Nature and Society: Anthropological Perspectives

Description

The contributors to this book focus on the relationship between nature and society from a variety of theoretical and ethnographic perspectives. Their work draws upon recent developments in social theory, biology, ethnobiology, epistemology, sociology of science, and a wide array of ethnographic case studies -- from Amazonia, the Solomon Islands, Malaysia, the Mollucan Islands, rural comunities from Japan and north-west Europe, urban Greece, and laboratories of molecular biology and high-energy physics. The discussion is divided into three parts, emphasising the problems posed by the nature-culture dualism, some misguided attempts to respond to these problems, and potential avenues out of the current dilemmas of ecological discourse.

"Whether or not once accepts the theoretical claims that are advanced in "Nature and Society, the variety and depth of the researh that is offered in support of these claims is undeniably impressive.."-"International Philosophical Quarterly, March 1998 Vol.XXXVIII, No.1, Issue No. 149