Anthropological Theory for the Twenty-First Century : A Critical Approach

Anthropological Theory for the Twenty-First Century presents a critical approach to the study of anthropological theory for the next generation of aspiring anthropologists. This text makes three key interventions into the field of anthropological theory. First, it incorporates work by anthropologists of colour, non-Western scholars, and others whose contributions to US anthropology have historically been underacknowledged. These pieces are not added as "new" or niche voices but are integrated throughout as foundational texts. Second, it updates the anthropological canon with the inclusion of late twentieth-century and early twenty-first-century scholarship. Third, this volume contextualizes theory production as part of broader social processes and critical conversations surrounding the canon itself, including its colonialist history and decolonial potential. This new edition is complete with student-friendly materials including editorial instructions, questions, and glossaries, a dynamic companion website with videos, supplemental readings, teaching resources, and a more curated selection of featured readings. These interventions are timely and necessary but not trendy, alternative, or niche. This is anthropological theory as it always ought to have been: including and centring the scholarship of critical anthropologists who have too often been relegated to disciplinary margins.