Environmental Anthropology: From Pigs to Policies

by Patricia K. Townsend

Maintaining the structure and clarity of the previous edition, the second edition has been revised throughout to include new research, expanded discussions of climate change, and a chapter devoted to spiritual ecology. In the historical overview of the field, Patricia Townsend shows how ideas and approaches developed earlier are relevant to understanding how today's local populations adapt to their physical and biological environments. She next presents a closer look at global environmental issues - rapid expansion of the world economic system, disease and poverty, the loss of biodiversity and its implications for human health - to demonstrate the effects of interactions between local and global communities. As a capstone, she gives thoughtful consideration to how, as professionals and as individuals, we can move toward personal engagement with environmental problems.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, School, Environment, Academic, College, Ecology

119 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2000

About the author

PhD, University of Michigan, 1969
Adjunct Associate Professor
Research Interests: Environmental anthropology, medical anthropology, North America, Papua New Guinea.

Reviews

[syd gee]

As far as textbooks go it was pretty interesting.. guilty of Orientalism though.

[Lillian VanBennekom]

Had to read for a gen ed college course. I found it to be interesting but terribly organized

[Brenna Colner]

i wholeheartedly believe everyone should read this. absolutely perfect. amazing sources. will be bringing this to college with me as an environmental studies major.

[Janna]

This was actually rather interesting and a little eye-opening when one reads from an ethnocentric perspective. Also, when one looks up updates about some of the situations in the book, and sees them still being fought and/or lost twenty years later, it's a little depressing.

[Lauren]

This is a good light read for anyone who wants a brief understanding of the field, though it is far from comprehensive.

[Maddalena Paglia]

I had to read this book for a gen ed college class. The subject was anthropology and people and the environment. I found this book interesting. It is an easy read and very informative.