by Peter J. Ucko (1995)
Theory in Archaeology: a world perspective examines important questions about the diversity in theory and practice in archaeology which are facing the discipline in the 1990s. For example, what is the relationship between theory and practice? How does 'World' archaeological theory differ from 'European' archaeological theory? Is it possible to be a good archaeological practitioner without theory? This unique book includes contributions from many different parts of the world - Africa, Indonesia, India, Australia, Canada, South America, Japan, and many other countries - to give the first truly global perspective on archaeological theory. It examines the nature of material culture studies and looks at the problems of ethnicity, regionalism and nationality. It also considers one of the fundamental questions in archaeology: whether empirical facts can be found and recorded through 'objective' research, or whether the past is in fact only the relativistic creation of a particular age or society. The diverse range of authors brings together very different perceptions of the past and also sheds new light on the dynamics of nationalism, providing a framework for considering such immediate questions as the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. The book's scope and interest should guarantee an international readership amongst students and academics alike.
George C. Denniston ... [et al
Circumcision is a cultural phenomenon that affects 15.3 million children and yound adults annualy. This book attempts to illuminate the vulnerability of human society to medical, economic, and historical pressures. It provides a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the devastating impact of circumcision on bodily integrity and human rights, and it provides a hope for change.
Karen Sykes
These astute essays describe the way ordinary people value human relationships and reason through the commonplace contradictions of their local way of life in a global age, rather than measure the actions of their subjects as evidence of either universal rationality or shared cultural beliefs. Each contributor conveys the ways in which people challenge the ascribed moral standards of custom, religious belief, bureaucratic policies through passionate words such as anecdotes, joke, rumors, and gossip. By evaluating moral reasoning at a local level, contributors work to answer the question, what is a good life.
Narendra K. Dash
Contributed articles presented earlier at a national seminar moderated by Visva Bharati and Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
Stephen P. Turner and Paul A. Roth
"The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of the Social Sciences collects newly commissioned essays that examine fundamental issues in the social sciences. The philosophy of the social sciences is concerned with a wide range of problems that pertain to explanations of human action and thought. This volume is the first of its kind to survey the full range of issues that philosophy of social science now encompasses. These include postmodernism, science studies, feminist philosophy, evolutionary accounts of social life, rational choice theory, practice theory, and causal modeling. The book also provides a retrospective look at the origins of the problem of the scientific character of social science and the changes that the field has undergone. Written by an international cast of leading philosophers, each essay offers an examination of the hottest issues in this field. It is a must-read for philosophers of social science and philosophically inclined social scientists. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET.