The Nature of Magic An Anthropology of Consciousness
This work is an anthropological study of magic and consciousness conducted through an examination of nature spiritualities. Often collectively termed ‘nature religion’, nature spiritualities are concerned with developing intense personal relationships with nature, as demonstrated by my own encounter with the Snowdonian elements above. In Western cultures, nature, the earth, or ‘the environment’as it is now frequently called, has been progressively devalued by some dualistic conceptions of the universe that separate humans from nature.
Most of the chapters that make up this book are based on papers presented at the workshop ‘Transnational Flows: Methodological and epistemological issues’, Oslo, 6–7 June 2001. The workshop was organised by the research project Transnational Flows of Substances and Concepts, which is directed by Marianne E. Lien and supported financially by the Norwegian Research Council in the period 2001–04.
Chapter 2 is adapted from the introduction to a book edited by Ulf Hannerz. Published only in Swedish (and entitled Flera f?lt i ett) the book showcases the breadth and scope of current transnational multisited research at the Department of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University. The references to Hannerz’s Stockholm colleagues generally refer to chapters in the book, and offer an insight into some of the accomplishments made, and some of the methodological problems encountered, in this pioneering research environment.
Human Evolution provides a comprehensive overview of hominid evolution, synthesising data and approaches from fields as diverse as physical anthropology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, archaeology, psychology and philosophy. The book starts with chapters on evolution, population genetics, systematics, and the methods for constructing evolutionary trees. These are followed by a comprehensive review of the fossil history of human evolution since our divergence from the apes. Subsequent chapters cover more recent data, both fossil and molecular, relating to the evolution of modern humans. A final section describes the evolution of culture, language, art, and morality. The authors are leading experts in two complementary fields of scholarship, physical anthropology and molecular evolution. Throughout the book they successfully integrate their expertise in evolutionary theory, phylogenetics, genomics, cultural evolution, language, aesthetics and morality to produce a cutting edge textbook, copiously illustrated and with an extensive and up-to-date bibliography. It will be suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate level students taking courses on human evolution within departments of biology, anthropology, psychology and philosophy. The book will also appeal to a more general audience seeking a readable, up-to-date and inclusive treatment of human origins and evolution.
This book is about personal names, something of abiding interest to specialists and lay readers alike. Over a million people have checked the American Name Society website since 1996, for instance. Many philosophers and linguists suggest that names are ‘just’ labels, but parents internationally are determined to get their children's names ‘right’. Personal names may be given, lost, traded, stolen and inherited. This collection of essays provides comparative ethnography through which we examine the politics of naming; the extent to which names may be property-like; and the power of names themselves, both to fix and to destabilize personal identity.
What Is Anthropology? Leading anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen shows how anthropology is a revolutionary way of thinking about the human world. Perfect for students, but also for those who have never encountered anthropology before, this book explores the key issues in an exciting and innovative way. Eriksen explains how to see the world from below and from within - emphasising the importance of adopting an insider's perspective. He reveals how seemingly enormous cultural differences actually conceal the deep unity of humanity.
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