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Cultural Anthropology ReviewWhen dealing with textbooks, you eventually realize that every textbook has its advantages and disadvantages. "Cultural Anthropology" by Kottak is no different. The book has some fundamental flaws that warrant discussion. First, I think the book would benefit if it included an early chapter that introduced students to various anthropological theories. Since many anthropology texts fail to do this, I can't hold too much against Kottak for this negligence. Most sociology textbooks incorporate a chapter introducing students to Functionalist, Conflict, and Symbolic Interaction theoretical frameworks, and I believe anthropology books should follow suit.My second problem with the book is that Kottak, at times, provides questionable definitions for various terms and concepts. For example, in Chapter 6 he defines a "race" as "an ethnic group that is assumed to have a biological basis." This is a fundamentally flawed definition. The fact that definitions of race are socio-cultural categories notwithstanding, most Americans would consider African-Americans, the Dinka, and the Igbo to be three separate ethnic groups but all members of the same race. The same can be said of Italian-Americans, Russians, and the Amish. Kottak's definition implies that "race" and "ethnicity" are essentially the same phenomenoa, when in actuality they are two totally distinct concepts. His sloppy, simplistic definitions have a potential to confuse non-anthropology students.
My other critique with Kottak is that, at times, he offers ridiculous and overly-simplistic culturalist explanations. For example, Kottak points out that Germany has numerous high-quality female Olympic swimmers, while Brazil lacks high-caliber women swimmers. What accounts for this difference? According to Kottak, the answer is different standards of sex appeal and constructions of female beauty in the two societies. In Germany, women with hard and sculpted bodies are considered sexy, while Brazilians value the "natural beauty" of women, especially the "ghetto booty." What a joke! How would Kottak account for the fact that Brazil sends a quality women's volleyball team to the Olympics - a team stocked with 6'0" women with rock solid abs and muscular, toned frames?
On the plus side, students find Kottak easy to read, and for the most part, easy to comprehend. Each chapter has a set of discussion questions to facilitate in-class discussions of the material at hand. The instructor's edition comes with an outstanding test/quiz component for each chapter. Also, Kottak does offer many cross-cultural examples and case studies to support his ideas.
While far from perfect, "Cultural Anthropology" is a recommended textbook for intro-level anthropology courses - especially those that project a large enrollment of freshmen.Cultural Anthropology Overview
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