Small Places, Large Issues

An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology

Thomas Hylland Eriksen

This concise introduction to social and cultural anthropology has become a modern classic, revealing the rich global variation in social life and culture.

The text provides a clear overview of anthropology, focusing on central topics such as kinship, ethnicity, ritual and political systems, offering a wealth of examples that demonstrate the enormous scope of anthropology and the importance of a comparative perspective. Unlike other texts on the subject, Small Places, Large Issues incorporates the anthropology of complex modern societies. Using reviews of key monographs to illustrate his argument, Eriksen’s lucid and accessible text remains an established introductory text in anthropology.

This new edition is updated throughout and increases the emphasis on the interdependence of human worlds. There is a new discussion of the new influence cultural studies and natural science on anthropology. Effortless bridging the perceived gap between “classic” and “contemporary” anthropology, Small Places, Large Issues is as essential to anthropology undergraduates as ever.

About the Author

Thomas Hylland Eriksen is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo. He is the author of numerous books, including Ethnicity and Nationalism, A History of Anthropology, Small Places, Large Issues, Tyranny of the Moment and Globalisation, all available from Pluto Press.