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Marvin Harris

    August 18, 1927 – October 25, 2001

    Marvin Harris was an American anthropologist who profoundly influenced the development of cultural materialism. His work synthesized Marx's emphasis on the forces of production with Malthusian insights on demographic factors, which he posited as crucial in determining a society's social structure and culture. Harris shifted his focus from ideological aspects of culture to behavioral ones, striving for a nomothetic, scientific understanding of human culture. His approach, drawing upon and refining Marxist concepts, also incorporated demographic dynamics as determinants of sociocultural evolution.

    Marvin Harris
    Why nothing works: the anthropology of daily life
    Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches
    Cannibals and Kings
    Culture, People, Nature
    Cannibals and Kings
    Culture, Man, and Nature: An Introduction to General Anthropology
    • 2022

      Minorities in the New World

      Six Case Studies

      • 336 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      Uses a case study approach to make a comparative analysis of a series of specific minority groups, in terms of their historical backgrounds, to study their degree of integration into their new society.

      Minorities in the New World
    • 2010

      Vacas, cerdos, guerras y brujas

      Los enigmas de la cultura

      3.7(114)Add rating

      El propósito de esta original y sorprendente obra de Marvin Harris es dar respuesta a una serie de curiosos enigmas: ¿Por qué un tabú religioso prohíbe a judíos y musulmanes comer carne de cerdo? ¿Cuál es el motivo de que los hindúes adoren a las vacas? ¿Por qué surgen los movimientos mesiánicos? ¿Cómo interpretar el machismo o la belicosidad de ciertas culturas? La estrategia del investigador consiste, en este caso, en descubrir las causas materiales que se ocultan tras la aparente irracionalidad de los estilos de vida de las diversas formaciones culturales.

      Vacas, cerdos, guerras y brujas
    • 1999

      Theories of Culture in Postmodern Times

      • 224 pages
      • 8 hours of reading
      3.8(54)Add rating

      In this book, Marvin Harris presents his current views on the nature of culture addressing such issues as the mental/behavioral debate, emics and etics, and anthropological holism.

      Theories of Culture in Postmodern Times
    • 1991

      Die (Kultur- )Geschichte der Welt - faktenreich, interdisziplinär, knapp und mitunter provozierend gedeutet und zu einem einheitlichen Ganzen zusammengefasst aus anthropologischer Sicht.

      Menschen
    • 1989

      Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches

      • 282 pages
      • 10 hours of reading
      4.0(2900)Add rating

      One of America's leading anthropolgists offers solutions to the perplexing question of why people behave the way they do. Why do Hindus worship cows? Why do Jews and Moslems refuse to eat pork? Why did so many people in post-medieval Europe believe in witches? Marvin Harris answers these and other perplexing questions about human behavior, showing that no matter how bizarre a people's behavior may seem, it always stems from identifiable and intelligble sources.

      Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches
    • 1988

      Die Vielfalt menschlicher Ernährungsgewohnheiten zählt zu den aufregendsten und populärsten Phänomenen der Kulturen, denn jeder einzelne Mensch steht drei- bis fünfmal täglich vor der Frage, was er essen soll. In seinem kurzweiligen Buch zeigt uns der weltbekannte Anthropologe Marvin Harris, dass sich die Vielfalt menschlicher Essgewohnheiten auf dem Boden nackter Tatsachen ganz einfach erklären lässt.

      Wohlgeschmack und Widerwillen
    • 1987
    • 1985

      Culture, People, Nature

      An Introduction to General Anthropology

      Written by a foremost spokesperson on cultural materialism, this book introduces students to the four fields of anthropology making all aspects of archaeology, linguistics, physical anthropology and cultural anthropology accessible and relevant to readers.

      Culture, People, Nature