Power is immanent in human affairs; by definition, human beings are political animals. The only way to comprehend and analyze the complexities of power is to locate where material, psychological and social dimensions of political power are socially situated and reproduced. This collection of essays highlights the theoretical concerns of political anthropology. Initially published in the journal "Ethnology", they were classroom tested and collected on the basis of student comments. An introduction presents the intellectual traditions in political anthropology and focuses particularly on the manner in which various periods defined and dealt with the nature of social power. It also places current works within the framework of critical but constantly revised theoretical problems.

The essays in this volume represent trends in social stratification studies undertaken in major culture areas of the world. The empirical data of the chapters are set with special reference to the dynamics of processes within these diverse traditions and heritages as sources of comparison with one another and with the experiences of western societies.