Small Places, Large Issues

Thomas Hylland Eriksen

Description

This introduction to social and cultural anthropology has become a modern classic, revealing the rich global variation in social life and culture across the world.



Presenting a clear overview of anthropology, it focuses on central topics such as kinship, ethnicity, ritual and political systems, offering a wealth of examples that demonstrate the enormous scope of anthropology and the importance of a comparative perspective. Unlike other texts on the subject, Small Places, Large Issues incorporates the anthropology of complex modern societies. Using reviews of key works to illustrate his argument, Thomas Hylland Eriksen's lucid and accessible overview remains an established introductory text in anthropology.



This fourth edition is updated throughout and increases the emphasis on the interdependence of human worlds. It incorporates recent debates and controversies, ranging from globalisation and migration research to problems of cultural translation, and discusses the challenges of interdisciplinarity in a lucid way.
Series Preface

Preface to the Fourth Edition

1. Anthropology: Comparison and Context

2. A Brief History of Anthropology

3. Fieldwork and Ethnography

4. The Social Person

5. Local Organisation

6. Person and Society

7. Kinship as Descent

8. Marriage and Relatedness

9. Gender and Age

10. Caste and Class

11. Politics and Power

12. Exchange and Consumption

13. Production, Nature and Technology

14. Religion and Ritual

15. Language and Cognition

16. Complexity and Change

17. Ethnicity

18. Nationalism and Minorities

19. Anthropology and the Paradoxes of Globalisation

20. Public Anthropology

Epilogue: Making Anthropology Matter

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Social Science
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Religión
• Field work
• Minority group
• Social group
• Ethnography
• General officer
• Globalization
• Nationalism
• Anthropology
• Ritual
• Fieldwork
• Religion
• General
• Social
• Culture

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 août 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783715176
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

Sma Paces, Large Issues

ANTHrOpOOgy, CuTure aND SOcîeTy

Serîes EDîTOrs: PrOessOr VereD AmîT, CONcOrDîa UNîversîTy aND PrOessOr CHrîsTîNa GarsTeN, STOckHOm UNîversîTy

Becoming Arab in London: Performativity and the Undoing of Identity R M. K. A AMY LY Community, Cosmopolitanism and the Problem of Human Commonality V A ERED MIT AND N IGEL R APPORT Home Spaces, Street Styles: Contesting Power and Identity in a South African City L ESLIE J. B ANK In Foreign Fields: The Politics and Experiences of Transnational Sport Migration T F. C HOMAS ARTER Dream Zones: Anticipating Capitalism and Development in India J C AMIE ROSS A World of Insecurity: Anthropological Perspectives on Human Security E DITED BY T HOMAS E RIKSEN , E B LLEN AL AND O S SCAR ALEMINK A History of Anthropology Second Edition T H E HOMAS YLLAND RIKSEN AND F INN S IVERT N IELSEN Ethnicity and Nationalism: Anthropological Perspectives Third Edition T H E HOMAS YLLAND RIKSEN Fredrik Barth: An Intellectual Biography T HOMAS H YLLAND E RIKSEN

ReceNT TîTes:

At the Heart of the State: The Moral World of Institutions D F . IDIER ASSIN ET AL Discordant Development: Global Capitalism and the Struggle for Connection in Bangladesh K ATY G ARDNER Anthropology and Development: Challenges for the Twentyrst Century K ATY G ARDNERAND D AVID L EWIS Organisational Anthropology: Doing Ethnography in and Among Complex Organisations E C G DITED BY HRISTINA ARSTEN A N AND NETTE YQVIST Border Watch: Cultures of Immigration, Detention and Control A H LEXANDRA ALL Anthropology’s World: Life in a TwentyFirst Century Discipline U H LF ANNERZ Humans and Other Animals: Crosscultural Perspectives on Human–Animal Interactions S H AMANTHA URN FlipFlop: A Journey Through Globalisation’s Backroads C AROLINE K NOWLES The Anthropology of Security: Perspectives from the Frontline of Policing, CounterTerrorism and Border Control E DITEDBY M ARK M AGUIRE , C F ATARINA ROIS N Z AND ILS URAWSKI

