42 Anthropology
The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology
Michael Wesch (Kansas State University)
2018
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. “Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage,” Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. “Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. … It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one’s hands dirty, to get down in the dirt, and to commit yourself, body and mind. Susan Sontag called anthropology a “heroic” profession.” What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the light and life of places forgotten. Real anthropology cannot be contained in a book. You have to go out and feel the world’s jagged edges, wipe its dust from your brow, and at times, leave your blood in its soil. In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human.
Formats: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, and iBooks
Suggested for: ANTH 275
Beliefs: An Open Invitation to the Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
Amanda Zunner-Keating; Madlen Avetyan; and Ben Shepard
Licence: CC BY
This book on the Anthropology of Religion includes material from contributing authors’ lectures that have been interesting for students in their classrooms. The core concepts are accompanied by ethnographic examples from various cultures around the world, as well as audio playlists of each chapter that is available on Soundcloud.
Formats: Online, PDF, EPUB
Biological Anthropology
Tori Saneda & Michelle Field (Cascadia Community College)
Licence: CC BY-SA
Available through LibreTexts, this resource covers introductory biological anthropology concepts, including evolution theory, non-human primates, and human evolution.
Formats: Online, PDF
Suggested for: ANTH 278
Cultural Anthropology
Tracy Evans (Santa Ana College) (Lumen Learning)
2020
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Based on the Lumen Learning course of the same title, Cultural Anthropology offers an introduction to the study of human cultures, their beliefs, practices, values, ideas, technologies, economies and other domains of social and cognitive organization through first-hand experience or participant observation within living populations of humans.
Formats: Online and PDF
Suggested for: ANTH 275
Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology
Beth Shook, Lara Braff, Katie Nelson, and Kelsie Aguilera
2023
Licence: CC BY-NC
A comprehensive, peer-reviewed open access textbook for biological anthropology courses. Produced with support from the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges (a section of the American Anthropological Association) and a grant from Minnesota State.
Formats: Online, PDF
Suggested for: ANTH 278
Introduction to Anthropology (OpenStax)
Jennifer Hasty (University of Pennsylvania), David G. Lewis (Oregon State University), and Marjorie M. Snipes (University of West Georgia)
2022
Licence: CC BY
Designed to meet the scope and sequence of your course, OpenStax Introduction to Anthropology is a four-field text integrating diverse voices, engaging field activities, and meaningful themes like Indigenous experiences and social inequality to engage students and enrich learning. The text showcases the historical context of the discipline, with a strong focus on anthropology as a living and evolving field. There is significant discussion of recent efforts to make the field more diverse—in its practitioners, in the questions it asks, and in the applications of anthropological research to address contemporary challenges. In addressing social inequality, the text drives readers to consider the rise and impact of social inequalities based on forms of identity and difference (such as gender, ethnicity, race, and class) as well as oppression and discrimination. The contributors to and dangers of socioeconomic inequality are fully addressed, and the role of inequality in social dysfunction, disruption, and change is noted.
Formats: Online and PDF
Lifestyle in Siberia and the Russian North
Joachim Otto Habeck
2019
Licence: CC BY
Lifestyle in Siberia and the Russian North breaks new ground by exploring the concept of lifestyle from a distinctly anthropological perspective. Showcasing the collective work of ten experienced scholars in the field, the book goes beyond concepts of tradition that have often been the focus of previous research, to explain how political, economic and technological changes in Russia have created a wide range of new possibilities and constraints in the pursuit of different ways of life.
Formats: Online, PDF
Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, Second Edition
Edited by Nina Brown (Community College of Baltimore Country), Thomas McIlwraith (University of Guelph), and Laura Tubelle de González (San Diego Miramar College) (American Anthropological Association)
2020
Licence: CC BY-NC
This peer-reviewed textbook is a collection of chapters on the essential topics in cultural anthropology. Different from other introductory textbooks, this book is an edited volume with each chapter written by a different author. Each author has written from their experiences working as an anthropologist and that personal touch makes for an accessible introduction to cultural anthropology.
Formats: Online, PDF, and EPUB
Suggested for: ANTH 275
Physical Anthropology
Tori Saneda & Michelle Field (Cascadia Community College)
Licence: CC BY-SA
This anthropology text covers introductory concepts in physical anthropology, from anthropology and culture, social institutions, and globalization, modernization and development.
Formats: Online, PDF
Suggested for: ANTH 277
Shared Voices: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Demetrios Brellas (Framingham State University)
2024
Licence: CC BY-NC
Shared Voices is a student-centered cultural anthropology mini textbook built with an equity lens. This book attempts to address the lack of current, reliable, and relevant resources for introductory anthropology courses that center equity and anti-racism.
Formats: Online, PDF, and eBook