After a decade of historical anthropology, the discipline seems to be thoroughly historicized. This implies not only that the historical dimension of other cultures has become an integrated part of any anthropological inquiry, but also that the different ways of producing history have become important considerations. Using historical and ethnographic material, mainly from Europe, Other Histories examines the nature of history and its importance to anthropological study. The apparently Eurocentric perspective of this book actually serves the purpose of dismantling the unity and progress of...

As various societies increasingly merge into one global society and consequently have to address crises of identity, purpose and interest, so must social anthropology re-examine and update its methodology. This book concerns itself with European anthropology from an Eastern perspective rather than focusing exclusively on Eastern European anthropology. It offers comparative material analyzing social situations in Russia, Indonesia, Britain, Central Europe, Southern Africa and the Arctic as a means to determine the success or failure of the same concepts in the understanding of present Central...

Inside and Outside the Law analyses the relationship between the law, the state and its citizens. Drawing on general theories and specific case-studies, it examines the diverse ways in which people in different cultural and historical settings have experienced the ambiguities of law. Its theme develops to engage with current debates concerning the status of rules and codification in social life and to the revival of interest in moralities.
With chapters that encompass countries such as Peru, Mozambique, Spain, Iran, the US and Britain this book has a strong global perspective.

Between kinship ties on the one hand and the state on the other, human beings experience a diversity of social relationships and groupings which in modern western thought have come to be gathered under the label 'civil society'. A liberal-individualist model of civil society has become fashionable in recent years, but what can such a term mean in the late twentieth century?
Civil Society argues that civil society should not be studied as a separate, 'private' realm clearly separated in opposition to the state; nor should it be confined to the institutions of the 'voluntary' or...

Arguing that policy has become an increasingly central concept and instrument in the organisation of contemporary societies and that it now impinges on all areas of life so that it is virtually impossible to ignore or escape its influence, this book argues that the study of policy leads straight into issues at the heart of anthropology.

Arguing that policy has become an increasingly central concept and instrument in the organisation of contemporary societies and that it now impinges on all areas of life so that it is virtually impossible to ignore or escape its influence, this book argues that the study of policy leads straight into issues at the heart of anthropology.

Focusing on the social construction of morality, The Ethnography of Moralities discusses a topic which is complex but central to the study and nature of anthropology. With the recent shift towards an interest in indigenous notions of self and personhood, questions pertaining to the moral and ethical origins of beliefs relating to human rights become increasingly relevant.
Some of the questions that the contributors address are:
* How is the ethical knowledge grounded?
* Which social domains most profoundly articulate moral values and which are most affected?
* Who...

Focusing on the social construction of morality, The Ethnography of Moralities discusses a topic which is complex but central to the study and nature of anthropology. With the recent shift towards an interest in indigenous notions of self and personhood, questions pertaining to the moral and ethical origins of beliefs relating to human rights become increasingly relevant.
Some of the questions that the contributors address are:
* How is the ethical knowledge grounded?
* Which social domains most profoundly articulate moral values and which are most affected?
* Who...

This collection shifts the focus away from this to examine the conflicts and realities of development at a local, empirical level. It provides a series of case studies which illuminate the attitudes and actions of those involved in local development schemes. The material is drawn from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. All the contributors use rigorous anthropological methods of analysis to shed light on the place of feelings of personal sentiment and identity in reactions to planned development schemes. In a world where direct action and public protest are routine responses to...

This collection examines the conflicts and realities of development at a local, empirical level. It provides a series of case studies which illuminate the attitudes and actions of all of those involved in local development schemes.
The material is drawn from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. All the contributors use rigorous anthropological methods of analysis to shed light on the place of feelings of personal sentiment and identity in reactions to planned development schemes. In a world where direct action and public protest are routine responses to local development schemes,...