The Tapestry Of Culture

The Tapestry of Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology provides students and the interested public with a concise picture of the field of cultural anthropology today. From the first edition of Tapestry of Culture published in the early 1980s until now, anthropology has changed greatly, responding to scholarly and political influences as well as changing generations; the ninth edition reflects this ongoing transformation. The influence of postmodernism has generated new debates over theory and practice in anthropology. The content of Tapestry explains these debates, as well as what is still generally accepted and agreed upon by most anthropologists. This edition provides the instructor, student and lay public with the information necessary to enable them to critically read the literature of anthropology, more specifically ethnographic texts which are still the heart of this field. The approach of the book is to accommodate the various points of view in anthropology today. It shows how the concepts, ideas and behavior of other cultures are translated into our culture's terms. Though today many emphasize each culture's uniqueness, the presence of cultural similarities is compelling. Using a comparative approach, The Tapestry of Culture reveals cultural similarities, as well as the cultural differences.

This text is designed to provide an introduction to cultural anthropology.

American culture is a rich and complex tapestry of colorful threads from at least five continents, and in recent decades increased immigration has meant that the pace of change is accelerating. It's time for us to get to know ourselves and really appreciate this rich, vast, and rapidly expanding culture. This book explores the contributions of Hispanic, Black, Native American, Oriental, Jewish and other cultures to a nation where many people still focus on the influences of Christian, capitalist, and ethnically European (particularly British) heritage. Written for a general audience, 'Tapestry' explores the myths of American culture and reveals surprising cultural roots including the fact that American democracy and representative government were inspired more by Native American ways than by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Capitalism has become an unchallenged idea, a cultural universal, and so dogmatic that coupled with Christianity it has become America's dominant religion. However, capitalism is a 19th-century concept created for the bygone industrial era. Now the system is showing decay. Unfortunately, America is an ethnocentric country whose jingoistic belief in its own exceptionalism may prevent needed change. American culture has been both inclusive and intolerant. Today it stands at a crossroad and must decide what road to take. Are we to enter a renaissance or a dark age?

When we think about society and culture, often we think of our own culture – the culture in which we were raised or currently live – as the default. The eleventh edition of The Tapestry of Culture uses anthropological tools to translate the concepts, ideas, and behaviors of other cultures into language recognizable by today’s students. The book’s comparative approach balances the history of ethnography, fieldwork, and anthropological with today’s globalized world, including the impact of climate change, social movements, social media and technology, global health issues, and shifting political landscapes. New to the Eleventh Edition New Chapter 12, “Global Health and Wellness,” examines the historical, political, and cultural issues that shape disease and health including inequalities in access to physical and mental health services, the delivery of health care services, and health intervention strategies New Chapter 11, “Spaces and Places of Creative Expression,” explores how social media and internet technologies play a major role in how contemporary audiences view and understand creativity including music, dance, theater, film, painting and other performance styles Expanded discussion of the cultural construction of gender and sexuality, as well as LGBTQ issues in activism explores gender and sexuality through queer studies and in postcolonial settings (Chapter 7) New discussion of critical race theory highlights its contributions to analyzing multiple forms of racism and discrimination while providing an exploration of the challenges of multiculturalism in contexts of nationality, ethnicity, and political representation (Chapter 14) New discussions of environmental anthropology, political ecology, climate change inequality, social movements, globalization, and transnationalism highlight these contemporary issues as subjects of anthropological inquiry (Chapter 1)

Professionals engaged in art therapy discuss aspects of practice which are affected by an environment of increasing cultural diversity. Some contributions examine problems faced by members of ethnic minorities who are caught between assertion of their cultural identities and assimilation into a different social milieu.

With special reference of Zoroastrians/Parsees development in Iran and India, particularly in Mumbai.