities and dangers of their societies—especially for women—and how nonbelief and nonreligion do not equate to atheism or the total repudiation of religion or of Muslim identity.This book is an outstanding resource for scholars and students of nonbelief, atheism, secularism, religion, and contemporary Islam.Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 9 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license

Nonbelievers, Apostates, and Atheists in the Muslim World offers a contemporary, cross-cultural look at nonbelief and nonreligion in Islam. Providing historical, conceptual, statistical, and ethnographic data on nonbelievers from Morocco to Egypt, Turkey, and Bangladesh, it explores the unique nature and challenges of nonreligion for Muslims.It includes 11 chapters by experts on nonbelief, nonreligion, and atheism in an array of Muslim-majority countries. The book features multiple disciplines and offers both ethnographic and statistical information on this important, growing, but neglected population. It explores the unique nature of nonreligion in Islam, illustrating that nonbelief is specific to a particular religious tradition. It also examines how ex-Muslims navigate complexities and dangers of their societies—especially for women—and how nonbelief and nonreligion do not equate to atheism or the total repudiation of religion or of Muslim identity.This book is an outstanding resource for scholars and students of nonbelief, atheism, secularism, religion, and contemporary Islam.Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 9 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license

This book addresses the standard topics of race, ethnicity, class, and gender but goes much further by engaging seriously with issues of language, religion, age, health and disability, and region and geography. It also considers the intersections between and the diversities within these categories. Eller presents students with an unprecedented combination of history, conceptual analysis, discussion of academic literature, and up-to-date statistics. The book includes a range of illustrations, figures and tables, text boxes, a glossary of key terms, and a comprehensive bibliography. New to this edition are updated numerical and statistical data, as well as discussions of sociopolitical developments over the past decade, including• The controversies over the 2020 census itself (e.g., the “citizenship question,” funding for the census)• The #MeToo movement• The Black Lives Matter movement, Critical Race Theory, and race-related police violence• The rise in racial, ethnic, and religious hate crimes, for example, anti-Semitism and anti-Asian bias (the latter largely resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic)• White nationalism and the “Great Replacement” conspiracy• Anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes and legislation (“don’t say gay” laws, book banning, denial of “gender-affirming” treatment for minors)• General immigration facts and policies (e.g., family separation), the proposed border wall, etc.This book is ideal for introductory and advance level courses in anthropology, American Studies, and across the social sciences.

This book addresses the standard topics of race, ethnicity, class, and gender but goes much further by engaging seriously with issues of language, religion, age, health and disability, and region and geography. It also considers the intersections between and the diversities within these categories. Eller presents students with an unprecedented combination of history, conceptual analysis, discussion of academic literature, and up-to-date statistics. The book includes a range of illustrations, figures and tables, text boxes, a glossary of key terms, and a comprehensive bibliography. New to this edition are updated numerical and statistical data, as well as discussions of sociopolitical developments over the past decade, including• The controversies over the 2020 census itself (e.g., the “citizenship question,” funding for the census)• The #MeToo movement• The Black Lives Matter movement, Critical Race Theory, and race-related police violence• The rise in racial, ethnic, and religious hate crimes, for example, anti-Semitism and anti-Asian bias (the latter largely resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic)• White nationalism and the “Great Replacement” conspiracy• Anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes and legislation (“don’t say gay” laws, book banning, denial of “gender-affirming” treatment for minors)• General immigration facts and policies (e.g., family separation), the proposed border wall, etc.This book is ideal for introductory and advance level courses in anthropology, American Studies, and across the social sciences.

Beyond Liminality: Ontologies of Abundant Betweenness examines the concept of liminality in the social sciences and humanities, and advocates for a more critical use of the concept while offering more precise alternatives.Originally conceived in response to the near-universal ritualization of changes of status (i.e., "rites of passage"), liminality was a welcome and much-needed correction to the reigning static and structural models of culture at the time. However, it soon escaped its initial realm and was enthusiastically—and mostly uncritically—absorbed by many if not all scholarly disciplines. The very success of the concept suggests that there is something about it that resonates with our own cultural sentiments. However, the assumptions that underlie diagnoses of liminality are seldom noted and even more seldom analyzed and critiqued. This book examines the history of the concept, its evolution, and its current status, and asks whether liminality accurately reflects lived realities which might better be described by fluidity, hybridity, multiplicity, constant motion and recombination, and abundant betweenness.Beyond Liminality: Ontologies of Abundant Betweenness is key reading for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities interested in ritual, performance, identity formation, rights, ontology, and epistemology.

