History of Anthro.
Joseph M. O'Neal (josephon@ADMIN.STEDWARDS.EDU)
Tue, 13 Jun 1995 18:13:18 CDT
About a month ago I posted a query to this list asking for advice and
suggestions regarding design and books for use in an undergraduate
History of Anthropology course. I want to thank all the people who
responded for their generous help.
As I promised, I am sending out a digest of this material for general
perusal. I'll do it in two parts; first, book suggestions, and second,
suggestions for a general approach and course design.
In the following, I have not bothered to give complete references to the
books. Yeah, I know, this is lazy, and I wouldn't let my students get
away with it. But summer is here and recent deaths of friends have
convinced me again that life is short. Anyone on this list who is
interested in complete references can get them from library catalogs.
When the writer provided evaluative comments, I have included them as well.
Books
Borofsky, Reassessing Cultural Anthropology.
-possibly too demanding for many undergraduate students.
Barkan, The Retreat of Scientific Racism.
Cravens, The Triumph of Evolution.
Degler, In Search of Human Nature.
Blanckaert in Bones, Bodies, Behavior.
Stocking, Victorian Anthropology.
-As with most of Stocking's work, useful only for advanced undergrads.
Williams, The Physical and the Moral.
Smith, Politics and the Science of Culture in Germany, 1840-1920.
Kuklick, The Savage Within.
Gabarino, Sociocultural Theory in Anthropology.
-Clearly written but not a lot of depth.
Clifford, The Predicament of Culture.
Stocking, Observors Observed.
Bohannon and Glazer, High Points.
-Boring.
-Really sucks.
-Accessible to undergraduates.
Stocking, The Ethnographer's Magic.
Vincent, Anthropology and Politics.
Langness, The Study of Culture.
Levi-Strauss, Tristes Tropiques.
Kuklick, The Savage Within.
-The language is a bit highbrow but intelligent students will appreciate
it. Some chapters are excellent. Good background reading for the prof.
if not the students.
Mauss, The Gift.
Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures.
Applebaum, Perspectives in Cultural Anthropology.
-Relatively inexpensive.
Hatch, Theories of Man and Culture.
-Readable, good biographical sketches, but limited selection of anthros.
Anthropology as Cultural Critique.
Clifford, Person and Myth.
-A biography of Maurice Leenhardt.
Lett, The Human Enterprise.
-Excellent Kuhnian-style treatment of the history of anthropological
thought. Accessible to anthropologists.
--
Joseph M. O'Neal 512-448-8745
St. Edward's University FAX: 512-448-8767
Austin, TX 78704 josephon@admin.stedwards.edu
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"My brother worked his way through the documents again more slowly,
collecting bits and pieces as he came to them, and then moving it all
ahead to whatever was next, as if he were sweeping a floor." Pete
Dexter, The Paperboy.
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