The Gloss of Harmony: The Politics of Policy Making in Multilateral Organisations E B M DITED BY IRGIT ÜLLER Contesting Publics: Feminism, Activism, Ethnography L P YNNE HILLIPS S C AND ALLY OLE Food For Change: The Politics and Values of Social Movements J P EFF RATT AND P L ETER UETCHFORD Checkpoint, Temple, Church and Mosque: A Collaborative Ethnography of War and Peace J ONATHAN S PENCER , J G , ONATHAN OODHAND S HAHUL H ASBULLAH , B K , B K ART LEM ENEDIKT ORF K T S AND ALINGA UDOR ILVA Race and Ethnicity in Latin America Second Edition P ETER W ADE Race and Sex in Latin America P ETER W ADE The Capability of Places: Methods for Modelling Community Response to Intrusion and Change S W ANDRA ALLMAN The Making of an African Working Class: Politics, Law and Cultural Protest in the Manual Workers’ Union of Botswana P NINA W ERBNER

Sma Paces, Large Issues AN INTrODucTîON TO SOcîa aND CuTura ANTHrOpOOgy

oURth EdItIon

tHOmas hyaND ErîkseN

îrsT pubîsHeD 1 RevîseD OurTH eDîTîON pubîsHeD 1 by PuTO Press  ArcHway ROaD, LONDON n AA

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COpyrîgHT © tHOmas hyaND ErîkseN 1, 1, 1, 1

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typeseT by STaNOrD dtP Servîces, nOrTHampTON, ENgaND texT DesîgN by MeaNîe PaTrîck SîmuTaNeOusy prîNTeD by CPI ANTONy ROwe, CHîppeNHam, UK aND EDwarDs BrOs îN THe UNîTeD STaTes O Amerîca

Contents

Series Preface Preface to the Fourth Edition

 1. ANTHrOpOOgy: COmparîsON aND CONTexT  . A Brîe hîsTOry O ANTHrOpOOgy  . îeDwOrk aND ETHNOgrapHy  . tHe SOcîa PersON  . LOca orgaNîsaTîON  . PersON aND SOcîeTy  . KîNsHîp as desceNT  . Marrîage aND ReaTeDNess  . GeNDer aND Age 1. CasTe aND Cass 11. POîTîcs aND POwer 1. ExcHaNge aND CONsumpTîON 1. PrODucTîON, naTure aND tecHNOOgy 1. ReîgîON aND RîTua 1. LaNguage aND COgNîTîON 1. COmpexîTy aND CHaNge 1. ETHNîcîTy 1. naTîONaîsm aND MîNOrîTîes 1. ANTHrOpOOgy aND THe ParaDOxes O GObaîsaTîON . Pubîc ANTHrOpOOgy

Epilogue: Making Anthropology Matter Bibliography Index

vî vîî

1 1     11 1 1 1 1 1 1       1

1  

Series Preface

ANTHrOpOOgy îs a DîscîpîNe baseD upON îN-DepTH eTHNOgrapHîc wOrks THaT Dea wîTH wîDer THeOreTîca îssues îN THe cONTexT O parTîcuar, Oca cONDîTîONs – TO parapHrase aN împOrTaNT vOume rOm THe serîes:large issues expOreD îNsmall places. tHîs serîes Has a parTîcuar mîssîON: TO pubîsH wOrk THaT mOves away rOm aN OD-sTye DescrîpTîve eTHNOgrapHy THaT îs sTrONgy area-sTuDîes OrîeNTeD, aND OFer geNuîNe THeOreTîca argumeNTs THaT are O îNTeresT TO a mucH wîDer reaDersHîp, buT wHîcH are NeverTHeess OcaTeD aND grOuNDeD îN sOîD eTHNOgrapHîc researcH. I aNTHrOpOOgy îs TO argue îTse a pace îN THe cONTempOrary îNTeecTua wOrD, THeN îT musT surey be THrOugH sucH researcH. We sTarT rOm THe quesTîON: ‘WHaT caN THîs eTHNOgrapHîc maTerîa Te us abOuT THe bîgger THeOreTîca îssues THaT cONcerN THe sOcîa scîeNces?’ raTHer THaN ‘WHaT caN THese THeOreTîca îDeas Te us abOuT THe eTHNOgrapHîc cONTexT?’ PuT THîs way rOuND, sucH wOrk becOmesaboutarge îssues,set in a (reaTîvey) sma pace, raTHer THaN DeTaîeD DescrîpTîON O a sma pace Or îTs OwN sake. As CîFOrD GeerTz ONce saîD, ‘ANTHrOpOOgîsTs DON’T sTuDy vîages; THey sTuDyinvîages.’ By pace, we meaN NOT ONy geOgrapHîca Ocae, buT asO OTHer Types O ‘pace’ – wîTHîN pOîTîca, ecONOmîc, reîgîOus Or OTHer sOcîa sysTems. We THereOre pubîsH wOrk baseD ON eTHNOgrapHy wîTHîN pOîTîca aND reîgîOus mOvemeNTs, OccupaTîONa Or cass grOups, amONg yOuTH, DeveOpmeNT ageNcîes, aND NaTîONaîsT mOvemeNTs; buT asO wOrk THaT îs mOre THemaTîcay baseD – ON kîNsHîp, aNDscape, THe sTaTe, vîOeNce, cOrrupTîON, THe se. tHe serîes pubîsHes Our kîNDs O vOume: eTHNOgrapHîc mONOgrapHs; cOmparaTîve TexTs; eDîTeD cOecTîONs; aND sHOrTer, pOemîca essays. We pubîsH wOrk rOm a TraDîTîONs O aNTHrOpOOgy, aND a parTs O THe wOrD, wHîcH cOmbîNes THeOreTîca DebaTe wîTH empîrîca evîDeNce TO DemONsTraTe aNTHrOpOOgy’s uNîque pOsîTîON îN cONTempOrary scHOarsHîp aND THe cONTempOrary wOrD.

