Visions of Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theories and Theorists

by Jerry D. Moore

This new edition of Jerry D. Moore's Visions of Culture presents introductory anthropology students with a brief, readable, and balanced treatment of theoretical developments in the field. The key ideas of major theorists are briefly described and―unique to this textbook―linked to the biographical and fieldwork experiences that helped shape their theories. The impact of each scholar on contemporary anthropology is presented, along with numerous examples, quotes from the theorists' writings, and a description of the broader intellectual setting in which these anthropologists worked.

Genres: Anthropology, History, Nonfiction, Theory, School, Textbooks, Biography

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Jerry D. Moore is an anthropological archaeologist and professor of anthropology at California State University Dominguez Hills, California. His research interests focus on cultural landscapes, the archaeology of architecture, and human adaptations on the north coast of Peru and northern Baja California.

He is the author of Architecture and Power in the Prehispanic Andes: The Archaeology of Public Buildings (1996), Cultural Landscapes in the Prehispanic Andes: Archaeologies of Place (2005), Visions of Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theories and Theorists (2012), the 2014 SAA Book Award winner A Prehistory of Home, thirty-five peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and sixty-seven professional papers.

Reviews

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry D. Moore is a life saver. I first became acquainted with “Visions of Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theories and Theorists” when I was a first-year graduate student. Sure, I had taken a course on anthropological theory as an undergraduate, but when I took a similarly named course at the graduate level, the course was ***SO*** much more intense.

As an anthropologist—both as a student and as a professional—it’s important to understand both past and present theories. In fact, this is something that an anthropologist can’t get away from. The readings in graduate school were extremely intense, so it was necessary for me to understand what people like Edward Tylor, Franz Boas, and other anthropology founders were doing (and thinking!) when they collected and analyzed data.

This book is succinct. It includes concepts that people studying human cultures needs, and, primarily, gives students a real foundation into understanding the who’s, what’s, and why’s. From Kroeber to Ortner and beyond, Moore’s book helps students to easily understand each of the theorists.

I’ve read and re-read this book on multiple occasions, and will continue to do so. I heartily recommend this book to each and every anthropology student, and particularly those who are delving into cultural and linguistic anthropological theory (archaeological theory is different!) and especially if they are going to take a specialist class on theory. This book is also an excellent refresher to those who are also post-graduates.

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a school project but ended up having a lot of fun!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cultural theory is not one of my favorite topics even though I am an anthropology major. Still, this book is easy to read, and considering some of the theories, pretty easy to understand. It also includes a little biography of each person which helps to gain insight into what they observed.

[Carrie Doss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for anyone who needs an overview of cultural theorists. From Tylor to Sahlins, this book has you covered. However, there’s an updated fifth edition that has added newer theorists.

[g1917 · Rating 3 out of 5]

good for short overviews of different anthro thinkers, more of a jumping off point that an in-depth look at these people

[Gretel]

It is finished! Read the entire anthropology textbook!
for a textbook this is actually very interesting; it provides an overview of the major anthropology theorists and almost seems to make it interesting at the same time! I think this is quite an achievement!

[Betsy McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and very, very easy to read. An absolute must for anthropologists!

[Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me to understand in detail the history of anthropological theory. Very helpful and easy to understand!

[Travis Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great intro to anthropology theorists and bits of their theory...

[Hrvoje · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Jennifer]

course textbook

[Rania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this book for my anthropological theory course, it is an amazing resource that helped me so much...highly recommended for beginners.