The field of cultural anthropology describes and interprets the thought and behavior of contemporary and near-contemporary societies. Inherently pluralistic, it offers a framework in which the distinctive perspectives of each cultural world can be appreciated. Robert Winthrop's dictionary describes the major concepts that have shaped the discipline, both historically and theoretically. It sets modern anthropology in its proper context within the broader intellectual tradition.

Eighty entries review the key concepts--culture, race, nature, symbolism, adaptation, the primitive,...