An Anthropological Toolkit: Sixty Useful Concepts

David Zeitlyn's book explores how to write about anthropological theory without making a specific argument, offering mini essays on various concepts. It celebrates the messy inconsistencies in human lives but suggests patterns that researchers can understand. The book promotes an eclectic, multi-faceted anthropology, with multiple approaches applied to gain limited insights. It does not endorse any single position but encourages combining different ideas and approaches to produce productive results.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2022
Publisher: Berghahn Books

Presenting sixty theoretical ideas,David Zeitlyn asks ‘How to write about anthropological theory without making a specific theoretical argument. “David Zeitlyn has written a wryly engaging,short book on,essentially,why we should not become theoretical partisans—that,indeed,being a serious theorist means accepting precisely that principle.”—Michael Herzfeld,Harvard University To answer,he offers a series of mini essays about an eclectic collection of theoretical concepts that he has found helpful over the years. The book celebrates the muddled inconsistencies in the ways that humans live their messy lives. There are,however,still patterns discernible: the actors can understand what is going on,they see an event unfolding in ways that are familiar,as belonging to a certain type and therefore,Zeitlyn suggests,so can researchers. From the introduction: This book promotes an eclectic,multi-faceted anthropology in which multiple approaches are applied in pursuit of the limited insights which each can afford…. I do not endorse any one of these idea as supplying an exclusive path to enlightenment: I absolutely do not advocate any single position. As a devout nonconformist,I hope that the following sections provide material,ammunition and succour to those undertaking nuanced anthropological analysis (and their kin in related disciplines)…. Mixing up or combining different ideas and approaches can produce results that,in their breadth and richness,are productive for anthropology and other social sciences,reflecting the endless complexities of real life. …This is my response to the death of grand theory. I see our task as learning how to deal with that bereavement and how to resist the siren lures of those promising synoptic overviews. This book is relev.
David Zeitlyn's book "How to Write about Anthropological Theory without Making a Specific Theoretical Argument" offers a series of mini essays on theoretical concepts that have been helpful to him over the years. The book celebrates the messy inconsistencies in the ways that humans live their lives, but also suggests that there are patterns that can be discerned. The book promotes an eclectic, multi-faceted anthropology in which multiple approaches are applied in pursuit of limited insights. Zeitlyn does not endorse any one idea as supplying an exclusive path to enlightenment, but rather hopes that the following sections will provide material, ammunition, and succour to those undertaking nuanced anthropological analysis. Mixing up or combining different ideas and approaches can produce results that are productive for anthropology and other social sciences, reflecting the endless complexities of real life. This book is a response to the death of grand theory and aims to help us learn how to deal with that bereavement and resist the siren lures of synoptic overviews.

Weight: 116g
Dimension: 126 x 202 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800735354