For at least 2 million years members of our genus (homo) have had to cope with the same basic issues that all people on earth encounter today. We all have to eat. We require protection from natural elements. We must cope with other inhabitants of our territories--from viruses and varmints, flora and fauna, bacteria and beasts to family, friends, and foe. We have to manage interpersonal relationships, including group decision making and conflict. We need to express ourselves and consider issues such as why we are here, why things happen, and what happens after we die. These issues are interwoven, and each culture has evolved ways to address them. Many choices have been made along the way.
Part 2 of this text gives a summary of what we know, or believe we know, from over one hundred years of cultural anthropology. My goal is to present the results of widespread comparisons of ethnographic data--in other words, the results of ethnological analysis. I will organize this information within a loosely structured evolutionary-ecological framework. A uniform perspective is achieved when materials are organized in this manner, and it makes for a good starting point. Using this format also encourages critique and debate, and you’ll find that there is quite a bit of this in the literature--and rightly so, because lively debate is what pushes science forward and ultimately leads to understanding.
The chapters in Part 2 are grouped together because they represent topics and issues common to people everywhere. Anthropologists have studied these topics for generations. The adaptive strategies discussed are diverse in detail, but many similar patterns emerge when ethnological analysis is employed. These patterns are emphasized in each chapter.
