Cultural Anthropology: Asking Questions about Humanity - Softcover

"I appreciate that the title and first chapter make the subject open-ended and dynamic: asking questions. There are several texts out there that range from acceptable to very good. Last year, I carefully reviewed eight of them and selected Welsch and Vivanco because it stood out from the pack. The authors are clearly attentive to their audience and give students many entry points for critical thinking."--Kathleen Saunders, Western Washington University

"Cultural Anthropology is organized around 'key questions' that incorporate learning outcomes, problem-solving dimensions, and examples of 'thinking like an anthropologist.' I like this unique approach. Chapter Three is outstanding and the discussion of fieldwork is one of the best I have seen. This text strikes me as superior in being thorough on a wide range of topics and offering a balance of traditional anthropological work and modern issues."--Donald Pollock, SUNY-Buffalo

"This is by far one of the best books on the market for a cultural anthropology course. It is well-written, up-to-date, engaging, and cost-effective."--Laura M. Tilghman, Plymouth State University

"This book provides a comprehensive foundation for students to access the most important key concepts of cultural anthropology. The question-centered approach affords them the opportunity to examine the relevance of anthropological research to our world and to begin to apply anthropological concepts in their own lives."--Christine Dixon, Green River College

What is cultural anthropology, and how can it explain--or even help resolve--contemporary human problems?

Robert L. Welsch and Luis A. Vivanco's Cultural Anthropology: Asking Questions About Humanity, Second Edition, uses a questions-based approach to teach students how to think anthropologically, helping them view cultural issues and everyday experiences as an anthropologist might.

Inspired by the common observation that ninety-nine percent of a good answer is a good question, Cultural Anthropology combines a question-centered pedagogy with the topics typically covered in an introductory course. It emphasizes up front what the discipline of anthropology knows and which issues are in debate, and how a cultural perspective is relevant to understanding social, political, and economic dynamics in the contemporary world. Cultural Anthropology also represents an effort to close the gap between the realities of the discipline today and traditional views that are taught at the introductory level by bringing classic anthropological examples, cases, and analyses to bear on contemporary questions.