Schools and Styles of Anthropological Theory

In this highly original contribution, leading anthropological scholars from the University of Cambridge provide a new and compelling approach to the history of anthropological ideas.... With each chapter authored by different anthropologists at the University of Cambridge, one gets a powerful sense of the perspective of that important school and at the same time original individual contributions from well-known anthropologists on key themes or thinkers that have impacted anthropological thought over the years. Insightful, succinct but also consistently challenging, I expect that these essays will inspire students of anthropology for years to come. Adam Reed, University of St Andrews, UK A useful antidote to the presentism of much current anthropological theorizing, this rich and variegated collection - which takes account of some of the deepest roots and freshest sprigs - especially reflects the influential view of the discipline from the venerable Cambridge tradition, which displays in these pages an impressively global and historically comprehensive reach. Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University, USA Anthropological theory does not exist per se. It has been conceptualized and formulated on the basis of our own academic work, developing and sometimes changing substantially over the years and decades, influenced by very personal experiences, social settings and political constellations. In fact, theory is as much a product of time and space as it is the achievement of intellectual forebears. Likewise its reception and critique is subject to change and ongoing discussion. The authors of this book, junior and senior, offer broad contexts and detailed knowledge without hiding their personal views and sympathies. A truly committed introduction. Magnus Treiber, LMU Munchen, German