As Matthew Engelke says in this succinct survey, it is the “stitch of the cultural” that binds the diverse tribe of anthropologists together, from Marxists to postmodernists. Culture is the key: “We are not governed by a strong ‘human nature’ and we are not simple products of our genes.” Anthropology is 150 years old, and although Engelke does not claim to offer a history of the field, his subtle and self-reflexive study presents an excellent overview of the debates and issues that have shaped this hugely influential social science. He discusses the fundamental concepts that anthropologists have used to help explain the human condition, from culture, civilisation (“a dangerous word”) and values to blood (“race is a myth”), reason and nature. Using an eclectic range of examples, including “bridewealth” in modern China and the role of social values in Downton Abbey, he shows how anthropology reveals both the limits of common sense and the universal lessons that can be drawn from communities everywhere.
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