Cultural Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity, 11/e
Conrad Phillip Kottak,
University of Michigan- Ann Arbor
ISBN: 0072952504 Copyright year: 2006
Letter from Dr. Kottak
Dear Colleagues,
I'm tremendously enthusiastic about the November publication of the 12th edition of "Cultural Anthropology". Through this letter I hope to share some of that enthusiasm with you.
The most notable change in the 12th edition of Cultural Anthropology is an all new Chapter 4, "The Evolutionary Origins of Human Culture." This chapter covers biological evolution, including primate and human evolution. It identifies distinctive attributes of humanity and of human culture. We see how, over millions of years, biological and cultural changes eventually led to modern human anatomy, and then–somewhat later--to human behavioral modernity.
Anthropology has made unique, biocultural, contributions to understanding race, ethnicity, and gender. Those findings are highlighted here--not just in their special chapters, but throughout the book. Three "Bringing It All Together" essays also illustrate how anthropology's subfields combine to shed light on a given topic, such as race and ethnicity. As in the last edition, 16 "News Briefs" (8 of them new) show how anthropology's findings routinely attract media attention. One highlights an anthropologist's role in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Another describes some poignant dilemmas that African Americas face when they visit Ghana.
I've updated all chapters based on recent writing and new information. For example, Chapter 2, "Applying Anthropology," has an expanded discussion of ethical dilemmas. To Chapter 3, "Culture," I added a discussion of the moral versus methodological meanings of cultural relativism. In Chapter 7, "Making a Living," I updated the Interesting Issues box on Scarcity based on a revisit to Madagascar. Chapter 10 on "Marriage" has a major new comparative section titled "Although Tabooed, Incest Does Happen."
Along with the people it studies, cultural anthropology has changed dramatically. While any competent text must present cultural anthropology's core, as I do, it also should be relevant to today's world. A key feature of my orientation is to include special consideration of recent events, current issues, and globalization. I cover these topics especially in the last three chapters, where I've added a major new section on Indigenous Peoples.
Finally, let me share a few particularly gratifying comments by my prepublication reviewers:
Kottak does an excellent job of introducing the basic concepts and practices of anthropology. The chapter order flows nicely, building a superb overview of the discipline.
Its greatest strength is the clarity and vividness of the writing, and the numerous ways in which an effort is made to make the text relevant and interesting to students.
The book has a vibrancy and passion for the field and its subjects that very few textbooks communicate... The visual images are particularly relevant and illuminating.
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2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education