cultural anthropology textbooks

[Jim Wilce]

Dear linguistic anthropologists,

Several years ago Charles Briggs distributed to the SLA an excellent
report on the state of linguistic anthropology within the broader
discipline. Among the many things he pointed out is the ongoing
frustration of having no cultural anthropology textbooks (or general
anthropology intro texts) that represent any of the cutting edge work
of linguistic anthropology. In fact, I think we all agree, they tend
to represent our discipline as it was decades ago.

I am simply curious about your sense of the state of such textbooks,
what we might do about it, and what those of you who teach intro
cultural courses do within current constraints. Maybe not so simple,
but I am curious.

Very best,

Jim
--
Jim Wilce, Associate Professor of Anthropology
Northern Arizona University
PO Box 15200
Flagstaff AZ 86011-5200
Office phone: 928-523-2729
email: jim.wilce at nau.edu
Home page: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jmw22

New! You can now order Jim's 2003 edited volume, Social and Cultural
Lives of Immune Systems, from Routledge. See
http://www.routledge-ny.com/books.cfm?isbn=0415310040.