PrOessOr VereD AmîT PrOessOr CHrîsTîNa GarsTeN

Preface to the Fourth Edition

tHîs bOOk, NOw îN îTs OurTH, revîseD aND upDaTeD eDîTîON, îs a raTHer cONveNTîONa îNTrODucTîON TO sOcîa aND cuTura aNTHrOpOOgy. As THe cHapTer TîTes îNDîcaTe, THe bOOk DOes NOT represeNT aN aTTempT TO reîNveNT Or revOuTîONîse THe subjecT. WHaT I aîm TO DO îs sîmpy TO îNTrODuce THe maîN TOOs O THe craT, THe THeOreTîca DîscussîONs, THe key figures, THe maîN subjecT-areas aND a represeNTaTîve seecTîON O empîrîca fieDs sTuDîeD by aNTHrOpOOgîsTs. By ‘cONveNTîONa’, îNcîDeNTay, I DO NOT Necessarîy meaN ‘bOrîNg’. (INNOvaTîON îs NOT aways a gOOD THîNg. WHO waNTs TO gO TO aN îNNOvaTîve DeNTîsT? or TO fly wîTH aN îNNOvaTîve pîOT keeN TO expOre aTerNaTîve kNOweDge sysTems?) tODay, aNTHrOpOOgy îs a gOba DîscîpîNe, buT îT îs uNeveNy DîsTrîbuTeD acrOss THe gObe. ENgîsH îs THe DOmîNaNT aNguage O aNTHrOpOOgî- ca DîscOurse, mOre sO TODay THaN îN îTs eary Days, buT împOrTaNT researcH îs asO beîNg carrîeD OuT îN OTHer aNguages, rOm RussîaN aND JapaNese TO reNcH aND SpaNîsH. IT îs beyOND my abîîTîes TO DO jusTîce TO a THese NaTîONa TraDîTîONs O aNTHrOpOOgy, buT I Have maDe sOme eebe aTTempTs. IT remaîNs a acT, THOugH, THaT THîs bOOk îs wrîTTeN rOm a vaNTage-pOîNT îN ANgOpHONe aNTHrOpOOgy. Or maNy years, îT was cOmmON TO DîsTîNguîsH beTweeN a BrîTîsH ‘sOcîa’ aND aN AmerîcaN ‘cuTura’ aNTHrOpOOgy. tODay, THîs bOuNDary îs burreD, aND aTHOugH THe DîsTîNcTîON îs sOmeTîmes HîgHîgHTeD îN THe TexT, THe bOOk îs DeîberaTey subTîTeD wîTH ‘sOcîa aND cuTura aNTHrOpOOgy’ îN a bîD TO OvercOme aN uTîmaTey uNprODucTîve bOuNDary. tHe mOsT cONTrOversîa aspecT O THîs bOOk may be THe prOmîNeNce gîveN TO cassîc aNTHrOpOOgîca researcH îN severa O THe cHapTers. IN my vîew, îT îs NOT ONy a greaT aDvaNTage TO be amîîar wîTH THe cassîc sTuDîes îN OrDer TO uNDersTaND aTer TreNDs aND DebaTes, buT I asO remaîN cONvîNceD THaT a sOuND grasp O mîD-TweNTîeTH-ceNTury aNTHrOpOOgy îs esseNTîa Or DOîNg gOOD researcH îN THe TweNTy-firsT ceNTury. SîNce maNy sTuDeNTs NO ONger sysTemaTîcay reaD cassîc mONOgrapHs aND arTîces, THe capsue revîews prOvîDeD Here may asO gîve aN uNDersTaNDîNg O THe cONTexT O cONTempOrary researcH – îTs îNTeecTua OrîgîNs aND THeOreTîca DebaTes ON wHîcH îT eabOraTes. I DO NOT waNT TO gîve THe împressîON THaT cONTempOrary aNTHrOpOOgîsTs are Dwars sTaNDîNg ON THe sHOuDers O gîaNTs, buT THey DO sTaND ON THe sHOuDers O aNTHrOpOOgîsTs O very cONsîDerabe merîT, aND

