tag:open.umn.edu,2005:/opentextbooks/subjects/anthropologyOpen Textbook Library - Anthropology Textbooks2024-03-17T00:00:30Zhttps://open.umn.edu/assets/common/favicon/favicon-1594c2156c95ca22b1a0d803d547e5892bb0e351f682be842d64927ecda092e7.icohttps://open.umn.edu/assets/library/otl_logo-f9161d5c999f5852b38260727d49b4e7d7142fc707ec9596a5256a778f957ffc.png16192024-03-17T00:05:48Z2024-03-18T16:57:08ZShared Voices: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology<img alt="Read more about Shared Voices: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology" title="Shared Voices: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology cover image" class="cover " width="350" height="453" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTEzMjEsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--70366f075447a864a3cf1568db1060173c47e133/081622_RotelProject_Cultural-Anthropology-Demetrios-Brellas-350x453.jpg" />Shared Voices is a student-centered cultural anthropology mini textbook built with an equity lens. We are excited to share this with you all. This book attempts to address the lack of current, reliable, and relevant resources for introductory anthropology courses that center equity and anti-racism. We set out to create a culturally responsive and inclusive textbook with an anti-racist and global citizenry perspective. We center marginalized voices, stories, and community. This text is a starting point for any introductory anthropology course recognizing that cultural change is constant and the familiar is cousin to the weird and unusual. A work in progress, this text aims to provide students an opportunity to build content as they explore the topics within.12822022-11-14T15:13:10Z2024-01-22T14:52:35ZA People’s History of Structural Racism in Academia: From A(dministration of Justice) to Z(oology)<img alt="Read more about A People’s History of Structural Racism in Academia: From A(dministration of Justice) to Z(oology)" title="textbook cover placeholder image" class="cover fallback " width="247" height="326" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" />The contents of this book were developed under an Open Textbooks Pilot grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.11502022-03-11T07:35:43Z2024-01-22T14:52:39ZIntroduction to Anthropology<img alt="Read more about Introduction to Anthropology" title="Introduction to Anthropology cover image" class="cover " width="606" height="783" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzQ1NywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--da90654ff0429adaf1d9822d52da419b54721b9f/Capture.JPG" />Designed to meet the scope and sequence of your course, OpenStax Introduction to Anthropology is a four-field text integrating diverse voices, engaging field activities, and meaningful themes like Indigenous experiences and social inequality to engage students and enrich learning. The text showcases the historical context of the discipline, with a strong focus on anthropology as a living and evolving field. There is significant discussion of recent efforts to make the field more diverse—in its practitioners, in the questions it asks, and in the applications of anthropological research to address contemporary challenges. In addressing social inequality, the text drives readers to consider the rise and impact of social inequalities based on forms of identity and difference (such as gender, ethnicity, race, and class) as well as oppression and discrimination. The contributors to and dangers of socioeconomic inequality are fully addressed, and the role of inequality in social dysfunction, disruption, and change is noted.9222020-10-19T01:10:38Z2024-01-22T14:52:13ZLanguages and Worldview<img alt="Read more about Languages and Worldview" title="Languages and Worldview cover image" class="cover " width="572" height="701" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTY1MCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--9d31e6e9cd520920a942e801aa1d26589fac0db0/langwo.PNG" />Asking and answering questions about what culture entails and examines the fundamental properties and intertwining nature of language and culture. This text explores linguistic relativity, lexical differences among languages and intercultural communication, including high and low contexts. Changes to a variety of OER works were made by Manon Allard-Kropp in the Department of Language and Cultural Studies to tailor the text to fit the needs of the Languages and World View course at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Materials from the original sources have been combined, reorganized, and added to by the current author, and any conceptual or typographical errors are the responsibility of the current author.8322020-05-14T17:27:44Z2024-01-22T14:52:12ZExplorations: An Open Invitation To Biological Anthropology<img alt="Read more about Explorations: An Open Invitation To Biological Anthropology" title="Explorations: An Open Invitation To Biological Anthropology cover image" class="cover " width="1000" height="1285" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTY5LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--31e70d2113354d1582a726ab1319f12a912d0861/Explorations-Full-Cover.png" />Anthropology is the study of humanity, in all its biological and cultural aspects, past and present. It is a four-field discipline comprised of biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology. The focus of this book is biological anthropology, which explores who we are from biological, evolutionary, and adaptive perspectives. We lay the foundation for this inquiry in the first four chapters by introducing the discipline of anthropology, evolutionary theory, molecular biology and genetics, and the forces of evolution. Chapters 5–8 consider evolutionary, biological, and social aspects of our closest living relatives, nonhuman primates, with whom we share millions of years of evolution. We also learn about how fossils provide material insight into our past. Chapters 9–12 describe prior hominin species and the emergence of Homo sapiens, us! Finally, the last four chapters (Chapters 13–16) explore human biological variation and the concept of race, bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology, and human biology and health in the past and present. We include further readings on osteology (Appendix A), primate conservation (Appendix B), and human behavioral ecology (Appendix