Description
Book SynopsisIntroduction to Cultural Ecology, Third Edition, familiarizes students with the foundations of the field and provides a framework for exploring what other cultures can teach us about human/environment relationships.
Trade ReviewDiscussion of human-environmental interactions is increasingly politicized leaving anthropologically, biologically, ecologically, and geographically minded students and professionals wondering: ‘What can be agreed upon regarding people in the context of environments?’ Fractured perspectives and theoretical positions abound, ranging from anthropology to environmental science to environmental philosophy. This third edition of Sutton and Anderson’s Introduction to Cultural Ecology goes back to basics and summarizes established knowledge about people in environments, but also contextualizes this long history of empirical research and theoretical development within contemporary perspectives that matter in terms of sustainability, political ecology, and conservation. -- Steve Wolverton, editor, Ethnobiology Letters; treasurer, Society of Ethnobiology; Department of Geography, University of North Texas
We live in challenging times in which environmental problems are one of the most pressing issues. In order to make sense of these challenges, Sutton and Anderson offer a wide-ranging, comprehensive, and critical introduction to cultural ecology. By showing us the complexities of human-environmental relations, from the local to the global, including a wide array of case studies, the authors have given us the essential primer for the field of environmental anthropology. -- José E. Martínez-Reyes, Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Boston
This revised and updated edition of Introduction to Cultural Ecology is the definitive go-to text for undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as an excellent resource for seasoned researchers. Sutton and Anderson’s book provides solid empirical grounding for studying cultural-ecological relationships at various scales of human organization, while also suggesting a way of understanding the world that gives us hope for sustainable solutions to a variety of contemporary environmental problems. -- James R. Veteto, Department of Anthropology, University of North Texas
Table of ContentsContents List of Figures and Tables Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction What Is Cultural Ecology? Anthropology The Study of Human Ecology A History of Thought on Culture and Environment The Rise of Cultural Ecology Thus . . . Chapter Summary Key Terms 2 Fundamentals of Ecology The Environment Niche and Habitat Resources Energy Chapter Summary Key Terms 3 Human Biological Ecology Humans as Animals Biological Adaptations Human Population Regulation Nutrition Evolutionary Ecology Chapter Summary Key Terms CASE STUDY 3.1. The Dietary Role of Insects in the Ancient Great Basin 4 Cultural Ecology Human Capabilities Culture as an Adaptive Mechanism Traditional Knowledge Systems Human Control of the Environment Decision Making A Concluding Thought on Management Chapter Summary Key Terms 5 Hunting and Gathering Hunter-Gatherer Classification The Hunter-Gatherer Stereotype Bias in Hunter-Gatherer Studies Population Settlement and Subsistence Environmental Manipulation and Resource Management Relations with other Groups Chapter Summary Key Terms CASE STUDY 5.1: The Nuu-chah-nulth of British Columbia CASE STUDY 5.2: The Mbuti of the Ituri Forest 6 The Origins of Food Production Agricultural Domestication The Transition to Farming On the Origin of Agriculture Types of Agriculture The Impact of Agriculture Chapter Summary Key Terms 7 Horticulture Horticultural Techniques Use of Wild Resources Environmental Manipulation and Resource Management Relations with Other Groups Chapter Summary Key Terms CASE STUDY 7.1: The Grand Valley Dani of Highland New Guinea CASE STUDY 7.2: The Lozi of Western Zambia 8 Pastoralism General Sociopolitical Organization Types of Pastoralism The Geography of Pastoralism The Origin of Pastoralism Some Parameters of Pastoralism Use of Nonpastoral Products Environmental Manipulation and Resource Management Relations with Other Groups A Note on the Impact of Grazing Chapter Summary Key Terms CASE STUDY 8.1: The Maasai: Pastoralists in East Africa CASE STUDY 8.2: The Navajo: Pastoralists of the American Southwest CASE STUDY 8.3: Cattle Ranchers in the American West, by Kimberly Hedrick 9 Intensive Agriculture Changes in Scale Techniques of Intensive Agriculture Contemporary Industrialized Agriculture Environmental Manipulation and Resource Management Relations with Other Groups Chapter Summary Key Terms CASE STUDY 9.1: Mountains and Water: The Traditional Agricultural System along South Coastal China CASE STUDY 9.2: The Maya Agricultural System 10 Current Issues and Problems The Tragedy of the Commons Agricultural Involution Agricultural Development and Intensification The Rainforest Dilemma The General Problem Chapter Summary Key Terms Glossary References Index About the Authors
