Hi all, I wonder if anyone has suggestions for a good, accessible and recent anthropological critique of popular functionalisms? I continue to be amazed at the compulsive nature of functionalist explanations for undergrads, so that even after weeks of immersion in the Boasians, they resort to knee-jerk explanations based on universal biological and/or social "needs". I would love a recent piece that really addresses functionalisms' profound hold on popular imaginations with reference to…See More

A group for discussing and exploring that other thing that many of us do with anthropology: teaching. Tactics, strategies, pedagogical theory -- anything related to teaching anthropology is fair game.See More

A forum for anthropologists who did (or intend to) conduct long-term fieldwork in Tibetan societies and Tibeto-Burman language-speaking groups ranging from Nepal (Tamang, Gurung, Limbu, etc.) to Southwest China (Naxi, Mosuo, Yi, etc.).

I posted this mistakenly as a comment. I re-post here, sorry. I'm teaching a course I call Global Tibet here at Reed College and I want to assign some Said on Orientalism in the beginning weeks of the course. What excerpts would members recommend? At Reed, we can pitch the readings pretty high for undergrads. Thanks much for any advice!

A forum to discuss how economic anthropology might be regenerated by taking advantage of new social forms such as this one.

This group is dedicated to all those interested in language!

Theories guiding our thinking, and thinking about theory.