Other People's Worlds: an introduction to social anthropology

by Joy Hendry

A good introduction to social anthropology (aimed at students) which explains what this field of study is and how it is carried out. The book draws on the author's personal experiences in conveying the excitement and diversity of different cultures, languages and different perceptions of the worlds in which people live in. Using a range of examples, Joy Hendry discusses the major topics of ritual; gift exchange and reciprocity; symbolism; beauty and bounty, treasure and trophies; religion, magic and mythology; law, order and social control; family, kinship and marriage; economics and the environment.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction

249 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1999

Reviews

[Mothwing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened up my world when I was nineteen and just starting university. I did a semester of Social Anthropology at my uni, and this neat little overview of how people do culture and see the world was mind-blowing. It felt so incredibly good, too, to realise that my view of cultures being fundamentally equal because they did the same thing for people was shared by others. There are problems with this book that I see now which I didn't pick up on after

[Roberta McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book - for a small volume it is packed with ideas, theories and cultural examples, a brilliant introduction to social anthropology for the curious and a great revision tool for students already familiar with key themes.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, that makes anthropology understandable.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

For such a small book, it compacted a lot of information within. I thought it did a good job of explaining anthropology terms and definitions.