A History of Anthropological Theory, Fourth Edition

By Paul A. Erickson and Liam D. Murphy

Book Overview

In the latest edition of their popular overview text, Erickson and Murphy continue to provide a comprehensive, affordable, and accessible introduction to anthropological theory from antiquity to the present. A new section on twenty-first-century anthropological theory has been added, with more coverage given to postcolonialism, non-Western anthropology, and public anthropology. The book has also been redesigned to be more visually and pedagogically engaging. Used on its own, or paired with the companion volume Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory, Fourth Edition, this reader offers a flexible and highly useful resource for the undergraduate anthropology classroom.

For additional resources, visit the "Teaching Theory" page at www.utpteachingculture.com.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1442606592
• ISBN13: 9781442606593
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Higher Education Division
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.6" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

A good book

Needed the book for grad school. It was in good shape and easy to navigate. I like the sidebar notes in this book and the extra definitions. It is great for anyone needing a foundation in anthro.

Concise, useful and delightful

An extremely useful and delightful book. Not the best on the market, but very, very good. It is more appropriated for undergraduate than for graduate courses, because readers already acquainted with anthropological theory might feel some "déjà vu". Some caution is necessary, because the book has a strong (yet explicit) US-centric bias, neglecting important British, French, and other national contributions to anthropological theory. Nevertheless, I use it in my classes.

Best overview of theory i have ever read

I bought this book for an undergraduate class 3 years ago and have used it over and over again despite haveing many other theory books. does a great job at explaining were anthropological theory originates and how differing theoretical perspectives interrelate. Also has an excellent cronology.

Short and Sweet

If you are looking for a concise, quick introduction to the history of anthropological theory, then I highly recommend this book. No other short survey of its history comes close to scope and content of Erickson and Murphy's book. The companion book of readings is also very good. I only give it 4 stars because of its brevity, you can't go too deep when you have to cover so much ground and keep the book a reasonable length.

An excellent introduction to the history of Anthropology

I found this to be a highly readable introductory text, which outlines all the major developments in anthropology, from antiquity to postmodernism. The work is, in my opinion, suitable for anyone interested in the broad study of human origins, and of the societies and cultures humans create. I would DEFINITELY buy this book if I were taking an introductory course. A real undiscovered gem for most readers!