C). To guide your reading, each chapter begins with learning objectives and ends with review questions and a list of key terms. Ancillary materials are available for this textbook.6562019-01-24T19:01:01Z2024-01-22T14:52:11ZThe Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology<img alt="Read more about The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology" title="The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology cover image" class="cover " width="417" height="624" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NTk2LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--9c0157eb14b3c9d7dd9be68e73ed1794b14f4aec/9781944548131.png" />Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. “Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage,” Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. “Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. … It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one’s hands dirty, to get down in the dirt, and to commit yourself, body and mind. Susan Sontag called anthropology a “heroic” profession.” What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the the light and life of places forgotten. Real anthropology cannot be contained in a book. You have to go out and feel the world’s jagged edges, wipe its dust from your brow, and at times, leave your blood in its soil. In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human.4672018-09-07T17:22:04Z2024-01-22T14:51:56ZThe History of Our Tribe: Hominini<img alt="Read more about The History of Our Tribe: Hominini" title="The History of Our Tribe: Hominini cover image" class="cover " width="701" height="897" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6Mzk1LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--41f3ac0c6562cd101f2e860ecb461ce50cd193f1/9781942341406.png" />Where did we come from? What were our ancestors like? Why do we differ from other animals? How do scientists trace and construct our evolutionary history? The History of Our Tribe: Hominini provides answers to these questions and more. The book explores the field of paleoanthropology past and present. Beginning over 65 million years ago, Welker traces the evolution of our species, the environments and selective forces that shaped our ancestors, their physical and cultural adaptations, and the people and places involved with their discovery and study. It is designed as a textbook for a course on Human Evolution but can also serve as an introductory text for relevant sections of courses in Biological or General Anthropology or general interest. It is both a comprehensive technical reference for relevant terms, theories, methods, and species and an overview of the people, places, and discoveries that have imbued paleoanthropology with such fascination, romance, and mystery.4642018-09-07T17:22:03Z2024-03-04T14:09:38ZPerspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology - Second Edition<img alt="Read more about Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology - Second Edition" title="Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology - Second Edition cover image" class="cover " width="350" height="525" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAzMTgsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--19566da2f12fcffff9ae04ce3091044d082d9b24/Perspectives_2nd_Cover-350x525.jpg" />We are delighted to bring to you this novel textbook, a collection of chapters on the essential topics in cultural anthropology. Different from other introductory textbooks, this book is an edited volume with each chapter written by a different author. Each author has written from their experiences working as an anthropologist and that personal touch makes for an accessible introduction to cultural anthropology. Our approach to cultural anthropology is holistic. We see the interconnectedness of cultural practices and, in all of the chapters, we emphasize the comparison of cultures and the ways of life of different peoples. We start with Laura Nader’s observation that cultural differences need not be seen as a problem. In our complicated world of increasing migration, nationalism, and climate challenges, cultural diversity might actually be the source of conflict resolution and new approaches to ensuring a healthier world. Indeed, as Katie Nelson reminds us, anthropology exposes the familiarity in the ideas and practices of others that seem bizarre. Robert Borofsky advocates for anthropology’s ability to empower people and facilitate good. Borofsky calls on anthropologists to engage with a wider public to bring our incredible stories and important insights to helping resolve the most critical issues we face in the world today. This book brings Nader, Nelson, Borofsky, and many others together to demonstrate that our anthropological understandings can help all of us to improve the lives of people the world over. We need you, as students, to see the possibilities. As instructors, we want to help you easily share anthropological knowledge and understanding. We want all readers to be inspired by the intensely personal writings of the anthropologists who contribute to this volume.1992018-09-07T17:21:48Z2024-01-22T14:51:48ZNative Peoples of North America<img alt="Read more about Native Peoples of North America" title="Native Peoples of North America cover image" class="cover " width="877" height="1310" data-controller="cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-0e0607cbc50663ddb9e8fd188058bcd2630c730ef6ee322801278607b7d5af8e.png" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTYyLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--451b38984ea08d5d98d457c33a8d8185d745e1ab/9781942341024.png" />Native Peoples of North America is intended to be an introductory text about the Native peoples of North America (primarily the United States and Canada) presented from an anthropological perspective. As such, the text is organized around anthropological concepts such as language, kinship, marriage and family life, political and economic organization, food getting, spiritual and religious practices, and the arts. Prehistoric, historic and contemporary information is presented. Each chapter begins with an example from the oral tradition that reflects the theme of the chapter. The text includes suggested readings, videos, and classroom activities. This text was updated September 2019; the changes are detailed in an errata section in the text.