vîîî  Sma Paces, Large Issues

THeîr wOrk NeeDs TO be kNOwN, eveN î superficîay, îN OrDer TO uNDersTaND prOpery wHaT aNTHrOpOOgîca researcHers are DOîNg NOw. SOme O THese peOpe were acTuay quîTe împressîve. tHe geNera DeveOpmeNT O THîs bOOk, bOTH aT THe THeOreTîca aND aT THe empîrîca eve, mOves rOm sîmpe TO îNcreasîNgy cOmpex mODes aND sOcîOcuTura eNvîrONmeNTs – rOm THe sOcîa persON TO THe gOba îNOrmaTîON sOcîeTy. tHe bOOk îs îNTeNDeD as a cOmpaNîON vOume TO eTHNOgrapHîc mONOgrapHs, wHîcH remaîN aN îNDîspeNsabe parT O aN aNTHrOpOOgîsT’s TraîNîNg, NOTwîTHsTaNDîNg THe summarîes a TexTbOOk îs capabe O prOvîDîNg. tHîs bOOk îNTrODuces bOTH THe subjecT-maTTer O sOcîa aNTHrOpOOgy aND aN aNTHrOpOOgîca way O THîNkîNg. IT îs my cONvîcTîON THaT THe cOmparaTîve sTuDy O sOcîeTy aND cuTure îs a uNDameNTa îNTeecTua acTîvîTy wîTH împOrTaNT împîcaTîONs Or OTHer Orms O eNgagemeNT wîTH THe wOrD. tHrOugH THe sTuDy O DîFereNT sOcîeTîes, we earN sOmeTHîNg esseNTîa NOT ONy abOuT OTHer peOpe’s wOrDs, buT asO abOuT Ourseves. IN a seNse, aNTHrOpOOgîsTs exce îN makîNg THe amîîar exOTîc aND THe exOTîc amîîar THrOugH cOmparîsON aND THe use O cOmparaTîve cONcepTs. Or THîs reasON, cOmparîsONs wîTH mODerN urbaN sOcîeTîes are împîcîT THrOugHOuT, eveN wHeN THe TOpîc îs MeaNesîaN gîT-gîvîNg, Maagasy rîTua Or nuer pOîTîcs. IN acT, THe wHOe bOOk may, perHaps, be reaD as aN exercîse îN cOmparaTîve THîNkîNg. IN THîs OurTH eDîTîON, I Have kepT THe sTrucTure aND cHapTer TîTes uNcHaNgeD, wîTH ONe excepTîON – I Have aDDeD a cHapTer abOuT eNgageD aNTHrOpOOgy TOwarDs THe eND – buT bOTH eTHNOgrapHîc exampes aND THeOreTîca DîscussîONs Have beeN upDaTeD aND TweakeD. SOme New areas O researcH are îNTrODuceD, buT scarcey aNy O THe ODer ONes Have beeN DeeTeD. tHe îNcreaseD îNTerDepeNDeNce O HumaN wOrDs (OTeN DescrîbeD uNDer THe HeaDîNgs O gObaîsaTîON, TraNsNaTîONaîsm, eTc.), DescrîbeD areaDy îN THe firsT eDîTîON aND eabOraTeD urTHer îN THe secOND aND THîrD eDîTîONs, îs NOw TakeN Or graNTeD THrOugHOuT. JusT as NO maN îs aN îsaND, ONe caN NO ONger speak O îsOaTeD sOcîeTîes. AsO, THe sTreNgTHs O sOcîa aND cuTura aNTHrOpOOgy as ways O kNOwîNg are empHasîseD mOre expîcîTy îN THîs eDîTîON THaN îN THe earîer ONes, especîay THe firsT (1) eDîTîON. IN receNT years, aNTHrOpOOgy Has îNcreasîNgy beeN cHaeNgeD by aTerNaTîve, HîgHy arTîcuaTe aND pubîcy vîsîbe ways O accOuNTîNg Or THe uNîTy aND DîversîTy O HumaNîTy. oN THe ONe HaND, HumaNîsTîc DîscîpîNes (sOmeTîmes umpeD TOgeTHer as ‘cuTura sTuDîes’) aND, ON THe OTHer HaND, apprOacHes baseD ON NaTura scîeNce (evOuTîONary psycHOOgy, Or secOND-geNeraTîON sOcîObîOOgy, beîNg THe

