Can elements of one culture-kinship relations, for example-be profitably compared to similar elements in other cultures? According to much anthropological thinking of recent decades, the answer is "no." Cultures are closed systems, many people argue, and their internal elements can only be understood with respect to the culture as a whole. Cultural anthropologist Robert C. Hunt, drawing on his vast experience studying cultures around the world, here makes a powerful counter-argument that the various elements making up a culture not only can but must be compared across cultures if we are to understand them at all. Cultural comparison is not easy, and it cannot eliminate all ambiguity, but it is necessary if we are to develop a scientific understanding of how cultures work. This intriguing polemic will appeal to students of cultural anthropology, sociology, and ethnic studies, especially those interested in the theoretical grounding of these disciplines.

Can elements of one culture-kinship relations, for example-be profitably compared to similar elements in other cultures? According to much anthropological thinking of recent decades, the answer is 'no.' Cultures are closed systems, many people argue, and their internal elements can only be understood with respect to the culture as a whole. Cultural anthropologist Robert C. Hunt, drawing on his vast experience studying cultures around the world, here makes a powerful counter-argument that the various elements making up a culture not only can but must be compared across cultures if we are to understand them at all. Cultural comparison is not easy, and it cannot eliminate all ambiguity, but it is necessary if we are to develop a scientific understanding of how cultures work. This intriguing polemic will appeal to students of cultural anthropology, sociology, and ethnic studies, especially those interested in the theoretical grounding of these disciplines.

This new volume from the Society for Economic Anthropology examines the unique contributions of anthropologists to general economic theory. Editor Jean Ensminger and other contributors challenge our understanding of human economies in the expanding global systems of interaction, with models and analyses from cross-cultural research. They examine a broad range of theoretical concerns from the new institutionalism, debates about wealth, exchange, and the evolution of social institutions, the relationship between small producers and the wider world, the role of commodity change and the formal/informal sector, and the role of big theory. The book will be a valuable resource for anthropologists, economists, economic historians, political economists, and economic development specialists. Published in cooperation with the Society for Economic Anthropology. Visit their web page.