Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

An ideal complement to standard anthropology texts or as a stand-alone text/reader, the best-selling Conformity and Conflict continues to offer an in-depth look at anthropology as a powerful way to study human behavior and events.

The 37 articles cover a broad range of theoretical perspectives and demonstrate basic anthropological concepts. The twelfth edition retains the accessibility of the previous editions and the view that anthropology provides a fascinating perspective on the human experience.

The 13th edition has been shaped by the current concerns in both anthropology and American society, including globalization, studying women's lives, race and ethnicity, anthropology's practical applications and the ways it leads to everyday careers.

The newly revised table of contents reflects the suggestions of Conformity and Conflict users. Thirty percent of the readings are either revised or entirely new to this edition. Nine new articles appear in this edition of Conformity and Conflict (Readings 7, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29, 32, 33), three of which were expressly commissioned for this edition (12, 29, 25). Four articles (5, 28, 31 and 35) have been updated for this edition.

More attention is paid to cultural ecology, the impact of the world market and world systems on human social life, and to human change in increasingly large and complex societies. An entirely NEW section on globalization includes three new articles that introduce readers to key concepts - how popular culture spreads to different societies, the processes by which cultural artifacts, social structures, and how ideas are adopted and changed as they reach new societies.

Average Customer Rating:

Best Anthro Book I've Read	Customer Rating:
Definately, this is one of the best Anthropology-oriented books I've read, academically or for pleasure. The fact that it is mostly exerpts from actual ethnographies helps to get points across while still more than keeping my attention. Well Done

School Book	Customer Rating:
got this book for an anthro class at my University. its basically just a compilation of short stories (3 pages - 10 pages) about case studies in anthro. its an easy read and actually was pretty interesting.

Excellent collection, a standard in anthro -- and the 12th is DIFFERENT from the11th

Customer Rating:

I've used this collection off and on for years in teaching Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. It's a great book, a real standard in anthropology. Honestly, I think the relevance and quality of the essays varies from edition to edition. I liked the 11th more than the 12th. Sometimes a 'favorite' essay gets replaced; and then in the next edition it is returned. Go figure. I note that sellers of used copies are claiming that the 11th edition is virtually the same as the 12th, that nearly every article is the same. THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how often I have students believe this and buy the 11th edition, then struggle all semester because they don't have the chapters I've assigned. Only someone who has never used the book in class, either as a student or a teacher, would make such an egregiously wrong claim. So, if you're looking for a nice, cheap, used version, make sure that you buy the edition being used in your class. Most teachers will not assign every single chapter in the book; most select 8-12 chapters, and they can well be the chapters that are not in the older edition. Caveat Emptor ...

Good stuff	Customer Rating:
The book came fast and it was brand new. The book was crisp. It's a soft covered book but it still made that new hard-textbook sound. :0)

Excellent introduction to cultural anthropology!	Customer Rating:
This text was used in my introductory anthropolgy class, and I thoroughly enjoyed the readings. The text includes many case studies of differing cultures without being overly technical. I found this text easy to read, but very thought provoking. Highly recommended!