ANTHROPOLOGICAL THOUGHT: From Evolutionism to Postmodernism and Beyond

Book Details:

• Author: Vijoy S. Sahay

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9788131613382

• Pages: 332

• Cover: Hardcover

• Release Date: 01 January 2024

About the Book:
This comprehensive volume traces the intellectual journey of anthropological thought, from ancient Greek and Roman philosophy through Renaissance humanism, culminating in the transformative impact of Darwin's theory of evolution in the 19th century. It explores the emergence and progression of key theoretical schools, including Evolutionism, Diffusionism, Historical Particularism, Functionalism, Structure-Functionalism, Culture and Personality, Structuralism, Cultural Ecology, Neo-Evolutionism, New Ethnography, Cognitive Anthropology, Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology, Cultural Materialism, Postmodernism, and Human Materialism.

Each school is analyzed in light of the thinkers it inspired and the sociocultural contexts that shaped it. Important anthropological concepts like Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism, Emic and Etic approaches, and National Character Studies are critically examined. The book also provides detailed accounts of contributions made by foundational figures in the field such as E.B. Tylor, Lewis Henry Morgan, Franz Boas, Claude Levi-Strauss, Margaret Mead, Michel Foucault, and many more.

Scholars, students, and instructors in anthropology, sociology, psychology, and other allied social sciences will find this book a valuable academic resource and an insightful reference on the historical development of anthropological theory.

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Anthropological Ideas in Historical Perspective

3. Evolutionism

4. Diffusionism: British, German and American

5. Historical Particularism of Franz Boas

6. British Social Anthropology: Structure-Functionalism and Functionalism

7. Culture and Personality / Psychological School in Anthropology

8. Neo-Evolutionism

9. Structuralism: Claude Levi-Strauss and Prague School of Linguistics

10. New Ethnography

11. Materialist Theories in Anthropology

12. Postmodernism and Beyond

13. Postscript

About the Author:
Prof. Vijoy S. Sahay, former Head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Allahabad, has made significant contributions to anthropological theory and field research. Known for his in-depth studies of tribal communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he has authored multiple books and over 50 scholarly articles. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of The Oriental Anthropologist. Prof. Sahay has been a Visiting Fellow at institutions in India and abroad and has served on key government committees focused on protecting vulnerable tribal populations.