Written by leading scholars in the field, this comprehensive and readable resource gives anthropology students a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. Combining anthropological theory and ethnography, it includes 275 substantial entries, over 300 short biographies of important figures in anthropology, and nearly 600 glossary items. The fully revised and expanded second edition reflects major changes in anthropology in the past decade.

About the Author

Alan Barnard is Professor of the Anthropology of Southern Africa at the University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the British Academy.

Jonathan Spencer is Professor of the Anthropology of South Asia at the University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Reviews

"The best one-volume reference source on social and cultural anthropology ... Highly recommended." - Choice

"This is an inspired volume. If anyone doubts that anthropology is in a new phase, they should look at the manner in which Second Edition enlarges on the First. A formidable task this, here executed with wisdom, acumen and brilliant collaboration. But what is really inspiring is the way contributors have been teamed up with topics. Some classic pairings, but also interesting and surprising ones. And the quality of the entries makes this not just a book of reference but, almost wherever one lands, an exceedingly good read in its own right."

- Marilyn Strathern, Emeritus Professor, Cambridge University

"This new edition is a magisterial work. Written by an erudite set of authors and edited with a sure hand, it is much more than a compendium of accumulated knowledge, although it is certainly that as well. It also maps the discipline as practiced today, pointing out its controversies and challenges, its critical edges, its areas of unsettlement. It is an indispensable source for anyone with an interest in things anthropological."

- John and Jean Comaroff, University of Chicago

"Libraries that found the first edition useful should note that this, while it still contains much of what was in the previous version, has been very substantially expanded, updated and rewritten, so they will probably find it worth upgrading." - Reference Reviews

"...a useful addition to the toolkit that practitioners and students of the discipline already have for their research."

"...a good resource with many excellent contributions. It is a useful tool for students and scholars starting their research on new topics or wanting to know more about their discipline, its fields of research and different scholarly traditions that distinguish it." - Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco, Durham University

Praise for the first edition:

'This is one of those few privileged works that may actually redefine a field. Situating current debates in the context of the historical development of anthropology ... it charts a contemporary discourse that is vibrant, sophisticated and unexpectedly coherent. This is what post postmodernist anthropology looks like.' - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.

'A major virtue of this wide-ranging encyclopedia is its openness to different points of view ... all presented plainly and fairly ... an exceptionally well defined glossary. Warmly recommended' - Library Association Record

'The title of this extraordinarily interesting assembly of "substantial entries" on cardinal aspects of anthropological work reveals its focus. Little of prime importance is missed in the wide range of topics covered so lucidly ... the glossary is a marvel of brevity, clarity and precision ... cross-referencing is generous and efficient' - Reference Reviews

'An intelligent, informative and entertaining addition to the deplorably small number of reference works in the field.' - Choice

'The new Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology is thoroughly to be recommended for its accuracy, compendiousness (all in one sturdy, manageable volume with glossary and biographical appendix, and easy cross-referencing), authority and inspiration. All in all a fairly indispensable volume and a great achievement.' - Anthropology Today

Book Information
ISBN 9780415809368
Author Alan Barnard
Format Paperback
Page Count 888
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 1500g