"If you want to know what anthropology is, look at what anthropologists do," write the authors of Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction. This engaging overview of the field combines an accessible account of some of the discipline's guiding principles and methodology with abundant examples and illustrations of anthropologists at work. Peter Just and John Monaghan begin by discussing anthropology's most important contributions to modern thought: its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic, its doctrine of cultural relativism, and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. Drawing on examples from their own fieldwork in Indonesia and Mesoamerica, they examine specific ways in which social and cultural anthropology have advanced our understanding of human society and culture. Including an assessment of anthropology's present position, and a look forward to its likely future, Social and Cultural Anthropology will make fascinating reading for anyone curious about this social science. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction

Politics & Social Sciences

Just, Peter

Social Sciences

Oxford University Press

Social and cultural anthropology has made many important contributions to modern thought: through its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic; its doctrine of cultural relativism; and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. This Very Short Introduction explores the fundamental concepts of the field and its methods, as well as its relevance to contemporary life. Throughout, Peter Just and John Monaghan ground their discussion in concrete examples drawn from their own field experiences in Mexico and Indonesia. This new edition also considers some of the developments of the new generation of social and cultural anthropologists. It explores the 'cultural construction' of social categories, in particular of gender, as well as discussing recent work on migration and the development of 'ontological anthropology.' ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Monaghan, John D.

Anthropology

Dou Donggo Justice: Conflict and Morality in an Indonesian Society

This study of justice and morality among the Dou Donggo, a highland people in Indonesia, offers an innovative approach to understanding the workings of law and dispute settlement in small communities. Peter Just argues that the operation of any legal system is best understood in the context of its moral ontology: the fundamental culture assumptions that the people have about the nature of the world, the beings that inhabit it, and their relationships to one another, as well as ideas about causation, liability, etc. The author takes Dou Donggo beliefs in evil spirits and tutelary gods, theories of conception and bodily humors, and the magical prowess of judges who are also healers and links them to the guiding principles and day-to-day operation of a consensual system of justice. The first part of the book provides contextualizing material on current debates about ethnography and the anthropology of law, a lively account of the author's field experiences, and a history of the Dou Donggo. Two subsequent chapters use anecdotes and examples to explicate the constitution of the village as a moral community and the moral ontology on which that community is based. Concluding chapters provide a "thick description" of three real disputes witnessed by the author.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

This study of justice and morality among the Dou Donggo, a highland people in Indonesia, offers an innovative approach to understanding the workings of law and dispute settlement in small communities. Peter Just argues that the operation of any legal system is best understood in the context of its moral ontology: the fundamental culture assumptions that the people have about the nature of the world, the beings that inhabit it, and their relationships to one another, as well as ideas about causation, liability, etc. The author takes Dou Donggo beliefs in evil spirits and tutelary gods, theories of conception and bodily humors, and the magical prowess of judges who are also healers and links them to the guiding principles and day-to-day operation of a consensual system of justice. The first part of the book provides contextualizing material on current debates about ethnography and the anthropology of law, a lively account of the author's field experiences, and a history of the Dou Donggo. Two subsequent chapters use anecdotes and examples to explicate the constitution of the village as a moral community and the moral ontology on which that community is based. Concluding chapters provide a 'thick description' of three real disputes witnessed by the author.

Drawing on intriguing, vivid examples from their own research in Indonesia and Mexico, John Monaghan and Peter Just examine ways in which anthropology has advanced our understanding of human society and culture. They also provide a concise and accessible account of the big” questions that have traditionally concerned anthropologists: What is unique about human beings? How are groups of peoplefamily, class, tribe, nationformed and maintained? What is the nature of belief, economic exchange, the self?

Social & Cultural Anthropology (A Brief Insight)

Monaghan, John

Union Square & Co.

If you want to know what anthropology is, look at what anthropologists do. This Very Short Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology combines an accessible account of some of the disciplines guiding principles and methodology with abundant examples and illustrations of anthropologists at work.Peter Just and John Monaghan begin by discussing anthropology's most important contributions to modern thought: its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic, its doctrine of cultural relativism, and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. They then examine specific ways in which social and cultural anthropology have advanced our understanding of human society and culture, drawing on examples from their own fieldwork. The book ends with an assessment of anthropology's present position, and a look forward to its likely future.

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Books by Just, Peter

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Just, Peter. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Dou Donggo Justice: Conflict and Morality in an Indonesian Society

Dou Donggo Justice: Conflict and Morality in an Indonesian Society

Social & Cultural Anthropology (A Brief Insight)

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)