The contributors to this innovative work re-examine how anthropology might resume its central task of exploring human society through comparison, but under new global conditions and using its newfound critical self-awareness. Individual entries from an international group of anthropologists re-visits, re-theorizes and re-invigorates comparison as a legitimate and fruitful enterprise. The authors explain the valuable elements of anthropological comparison and encourage an international dialogue about comparative research. "Anthropology, by Comparison" is a call to creative reflection on the past and productive action in the present, a challenge to anthropologists to revitalize their unique contribution to human understanding.
'It is a valuable series of essays ... resting largely upon the way individual contributers draw on the collective riches of the dicipline in order to think freshly about methods and intentions. I greatly enjoyed the book because it made me lift my eyes.' - Sid Mintz, John Hopkins University
'It is a marvellous collection. It will, I am sure, help to put anthropology back on track after all our collective indulgences in various non-comparative and anti-comparative kinds of work.I like the diversity of the collection, and I especially like the editors' notion of a plurality of comparative methods to replace simplistic hard-science model that had gone before. I am sure it will be useful for both anthropologists and students alike. - - Alan Barnard, University of Edinburgh'
'It is a marvellous collection. It will, I am sure, help to put anthropology back on track after all our collective indulgences in various non-comparative and anti-comparative kinds of work.I like the diversity of the collection, and I especially like the editors' notion of a plurality of comparative methods to replace simplistic hard-science model that had gone before. I am sure it will be useful for both anthropologists and students alike. - - Alan Barnard, University of Edinburgh'
'It is a valuable series of essays ... resting largely upon the way individual contributers draw on the collective riches of the dicipline in order to think freshly about methods and intentions. I greatly enjoyed the book because it made me lift my eyes.' - Sid Mintz, John Hopkins University
'It is a marvellous collection. It will, I am sure, help to put anthropology back on track after all our collective indulgences in various non-comparative and anti-comparative kinds of work.I like the diversity of the collection, and I especially like the editors' notion of a plurality of comparative methods to replace simplistic hard-science model that had gone before. I am sure it will be useful for both anthropologists and students alike. - - Alan Barnard, University of Edinburgh'
'It is a marvellous collection. It will, I am sure, help to put anthropology back on track after all our collective indulgences in various non-comparative and anti-comparative kinds of work.I like the diversity of the collection, and I especially like the editors' notion of a plurality of comparative methods to replace simplistic hard-science model that had gone before. I am sure it will be useful for both anthropologists and students alike. - - Alan Barnard, University of Edinburgh'