Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory

by Paul A. Erickson (editor), Liam D. Murphy (Editor)

The fifth edition of this bestselling reader builds a strong foundation in both classical and contemporary theory, with a sharpened focus on gender and anthropology, and the anthropology of new media and technology. Short introductions and key terms accompany every reading, and light annotations have been added to aid students in reading original articles.

Used on its own or together with A History of Anthropological Theory, Fifth Edition, this anthology offers a flexible and unrivalled introduction to anthropological theory that reflects not only the history but also the changing nature of the discipline today.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Social Science

600 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Dr. Paul A. Anderson, Ph.D. (Connecticut), is Professor of Anthropology at Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Reviews

[sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my cultural theory class, and the reading selections in this are good! It's a comprehensive look at the canon, but there are some parts where excerpts from articles are cut out. For example, Bourdieu's article on habitus has the introduction cut out for some reason. I'm not sure why this happens, but it doesn't impact too much of the reading experience. A good start to anthropological theory!

[Carrie Doss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best resource for cultural theory primary sources that I’ve ever found. The 6th edition is also out and likely has more updated sources.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read unless forced.

[Janet Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for ANTH 304

[Viviana Nunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 495 pages I’m counting it

[Xarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided a lot of good pieces on anthropological theory. I would recommend reading this book with Anthropological Theory: An Introductory History (4th edition) by R. Jon McGee and Richard Warms. They work really well together.

[Kass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred my undergrad text to this version - it was exclusive and incomplete. Lacked helpful details for studying