This ambitious and unique volume sets a standard of excellence for research in educational ethnography. The interpretive studies brought together in this volume are outstanding discipline-based analyses of education both in the United States and in complex societies abroad.

This ambitious and unique volume sets a standard of excellence for research in educational ethnography. The interpretive studies brought together in this volume are outstanding discipline-based analyses of education both in the United States and in complex societies abroad.

George and Louise Spindler are widely regarded as significant founders of the field of educational anthropology. This book brings together their best, most seminal work from the last 50 years--a time frame representing the developmental epoch of the field--and binds them together with a master commentary by George Spindler. Previously scattered over a wide range of publications, the articles collected here allow for a unified view of the Spindlers' work and of the development of the field. The book opens with an insightful Foreword by Henry T. Trueba, a fascinating piece titled "A Life With Anthropology and Education: Interviews With George and Louise Spindler by Ray McDermott and Frederick Erickson," and George Spindler's "Previews" essay which gives the reader a grasp of the whole to which the parts of the book contribute. These pieces frame and contextualize the work that follows. In Part I, Character Defining, many of the major themes of this volume are first encountered; this section sets the stage for what follows. Part II, Comparisons, focuses on comparison, which the Spindlers view as essential to an anthropological approach. Part III, Ethnography in Action, is devoted to the explicit exposition of ethnographic methods (though actually every piece in the book is a demonstration of method). Part IV, American Culture, moves from a traditional representation of American Culture to a processual analysis of how the culture is transmitted in real situations, and finally to an interpretation of right-wing actions that seem to constitute a reactive movement; the implications for education are pursued. Part V, Cultural Therapy , explains what cultural therapy is and how it may be applied to teachers and students. The volume concludes with Part VI, Orientation, Susan Parman's overview of the works of the Spindlers that spans their whole career.

George and Louise Spindler are widely regarded as significant founders of the field of educational anthropology. This book brings together their best, most seminal work from the last 50 years--a time frame representing the developmental epoch of the field--and binds them together with a master commentary by George Spindler. Previously scattered over a wide range of publications, the articles collected here allow for a unified view of the Spindlers' work and of the development of the field.
The book opens with an insightful Foreword by Henry T. Trueba, a fascinating piece titled "A Life With Anthropology and Education: Interviews With George and Louise Spindler by Ray McDermott and Frederick Erickson," and George Spindler's "Previews" essay which gives the reader a grasp of the whole to which the parts of the book contribute. These pieces frame and contextualize the work that follows.
In Part I, "Character Defining," many of the major themes of this volume are first encountered; this section sets the stage for what follows. Part II, "Comparisons," focuses on comparison, which the Spindlers view as essential to an anthropological approach. Part III, "Ethnography in Action," is devoted to the explicit exposition of ethnographic methods (though actually every piece in the book is a demonstration of method). Part IV, "American Culture," moves from a traditional representation of American Culture to a processual analysis of how the culture is transmitted in real situations, and finally to an interpretation of right-wing actions that seem to constitute a reactive movement; the implications for education are pursued. Part V, "Cultural Therapy," explains what cultural therapy is and how it may be applied to teachers and students. The volume concludes with Part VI, "Orientation," Susan Parman's overview of the works of the Spindlers that spans their whole career.

Cultural therapy is a way of helping people cope with cultural diversity and societal inequity through the mediation of the school as a central institution for cultural transmission and maintenance.

This book illustrates how cultural therapy can be applied in educational settings to promote better understanding among teachers and students. Each chapter presents a situation in which the author has been intimately involved, offering a variety of approaches to, and interpretations of, cultural therapy.

This volume combines data obtained by a values projective technique over a period of more than 30 years, data obtained from census records, and ethnographic data obtained by the authors in fieldwork in several different places in the USA. Special attention is paid to schooling as a means of cultural transmission. The concept of "hinterland" (the great areas of the United States in between the metropolitan sectors) is developed and contrasted to metropolitan culture. The purpose of the book is to deal with a process in which all Americans, old and new, and of all ethnic groups and minorities, are caught up - the American cultural dialogue. This dialogue, centering on values such as individuality, freedom, community, equality and success transcends class and region.