Anthropology, Economics, and Choice

Anthropology, Economics, and Choice

Author: Michael Chibnik

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2011-11-01

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 0292742452

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In the midst of global recession, angry citizens and media pundits often offer simplistic theories about how bad decisions lead to crises. Many economists, however, base their analyses on rational choice theory, which assumes that decisions are made by well-informed, intelligent people who weigh risks, costs, and benefits. Taking a more realistic approach, the field of anthropology carefully looks at the underlying causes of choices at different times and places. Using case studies of choices by farmers, artisans, and bureaucrats drawn from Michael Chibnik's research in Mexico, Peru, Belize, and the United States, Anthropology, Economics, and Choice presents a clear-eyed perspective on human actions and their economic consequences. Five key issues are explored in-depth: choices between paid and unpaid work; ways people deal with risk and uncertainty; how individuals decide whether to cooperate; the extent to which households can be regarded as decision-making units; and the "tragedy of the commons," the theory that social chaos may result from unrestricted access to commonly owned property. Both an accessible primer and an innovative exploration of economic anthropology, this interdisciplinary work brings fresh insight to a timely topic.


Economies and Cultures

Economies and Cultures

Author: Richard R Wilk

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-05-04

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 0429974892

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This book introduces economic anthropology to countries where it has never been taught before, including Vietnam, China, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. It identifies the fundamental practical and theoretical problems that give economic anthropology its unique strengths and vision.


New Directions in Economic Anthropology

New Directions in Economic Anthropology

Author: Susana Narotzky

Publisher: Pluto Press (UK)

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13:

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'Narotzky is particularly compelling in her discussion of the relation between the counted andunaccounted as it enters practices and ideology in the informal economy, family business and home life' Anthropology Today (RAI)Using an historical perspective, Narotzky highlights the interdependent nature of the contemporary world economy, and includes case studies of Western societies. She gives special emphasis to current issues such as the anthropology of work, the informal economy, and the cultures of industrialisation.


Economic Development

Economic Development

Author: Jeffrey Harris Cohen

Publisher: Rowman Altamira

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9780759102125

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This volume presents analyses on the theory and practice of economic development in rural and urban communities around the world. The 13 contributions cover topics including market systems; agricultural knowledge; modernization; population growth; conservation strategies; participatory, culturally sustainable, and urban development; globalization and privatization; tourism; and financial markets. Of interest for comparative research in the fields of anthropology, development, agricultural research, geography, and the environment. Edited by Cohen (anthropology, Pennsylvania State U.) and Dannhauser (anthropology, Texas A & M U.), who are also contributors. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Differentiating Development

Differentiating Development

Author: Soumhya Venkatesan

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2012-04-01

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 0857453041

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Over the last two decades, anthropological studies have highlighted the problems of ‘development’ as a discursive regime, arguing that such initiatives are paradoxically used to consolidate inequality and perpetuate poverty. This volume constitutes a timely intervention in anthropological debates about development, moving beyond the critical stance to focus on development as a mode of engagement that, like anthropology, attempts to understand, represent and work within a complex world. By setting out to elucidate both the similarities and differences between these epistemological endeavors, the book demonstrates how the ethnographic study of development challenges anthropology to rethink its own assumptions and methods. In particular, contributors focus on the important but often overlooked relationship between acting and understanding, in ways that speak to debates about the role of anthropologists and academics in the wider world. The case studies presented are from a diverse range of geographical and ethnographic contexts, from Melanesia to Africa and Latin America, and ethnographic research is combined with commentary and reflection from the foremost scholars in the field.


Art/Commons

Art/Commons

Author: Massimiliano Mollona

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-04-22

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1786997010

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Art/Commons is the first book to theorise the commons from the perspectives of contemporary art history and anthropology, focusing on the ongoing tensions between art and capitalism. This study is grounded in an analysis of contemporary artistic and curatorial practices, which the author describes as practices of commoning, based on co-production, participation, mutualism and the valorization of reproductive labour. Mollona proposes a novel theoretical approach to current debates on the commons, and shows that art can provide both a language of anti-capitalist and post-colonial critique as well as a distinctive set of skills and practices of commoning.