Beyond Liminality: Ontologies of Abundant Betweenness examines the concept of liminality in the social sciences and humanities, and advocates for a more critical use of the concept while offering more precise alternatives.Originally conceived in response to the near-universal ritualization of changes of status (i.e., "rites of passage"), liminality was a welcome and much-needed correction to the reigning static and structural models of culture at the time. However, it soon escaped its initial realm and was enthusiastically—and mostly uncritically—absorbed by many if not all scholarly disciplines. The very success of the concept suggests that there is something about it that resonates with our own cultural sentiments. However, the assumptions that underlie diagnoses of liminality are seldom noted and even more seldom analyzed and critiqued. This book examines the history of the concept, its evolution, and its current status, and asks whether liminality accurately reflects lived realities which might better be described by fluidity, hybridity, multiplicity, constant motion and recombination, and abundant betweenness.Beyond Liminality: Ontologies of Abundant Betweenness is key reading for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities interested in ritual, performance, identity formation, rights, ontology, and epistemology.

The fifth edition of Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives offers a clear and readable introduction to the field of cultural anthropology, with a special focus on how digital technologies and social media function as prime global forces that are nevertheless used, adapted, transformed, or ignored by people in their everyday local lives.This thoroughly modern textbook challenges traditional views of anthropology by positioning it as uniquely qualified to analyze our tech-enhanced social world, exploring the "myth and mess" of digital life through ethnographic case studies spanning diverse global contexts. This updated fifth edition offers significant enhancements including a new chapter on applied anthropology, expanded coverage of gender studies, four new extended case studies, and fresh ethnographic examples featuring digital phenomena like Facebook in Turkey, hashtag activism, and COVID-19 responses in Bhutan.Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives is ideal for undergraduate students in anthropology and related social sciences, as well as researchers interested in the cultural dimensions of technology, globalization, and contemporary social movements.

The fifth edition of Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives offers a clear and readable introduction to the field of cultural anthropology, with a special focus on how digital technologies and social media function as prime global forces that are nevertheless used, adapted, transformed, or ignored by people in their everyday local lives.This thoroughly modern textbook challenges traditional views of anthropology by positioning it as uniquely qualified to analyze our tech-enhanced social world, exploring the "myth and mess" of digital life through ethnographic case studies spanning diverse global contexts. This updated fifth edition offers significant enhancements including a new chapter on applied anthropology, expanded coverage of gender studies, four new extended case studies, and fresh ethnographic examples featuring digital phenomena like Facebook in Turkey, hashtag activism, and COVID-19 responses in Bhutan.Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives is ideal for undergraduate students in anthropology and related social sciences, as well as researchers interested in the cultural dimensions of technology, globalization, and contemporary social movements.

This book unites the burgeoning scholarly literature on not-believing in various disciplines into a proposed new field of apisteology. It demonstrates that not-believing—like not-knowing—is a worthy and distinct subject and not merely a vacuum where belief (like knowledge) is lacking. Several contemporary issues appear repeatedly in the book, such as conspiracy theories, vaccine skepticism, climate change denial, and fake news. Each chapter begins with a vignette on one of these topics and ends with a section looking ahead to what certain disciplinary approaches to not-believing can tell us. Not only does this format allow us to consider how not-believing is pervasive and distinct, but it also allows us to consider what apisteology as a distinct field of study brings to the table. Ultimately, the book’s consistent appeals to the constructed quality of not-believing, to the trust and commitment dimensions of not-believing, and to the critique of “truth” as the central or only interest in “belief” make it key reading for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities.

