AnthroArchives

Structural Anthropology by Claude Levi-Strauss Levi-Strauss provides a basic look inside one of the most popular schools of thought regarding the traditional Western approach to anthropology. As the foremost thinker on the structural viewpoint, he teaches the reader how to think in terms of binary opposites. How to various cultures make justifications for the co-existence of seemingly conflicting traditions and operate on the daily scale from high to low.The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda In this, his first novel, Castaneda takes us out of the realm in which we are cognizant, aware and fully comfortable and gives us insights into a supernatural world that may or may not exist. Castaneda claims in addition to the reality we have been socially conditioned to accept from the time of our birth, there is also a nonordinary reality we have either lost sight of or never opened our eyes to. Regardless of whether there is truth to his claims, much of the theory he developed serving as a Shaman’s apprentice (Don Juan Matus), the book gives valuable insights into human belief structure and how closely we can trust our very eyes. Perhaps the most controversial book to ever be considered of anthropological value, even its classification as fiction or nonfiction sparks debate. Read more

Not a simple distinction to discern, just look at the textbook definitions.Anthropology – The scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans. Sociology – The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.Though not exact replicas, the two social sciences contain striking similarities. Read more