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Humans Are Fascinating And Complex Beings. With Our Large Brains, Flexible Diets, And Ability To Get Around On Two Feet, Evolutionary History Has Made Us Different From Other Primates And Facilitated Our Adaptation To Practically Any Environment On The Planet. At The Same Time, We Are More Than Our Biology, And There Is Nothing We Do That Does Not Involve Culture, Which Encompasses Our Capacities For Symbolic Communication, Intensive Social Cooperation, Intergenerational Learning, And Metaphysical Thinking. These Points Raise Some Interesting Questions: What Is It About Our Humanity That Distinguishes Us From Other Species? What Is Culture And How Does It Shape Our Origins, Prehistoric Pasts, And Present? How Do We As Humans Construct Meaningful Social Worlds? What Are The Reasons For Human Biological And Cultural Diversity? Such Questions Are At The Core Of The Study Of Anthropology-- Provided By Publisher.
This text investigates the fundamental question of what defines humanity through the dual lenses of biological evolution and cultural development. The authors, Agustin Fuentes, Luis A. Vivanco, and Robert L. Welsch, utilize a comprehensive anthropological framework to synthesize data from evolutionary biology, archaeology, and cultural studies. They argue that human success is predicated on the unique interplay between our biological adaptations and our capacity for symbolic communication and social cooperation. By examining both our prehistoric origins and contemporary social structures, the authors provide a holistic view of the human experience.
What You Will Find
Experts recognize this work as a foundational textbook that effectively bridges the gap between physical anthropology and cultural studies. Readers frequently note the clarity of the prose and the balanced integration of diverse anthropological subfields for undergraduate study.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press Academic US
ISBN-10:
0199947627
ISBN-13:
9780199947621
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