Environmental Anthropology - (Wiley Blackwell Anthologies in Social and Cultural Anthropol) by Michael R Dove & Carol Carpenter (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Environmental Anthropology: A Reader is a collection of historically significant readings, dating from early in the twentieth century up to the present, on the cross-cultural study of relations between people and their environment.

• Provides the historical perspective that is typically missing from recent work in environmental anthropology
• Includes an extensive intellectual history and commentary by the volume's editors
• Offers a unique perspective on current interest in cross-cultural environmental relations
• Divided into five thematic sections: (1) the nature/culture divide; (2) relationship between environment and social organization; (3) methodological debates and innovations; (4) politics and practice; and (5) epistemological issues of environmental anthropology
• Organized into a series of paired papers, which 'speak' to each other, designed to encourage readers to make connections that they might not customarily make

From the Back Cover

Environmental Anthropology: A Historical Reader is a collection of historically significant readings, dating from early in the twentieth century up to the present, on the cross-cultural study of relations between people and their environment. Like the focus of many environmental movements, much recent work in ecological anthropology has been crisis-driven, with a focus on the here and now. Often missing from this work is a wider perspective-including the context in which the research itself is being done. Current work on the human dimensions of deforestation or global climate change, for example, can be informed and strengthened by an understanding of the century-old intellectual lineage of the underlying issues.

Divided into five thematic sections, this collection provides rare insight into the evolution of environmental anthropology specifically and environmental studies more generally. These selections, along with extensive commentary by the volume's editors, offer a unique perspective on current interest in cross-cultural environmental relations.

Review Quotes

"Environmental Anthropology is a rich addition to Blackwell's successful series of Anthologies in social and cultural anthropology. It intends to give historical and theoretical depth to the largely crisis-driven work in this burgeoning sub-field of anthropology. The eight-five page introduction and bibliography map out a cyclical development of a branch of anthropology which seems ever more relevant, given contemporary concerns about environmental degradation, climate change, peak oil, and resource-related conflict. The editors, Michael R. Dove and Carol Carpenter, are well positioned to present these extremely wide-ranging selections of works defined by their timeless relevance. Dove and Carpenter have done a formidable job in providing what is likely to become a key textbook in specialized courses on environmental anthropology and a rich reference for anybody interested in the multifarious ways in which humans have lived and shaped their worlds." (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, December 2009)

"This reader provides an excellent sampling of classic anthropological writings on human ecology and environments. A truly comprehensive survey of the field and a range of genuine classics ... articles that deserve their wide reputation. In comparison with other readers on this general topic, the present one focuses on truly influential, widely cited works and is more balanced and comprehensive. Very highly recommended for courses in environmental or ecological anthropology, conservation biology, and human ecology. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries." (Choice, November 2008)

"Anthropology has a long and rich history of efforts to make sense of human societies in relation to their natural environments, and this edited collection, by Michael Dove and Carol Carpenter of Yale University, is an important contribution to that history. I strongly recommend the book to environmental scientists and conservation practitioners as a source of ideas about the human dimension of the things they care about." (Environment Conservation, 2008)

About the Author

Michael R. Dove is Margaret K. Musser Professor of Social Ecology, Professor of Anthropology, Curator of Anthropology at the Peabody Museum, and Coordinator of the joint doctoral program in anthropology and environmental studies, Yale University. He is the author of numerous books and papers on the anthropology of conservation and development. His most recent book is Conserving Nature in Culture: Case Studies from Southeast Asia (co-edited with P. Sajise and A. Doolittle, 2005).

Carol Carpenter is Senior Lecturer in Social Ecology and Anthropology, Yale University. Her teaching and research focus on theories of social ecology; social aspects of sustainable development and conservation; and gender in agrarian and ecological systems.