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Cows, pigs, wars, & witches

Cows, pigs, wars, & witches

the riddles of culture.
FolklorePhilosophy
Pages
238
Published
1974
Language
English

Synopsis

Marvin Harris challenges the notion that societal change comes from altering individual thoughts. Instead, he argues that human behaviors, no matter how unusual, are rooted in concrete social and economic realities. This book advocates for an objective understanding of these conditions to comprehend our own seemingly irrational lifestyles, offering a critique of counterculture movements.

Prose complexity
10/10

Vibe

Thought-ProvokingInformativeComplexIntellectual

Genres

Folklore Philosophy Politics & Society Science Sociology

About the author

M
Marvin Harris

Marvin Harris (August 18, 1927 – October 25, 2001) was an American anthropologist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City. A prolific writer, he was highly influential in the development of cultural materialism. In his work, he combined Karl Marx's emphasis on the forces of production with Thomas Malthus's insights on the impact of demographic factors on other parts of the sociocultural system. Source: Marvin Harris on Wikipedia (Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0).

Frequently asked questions

  • Does this book require prior knowledge of anthropology?

    The text is written for a general audience and does not require specialized academic training to follow the author's arguments regarding cultural practices. It serves as an accessible introduction to the framework of cultural materialism by applying it to specific, real-world puzzles.

  • Is this part of a series or a standalone work?

    This is a standalone book that functions as a self-contained exploration of the author's theoretical approach. While the author has written other influential works on similar subjects, this volume does not require reading any preceding or subsequent texts to understand its conclusions.