""Ethnographies for a Global Century" introduces readers to topics in sociocultural anthropology viewed through the lens of contemporary ethnography. The readings highlight the importance of anthropology in a future when understanding the points of contact and engagement between humans and non-human things will become critical.
The readings are organized into fifteen chapters which address topics such as past, present, and place, language and expression, relatedness and personhood, health and healing, gender and sexuality, religion, politics, and economy and livelihood. Each chapter includes an original introduction and study questions that encourage critical thinking. The essays were chosen for their ability to destabilize common anthropological boundaries, particularly those between traditional and novel concepts such as gender and robotics, as well as the boundaries that are typically established between humans, animals, the natural world, and technology.
"Ethnographies for a Global Century" asks readers to question long-held distinctions and envision the future of anthropology in an increasingly interconnected, global world. The book is a unique, thought-provoking choice for any course in cultural or social anthropology.
Cheyenne Laue is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Montana where she studies computational anthropology. Her current research involves programming a computer simulation of the social, cultural, and environmental influences on the process of technological innovation. She is broadly interested in how humans interact with non humans, including both other species and advanced technologies.
G.G. Weix is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the South and Southeast Asian Studies Program at the University of Montana. Prior to joining the faculty in 1992, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Economic Culture at Boston University, and a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral fellow to Java, Indonesia. She has published articles on gender, household, political economy and religion, as well as popular culture and visual media in Java. Her current interests include archival projects and the ethnography of higher education. She is a fellow in the American Anthropological Association, and a member of the Association of Asian Studies, where she serves on the Indonesian and East Timor Studies Committee."