This book unites the burgeoning scholarly literature on not-believing in various disciplines into a proposed new field of apisteology. It demonstrates that not-believing—like not-knowing—is a worthy and distinct subject and not merely a vacuum where belief (like knowledge) is lacking. Several contemporary issues appear repeatedly in the book, such as conspiracy theories, vaccine skepticism, climate change denial, and fake news. Each chapter begins with a vignette on one of these topics and ends with a section looking ahead to what certain disciplinary approaches to not-believing can tell us. Not only does this format allow us to consider how not-believing is pervasive and distinct, but it also allows us to consider what apisteology as a distinct field of study brings to the table. Ultimately, the book’s consistent appeals to the constructed quality of not-believing, to the trust and commitment dimensions of not-believing, and to the critique of “truth” as the central or only interest in “belief” make it key reading for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities.

The book is a study of the dynamic, multi-faceted, and even unorthodox things that are happening within Muslim-majority societies. The mission is to bring together in a single volume an array of anthropological observations of individuals, groups, and movements in contemporary Islamic settings, focusing neither primarily on religion nor on nonreligion or secularism but on the range of activities that people engage in under the umbrella of Islam.The volume includes 14 chapters by anthropologists on and in a wide array of Muslim-majority countries, from Morocco to Turkey, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia. It features explorations of unorthodox piety (including “algorithmic faith” and ex-Muslim “digital migration”), economics (Islamic currencies and “market Islam” in the form of Gülen movement), gender (online female entrepreneurship, heavy metal women, queer-feminist pilgrimage, and transgender and anti-transgender movements), and arts and environments (eco-Islam, modernist Islamic art, and Ottoman objects and authority). The collected essays illustrate clearly that Islam is much more than “Islamism” or, worse, Islamic terrorism and that contemporary Muslims are creative makers of their own forms of modernity, usually respectful of but also actively reimaging the “discursive tradition” that is Islam.The volume should be of interest to scholars and students of Islam (and other religions), as well as general readers, who want to see beyond the stereotypes of Islam and appreciate today’s Muslims as makers of their own, often unorthodox, cultural realities.

The book is a study of the dynamic, multi-faceted, and even unorthodox things that are happening within Muslim-majority societies. The mission is to bring together in a single volume an array of anthropological observations of individuals, groups, and movements in contemporary Islamic settings, focusing neither primarily on religion nor on nonreligion or secularism but on the range of activities that people engage in under the umbrella of Islam.The volume includes 14 chapters by anthropologists on and in a wide array of Muslim-majority countries, from Morocco to Turkey, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia. It features explorations of unorthodox piety (including “algorithmic faith” and ex-Muslim “digital migration”), economics (Islamic currencies and “market Islam” in the form of Gülen movement), gender (online female entrepreneurship, heavy metal women, queer-feminist pilgrimage, and transgender and anti-transgender movements), and arts and environments (eco-Islam, modernist Islamic art, and Ottoman objects and authority). The collected essays illustrate clearly that Islam is much more than “Islamism” or, worse, Islamic terrorism and that contemporary Muslims are creative makers of their own forms of modernity, usually respectful of but also actively reimaging the “discursive tradition” that is Islam.The volume should be of interest to scholars and students of Islam (and other religions), as well as general readers, who want to see beyond the stereotypes of Islam and appreciate today’s Muslims as makers of their own, often unorthodox, cultural realities.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to psychological anthropology, covering both the early history and contemporary state of the field. Eller discusses the major themes, theories, figures and publications, and provides a detailed survey of the essential and enduring relationship between anthropology and psychology. The volume charts the development, celebrates the accomplishments, critiques the inadequacies, and considers the future of a field that has made great contributions to the overall discipline of anthropology. The chapters feature rich ethnographic examples and boxes for more in-depth discussion as well as summaries and questions to support teaching and learning. This is essential reading for all students new to the study of psychological anthropology.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to psychological anthropology, covering both the early history and contemporary state of the field. Eller discusses the major themes, theories, figures and publications, and provides a detailed survey of the essential and enduring relationship between anthropology and psychology. The volume charts the development, celebrates the accomplishments, critiques the inadequacies, and considers the future of a field that has made great contributions to the overall discipline of anthropology. The chapters feature rich ethnographic examples and boxes for more in-depth discussion as well as summaries and questions to support teaching and learning. This is essential reading for all students new to the study of psychological anthropology.