Preface to the Fourth Edition îx

mOsT pOweru ONe), prOpOse aNswers TO sOme O THe quesTîONs Typîcay raîseD îN sOcîa aNTHrOpOOgy – cONcerNîNg, Or exampe, THe NaTure O sOcîeTy, eTHNîc cOmpexîTy, kîNsHîp, rîTua aND sO ON. IN THîs sîTuaTîON, NeîTHer aNTagONîsTîc cOmpeTîTîON NOr THe mergîNg O DîscîpîNes îNTO a ‘super-DîscîpîNe’ O sOcîOcuTura scîeNce cOmes acrOss as aTTracTîve OpTîONs; îNsTeaD, I aDvOcaTe OpeNNess, DîaOgue aND îNTerDîscîpîNarîTy wHeN easîbe. owîNg TO THe prevaeNce O cOmpeTîNg caîms, HOwever, I Try TO sTaTe expîcîTy wHaT îT îs THaT THe meTHODs, THeOry aND bODy O researcH îN aNTHrOpOOgy Have TO OFer îN sTuDîes O THe cONTempOrary wOrD. I argue THaT creDîbe accOuNTs O cuTure aND sOcîeTy sHOuD Have aN eTHNOgrapHîc cOmpONeNT, aND THaT prOper kNOweDge O TraDîTîONa Or OTHerwîse ‘remOTe’ sOcîeTîes greaTy eNHaNces THe uNDersTaNDîNg O pHeNOmeNa sucH as TOurîsm, eTHNîc vîOeNce Or mîgraTîON. I sOcîa aNTHrOpOOgy DOes Have a brîgHT uTure, îT îs NOT îN spîTe O, buT because O gOba cHaNge.

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IN a seNse, THîs îs THe seveNTH versîON O THîs bOOk. tHe firsT eDîTîON,Små steder, store spørsmålnOrwegîaN, was OrîgîNay pubîsHeD îN 1. îN SubsequeNTy, ANNe BeecH aT PuTO Press îNvîTeD me TO make aN ENgîsH versîON, buT îT wOuD Have TO be subsTaNTîay sHOrTer THaN THe OrîgîNa, wHîcH was a arge, expeNsîve aND avîsHy îusTraTeD bOOk. I kepT THe basîc sTrucTure aND cHapTer TîTes, buT cOmpresseD aND aDjusTeD THe cONTeNT TO make îT suîTabe Or a NON-ScaNDîNavîaN reaDersHîp. IN 1, a revîseD aND upDaTeD versîON O THe nOrwegîaN OrîgîNa was pubîsHeD, aND îN 1, THe secOND eDîTîON OSmall Places, sîmîary revîseD, appeareD. WHeN a THîrD eDîTîON was beîNg cONsîDereD by PuTO, I HaD areaDy beeN cONTacTeD by UNîversîTeTsOrageT, my nOrwegîaN acaDemîc pubîsHer, abOuT THe bOOk. tHe eDîTOr, Per RObsTaD, waNTeD aN upDaTeDSmå steder, store spørsmål, buT He argueD THaT THe 1 eDîTîON was TOO buky TO fiT THe curreNT sTrucTure O acaDemîc TeacHîNg îN nOrway, NOw baseD (as îN THe ENgîsH- speakîNg wOrD) ON smaer, mOre ceary OcuseD cOurses THaN beOre THe BOOgNa reOrms O . our cONcusîON was THaT makîNg a nOrwegîaN TraNsaTîON O THe ENgîsH eDîTîON mîgHT sOve THe prObem. By THeN, I HaD cOme u cîrce wîTH THe bOOk, eNDîNg THe THîrD revîsîON by TraNsaTîNg THe THîrD eDîTîON O THe ENgîsH versîON îNTO nOrwegîaN (wîTH, as aways, a Number O mîNOr aDjusTmeNTs). AND NOw, five years aTer, aNOTHer revîsîON seemeD Necessary Or a bOOk purpOrTîNg TO gîve aN Overvîew O a DîscîpîNe embeDDeD îN aND TryîNg TO keep up wîTH a asT-cHaNgîNg wOrD. naTuray, wHeN I begaN DraTîNg THe firsT cHapTers îN 1, a reasONaby Happy yOuNg