Anthropological Theory: An Introductory History

Anthropological Theory: An Introductory History presents a selection of critical essays in anthropology from 1860 to the present day. Classic authors such as Marx, Durkheim, Boas, Malinowski and Douglas are joined by contemporary thinkers including Das, Ortner, Boellstorff and Simpson. McGee and Warms' detailed introductions examine critical developments in theory, introduce key people, and discuss historical and personal influences on theorists. In extensive footnotes, the editors provide commentary that puts the writing in historical and cultural context, defines unusual terms, translates non-English phrases, identifies references to other scholars and their works, and offers paraphrases and summaries of complex passages. The notes identify and provide background information on concepts important in the development of anthropology.

New to the Eighth Edition:

• "Anthropology, Decolonization and Whiteness" puts the anthropology of resistance in historical context, explores the history of the anthropology of decolonization and whiteness, and presents some recent controversies in anthropology
• "Phenomenological Anthropology and The Anthropology of the Good" broadens the focus of the previous anthropology of the good section to provide a more diverse overview of philosophical anthropology.
• Revised introductions to every section in the book offer suggested readings for important works in each area beyond what's offered in the text
• New readings include works by Sherry Ortner, Michel-Rolf Trouillot, Jason Throop, Audra Simpson, and Orisanmi Burton

R. Jon McGee is professor of anthropology at Texas State University. He is author or editor of numerous books, including Watching Lacandon Maya Lives, 2e, Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia (coedited with Richard L. Warms), and Sacred Realms: Readings in the Anthropology of Religion (coedited with Warms and James Garber), now in its second edition.