This accessible book introduces the story of ‘social science’, with coverage of history, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and geography.Key questions include: How and why did the social sciences originate and differentiate? How are they related to older traditions that have defined Western civilization? What is the unique perspective or ‘way of knowing’ of each social science? What are the challenges—and alternatives—to the social sciences as they stand in the twenty-first century? Eller explains the origin, evolution, methods, and the main figures, literature, concepts, and theories in each discipline. The chapters also feature a range of contemporary examples, with consideration given to how the disciplines address present-day issues.

This accessible book introduces the story of ‘social science’, with coverage of history, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and geography.Key questions include: How and why did the social sciences originate and differentiate? How are they related to older traditions that have defined Western civilization? What is the unique perspective or ‘way of knowing’ of each social science? What are the challenges—and alternatives—to the social sciences as they stand in the twenty-first century? Eller explains the origin, evolution, methods, and the main figures, literature, concepts, and theories in each discipline. The chapters also feature a range of contemporary examples, with consideration given to how the disciplines address present-day issues.

This concise and accessible introduction establishes the relevance of cultural anthropology for the modern world through an integrated, ethnographically informed approach. The book develops readers’ understanding and engagement by addressing key issues such as: What it means to be human The key characteristics of culture as a concept Relocation and dislocation of peoples The conflict between political, social and ethnic boundaries The concept of economic anthropologyCultural Anthropology: 101 includes case studies from both classic and contemporary ethnography, as well as a comprehensive bibliography and index. It is an essential guide for students approaching this fascinating field for the first time.

This concise and accessible introduction establishes the relevance of cultural anthropology for the modern world through an integrated, ethnographically informed approach. The book develops readers’ understanding and engagement by addressing key issues such as: What it means to be human The key characteristics of culture as a concept Relocation and dislocation of peoples The conflict between political, social and ethnic boundaries The concept of economic anthropologyCultural Anthropology: 101 includes case studies from both classic and contemporary ethnography, as well as a comprehensive bibliography and index. It is an essential guide for students approaching this fascinating field for the first time.

This illuminating, in-depth studypresents a wealth of case material, demonstrating the many manifestations of religious violence-not just war and terrorism, which are the focus of so many discussions of religiously motivated violence-but also more prevalent forms. The author, an anthropologist, devotes separate chapters to:· sacrifice (both animal and human); · self-mortification (including self-injury, asceticism, and martyrdom); · religious persecution (from anti-Semitic pogroms to witchhunts); · ethno-religious conflict (including such hotspots as Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland, and the former Yugoslavia); · religious wars (from the ancient Hebrews' wars and the Christian Crusades to Islamic jihad and Hindu righteous wars); · and religious homicide and abuse (spousal abuse, genital mutilation, and "dowry death," among other manifestations). In the final chapter, "Religion and Nonviolence," the author examines nonviolent and low-conflict societies and considers various methods of managing conflict. This book goes a long way toward helping us understand the nature of violence generally, its complicated connections with religion, and how society in the future might avoid being blindsided by the worst aspects of human nature.

What really happened on the first Thanksgiving? How did a British drinking song become the national anthem of the United States? And what makes Superman so darned American? Every tradition, even the noblest and most cherished, has a history, nowhere more so than in the USA, which was born with a relative indifference, if not hostility, to the past. Most Americans would be surprised to learn just how recent – and controversial – the origins of their traditions are, as well as how those origins are often related to the trauma of the Civil War and to fears for American identity stemming from immigration and socialism.Inventing American Tradition explores a wide range of beloved traditions, including political symbols, holidays, lifestyles and fictional characters, and looks at the people who conceived of and adapted them into the forms familiar to Americans – and the innumerable people around the world influenced by American culture – today.What emerges is the realization that all traditions are invented by particular people at particular times for particular reasons, and that the process of ‘traditioning’ is forever ongoing.