Meaning in culture / F. Allan Hanson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hanson, F. Allan, 1939- author.

Series:

Routledge library editions. Anthropology and ethnography.

Routledge library editions. Anthropology and ethnography

Social and cultural anthropology ; VI

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Culture.

Ethnology--Methodology.

Ethnology.

Social sciences--Methodology.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (142 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxon [England] : Routledge, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

<EM>Meaning in Culture</EM> discusses the question of whether 'culture' refers to some superorganic entity that exists in its own right, or is only convenient short-hand for the shared beliefs and behaviour of human individuals. It also investigates the problem of relativism and explores the question of whether anthropology and the other social sciences are really scientific.<BR> First published in 1975.

Contents:

Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Original Title Page; Original Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Preface; 1 The subject matter of social science; Individual and institutional questions; Meaning; Implicational meaning; The logic of question and answer; Cultural determinism; Further remarks; Methodological individualism; Verifiability, use, and implicational meaning; The truth and meaning of absolute presuppositions; Relativism; 2 Judging other cultures; The argument for evaluative relativism; Variations on universal themes; Separate but not equal

Logical reservationsWhat is, is good; Understanding and disagreeing; Further remarks; The recent history of relativism; The climate of the times; Comparison and development; Ideological v. methodological relativism; 3 Understanding other cultures; Cross-cultural rationality; Internal understanding; Psychological validity; Cartesian dualism; Ryle's concept of mind; Rules; Synopsis; Further remarks; Ideal types and 'as if'; Situational logic; Rational explanation and individual questions; 4 But is it scientific?; Behaviorism and logical positivism; Realism; Confirmation and prediction

Further remarksHempel and rational explanation; Hempel and functional analysis; 5 Some anthropological applications; Unrecognized symbols; Culture and behavior; Ecological anthropology; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

First published in 1975.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed November 5, 2013).

ISBN:

1-136-54088-1

0-415-86925-0

1-315-01766-0

1-136-54081-4

OCLC:

862048836