The life and career of one of anthropology's most important ancestors, William Robertson Smith in the context of the history of anthropology. William Robertson Smith's influence on anthropology ranged from his relationship with John Ferguson McLennan, to advising James George Frazer to write about "Totem" and "Taboo" for the Encyclopaedia Britannica that he edited. This biography places a special emphasis on the notes and observations from his travels to Arabia, as well as on his influence on the representatives of the "Myth and Ritual School." With his discussion of myth and ritual, Smith influenced generations of scholars, and his insistence on the connection between the people, their God, and the land they inhabited inspired many of the concepts later developed by Emile Durkheim. "This is a clear, well-informed and interesting account of Robertson Smith's central ideas. The theories are set in the context of debates of the day, and their influence on anthropology and bible studies is discussed. An original and fascinating section reviews Robertson Smith's field work in the Middle East, which was much more extensive and intensive than is, I think, generally appreciated."-Adam Kuper, London School of Economics From the introduction: Although respected and studied, especially since the 1990s, Smith has a somewhat paradoxical position in the history of social and cultural anthropology. Anthropologists educated in the twentieth century admire him, but many contemporary scholars are not quite sure what to make of him.

"A valuable resource for teaching and research alike, Other People's Anthropologies rethinks canonical accounts of the discipline's history." . Anthropos

"The collection is a very welcome addition to the growing but still inadequate number of books and articles on world anthropologies. It is clearly written with concise chapters that give the reader a sense of the richness, diversity, commonalities and potentials of anthropology in the world today. Although the value goes beyond the classroom, this volume should be of interest particularly to those teaching anthropological theory who want to increase students' awareness of the significant anthropological scholarship beyond the so-called 'center'." . Anthropology News

"At last A volume that exposes the ethnocentric underbelly of Anglo-American anthropology. The practice and history of anthropology is far more interesting and engaging than most English-speakers know. This volume, combining reflective essays from prominent scholars and cutting-edge work by younger anthropologists will change the way many think of anthropology." . Robert Gordon

Anthropological practice has been dominated by the so-called "great" traditions (Anglo-American, French, and German). However, processes of decolonization, along with critical interrogation of these dominant narratives, have led to greater visibility of what used to be seen as peripheral scholarship. With contributions from leading anthropologists and social scientists from different countries and anthropological traditions, this volume gives voice to scholars outside these "great" traditions. It shows the immense variety of methodologies, training, and approaches that scholars from these regions bring to anthropology and the social sciences in general, thus enriching the disciplines in important ways at an age marked by multiculturalism, globalization, and transnationalism.

Aleksandar Bo kovi is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences in Belgrade (Serbia) and Visiting Professor of Anthropology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). His research areas include ethnicity and nationalism, popular culture, and he has also published widely on the history and theory of anthropology. In recent years, he published on anthropology in former Yugoslavia (Anthropology Today, 2005), Brazil (Dialectical Anthropology, 2005), South Africa (with Ilana van Wyk, Etnograficheskoe obozrenie, 2005), and "world anthropologies" (Anthropos, 2007). Bo kovi? is the author or editor of several books, including, most recently, Myth, Politics, Ideology (Belgrade, 2006)."

Reexamining a classical work of social anthropology, African Political Systems (1940), edited by Fortes and Evans-Pritchard, this book looks at the colonial and academic context from which the work arose, as well as its reception and its subject matter, and looks at how the work can help with analysis of current politics in Africa. This book critically reflects upon the history of anthropology. It also contributes to a political anthropology which is aware of its antecedents, self-reflexive as a discipline, conscious of pitfalls and biases, and able to locate itself in its academic, social and political environment.

The life and career of one of anthropology's most important ancestors, William Robertson Smith in the context of the history of anthropology. William Robertson Smith's influence on anthropology ranged from his relationship with John Ferguson McLennan, to advising James George Frazer to write about "Totem" and "Taboo" for the Encyclopaedia Britannica that he edited. This biography places a special emphasis on the notes and observations from his travels to Arabia, as well as on his influence on the representatives of the "Myth and Ritual School." With his discussion of myth and ritual, Smith influenced generations of scholars, and his insistence on the connection between the people, their God, and the land they inhabited inspired many of the concepts later developed by Emile Durkheim. "This is a clear, well-informed and interesting account of Robertson Smith's central ideas. The theories are set in the context of debates of the day, and their influence on anthropology and bible studies is discussed. An original and fascinating section reviews Robertson Smith's field work in the Middle East, which was much more extensive and intensive than is, I think, generally appreciated."-Adam Kuper, London School of Economics From the introduction: Although respected and studied, especially since the 1990s, Smith has a somewhat paradoxical position in the history of social and cultural anthropology. Anthropologists educated in the twentieth century admire him, but many contemporary scholars are not quite sure what to make of him.

Anthropological practice has been dominated by the so-called great traditions (Anglo-American, French, and German). However, processes of decolonization, along with critical interrogation of these dominant narratives, have led to greater visibility of what used to be seen as peripheral scholarship. With contributions from leading anthropologists and social scientists from different countries and anthropological traditions, this volume gives voice to scholars outside these great traditions. It shows the immense variety of methodologies, training, and approaches that scholars from these regions bring to anthropology and the social sciences in general, thus enriching the disciplines in important ways at an age marked by multiculturalism, globalization, and transnationalism.

The social lives of the peoples of the Balkans have long stimulated the imagination of their northern European neighbours, including anthropologists. Yet these peoples and places have anthropological traditions of their own, shaped initially by nationalist movements and later (more superficially) by socialism and other political constraints. This volume explores the anthropological field between Greece and Slovenia when political pressures were strongest, in the era of the Cold War. However, the environments were by no means uniformly repressive. These studies provide indispensable insights for new generations pursuing innovative research agendas in this region in the new century; they also raise deeper issues about the boundaries and substance of the anthropological endeavour.

Our understanding of ancient Pre-Columbian civilizations has changed significantly as the result of archaeological research in the last fifty years. Major projects during this period included dealing with cultural change in different contexts (Valley of Mexico, Oaxaca), regional research projects ("Olmec"), as well as attempts to understand more general trends in interpreting Pre-Columbian art and ideology (Codex Cihuacoatl, Templo Mayor). This book presents both the changes that occurred in the last few decades, and the impact that they had on our understanding on ancient Mesoamerican religions and cultures. It also includes references to some lesser-known research traditions (such as Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia), as well as to the work of scholars like Jacques Soustelle or Didier Boremanse. With the insistence on clear methodology, based on field research, this book uses the context of specific archaeological finds in order to put Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures in a historical perspective. In terms of method, the author follows R. E. W. Adams, Jeremy Sabloff, Robert J. Sharer and other archaeologists in emphasizing the "field archaeology school" approach, with its insistence on using the data acquired in context. Archaeological and anthropological research is in itself fascinating enough to not need stolen artefacts, forged vases, fantastic stories and invented mythical genealogies. The main goal of this book is to produce a methodologically sound and ethically valid interdisciplinary introduction into the exciting world of ancient Mesoamerica.