An Introduction to Holistic Anthropology

1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-394-26599-2
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Buch, Englisch, 272 Seiten, Format (B × H): 254 mm x 178 mm, Gewicht: 520 g

Combines anthropology’s four subfields to explore what it means to be human

Introduction to Holistic Anthropology invites students to rediscover anthropology as Franz Boas once envisioned it — a unified discipline that integrates biological, historical, linguistic, and cultural perspectives to understand human diversity and commonality. In contrast to the fragmented state of the field today, where sub-disciplines often operate in isolation, this innovative textbook emphasizes a holistic approach that encourages readers to see the connections between different aspects of human life. John Forrest and Badger Forrest-Blincoe confront the challenge of making sense of anthropology’s “post-everything” landscape by shifting the focus from what anthropology is not to what it can be: a rigorous, integrative inquiry into the many dimensions of human existence.

Drawing on decades of combined teaching and research experience across six continents, the authors explore anthropology’s enduring questions about human nature, cultural variation, and the interplay of biology and learning. This book challenges students to consider how anthropologists build knowledge, where disagreements arise, and how the very foundations of the discipline can be contested and conceptualized.

Offering an accessible yet comprehensive framework that prompts learners to think across disciplinary boundaries, Introduction to Holistic Anthropology: - Addresses the fragmentation of the discipline and offers strategies for reconnecting its branches
- Draws on fieldwork and teaching experience spanning six continents
- Frames key questions in clear and engaging language for those new to the subject
- Fosters analytical thinking and respectful debate

- Highlights anthropology’s relevance to contemporary global issues and intercultural understanding
- Supports interdisciplinary thinking that connects anthropology to other fields of study

Introduction to Holistic Anthropology is designed for undergraduate students in introductory anthropology courses, particularly at the first- and second-year level. Suitable for degrees in anthropology, sociology, history, and global studies, it provides a solid foundation for understanding human cultures and diversity.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Forrest, John

Forrest-Blincoe, Badger

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Ethnologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Illustrations xi

List of Tables xiv

About the Authors xv

About the Companion Website xix

Introduction 1

1 Anthropologies 3

Definitions 3

Franz Boas 5

Boas and Holism 6

Academic Disciplines 8

Holistic Anthropology 9

2 Human Diversity 12

Genetic Inheritance: The Passing of Genes from One Generation to the Next 15

Epigenetic Inheritance: The Process of External Factors Causing Heritable Genetic Changes in the Successive Generation of Organisms 16

Behavioral Inheritance: The Transfer of Behavioral Actions and Knowledge to Successive Generations 16

Symbolic Inheritance: The Passing Down of Symbols, Beliefs, and Worldviews Between Generations 16

Human Biological Evolution 17

Human Genetics 17

Biological Variation 20

Linguistic Variation 23

Technological Variation 24

Cultural Universals 25

Conclusion 28

3 Worldviews and Narratives 29

Definitions 29

Sentience and Ideology 32

Narratives and Worldview 34

Visual Narratives 36

Landscapes and Worldview 39

Anthropological Worldview Narratives 40

Change in Worldview 43

4 The Human Body 44

Definitions of the Body 44

Types of Bodies 46

Anatomy and Physiology 46

Bodily Vulnerabilities 47

Disability 50

Metaphorical Bodies 51

Embodiment 52

Performance Theory: Bodies and Identity 52

Phenomenology and Embodiment 53

Bioarcheological and Paleoanthropological Data 54

Body Modification and Adornments 56

Non- verbal Communication 57

Non- human Primates 57

Human Non- verbal Communication and Gesture 58

Conclusion: The Three Body Problem 59

5 Domestication of Plants and Animals 60

Foraging 60

Domestication 64

6 Nutrition 77

Digestion 77

Food Choices and Taboos 78

Food as a Social Object 82

Table Manners 83

The Language of Food and Taste 84

Food and Rituals 85

The Archeology of Food 86

Conclusion 86

7 Health and Healing 88

Sickness 88

Causes of Illness 90

Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Medicine 90

Ayurveda 92

Traditional Chinese Medicine 92

Other Traditional Medicines 94

Social Care 95

Herbal Remedies 96

The Body’s Defenses 97

Healing Words 99

Archeology of Medicine 100

Public Health 103

Conclusion 103

8 Technology, Cognition, and Perception 105

Tools 105

Human Evolution 106

Stone, Bronze, and Beyond 110

Humans and Technology 114

Conclusion 117

9 Art and Aesthetics 118

Art vs Aesthetics 118

The Sensorium 119

Colors 121

Senses and Sense Organs 123

Genres 125

Play 128

Conclusion 129

10 Communities 130

Community 130

Primate Sociability 130

Family 132

Archeology and Kinship 135

Households 136

Incest and Marriage 136

Language and Kinship 137

Socio- political Organization 138

Mobility 141

Nations 141

Sense of Community 141

Transnational Communities 142

Speech Communities 144

Conclusion 144

11 Migration 145

Migration Today 145

Globalization 146

Labor Migration 147

Displaced Peoples/Refugees 148

Prehistoric Migrations 149

Holocene and Neolithic 150

Proto- historical and Early Historical Migration 154

Forced Migration 156

A Time of Empire 157

Voyages of Exploration 159

Colonialism, Industrialism, and Beyond 160

Conclusion 162

12 Religion (and Magic and Science) 163

Early Evidence of Religious Thought 164

Magic 165

Religion 167

Science 169

Divination 169

Astrology 171

Liminality 172

Religious Language 174

Religion and Ethics 175

Conclusion: Religion Today 177

13 Race and Ethnicity 178

Race and Racism 179

Ethnicity 187

Material Culture, Archeology, and Ethnicity 188

Language Varieties and Ethnicity 189

Conclusion 190

14 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 191

Sex 191

Gender 193

Love and Attraction 197

Sexuality 198

Conclusion 200

15 Conflict and Death 201

Don’t Push Me ‘Cuz I’m Close to the Edge 201

Fighting for Entertainment 202

Language 202

Pre- Fight Rituals 203

Rules of Engagement 204

Weapons 205

Fighting Techniques 205

Death 206

Rituals of Death 207

The Dead Body 208

16 Cooperation and Exchange 211

The Social Animal 211

Cooperation 213

Exchange and Reciprocity 216

Concluding Thoughts 225

References 227

Index 245

Über Autor(innen)

JOHN FORREST is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology in the State University of New York system, where he taught for over 40 years. A recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, he has conducted fieldwork on five continents, examining cultural practices in the United States, England, Mexico, China, Argentina, Kenya, and Cambodia.

BADGER FORREST-BLINCOE is a doctoral candidate in anthropology at Binghamton University (SUNY), specializing in the anthropology of martial arts. His research explores martial arts, ethnic identity, and nationalism in East Asia. He has co-authored multiple publications, advocating for holistic perspectives within general anthropology.