Peoples and Cultures of the World

Peoples and Cultures of the World: An Anthology lays the foundation for global cross-cultural competency through the lens of cultural anthropology. Featuring carefully curated readings and a framework of emic understanding, this textbook explores the rich diversity of humanity.

The opening chapter anchors readers with fundamental concepts in anthropology. Beginning with the foundation of civilization within the continent of Africa and the continued Pan Africanist struggle, the anthology traverses the world to examine myriad peoples, cultures, and issues. Readers learn about multiple identity formations and indigeneity in the Americas, choice and agency in the Arabian Peninsula, and religious revitalization in Central-West Asia. They explore borderlessness within the borders of the European Union, tourism and autonomy in Oceania, decolonial identity in the South Pacific, and cultural preservation and culture as a business model in East Asia. The closing chapter explores the global landscape and cultures beyond borders. Each segment features scholarship and unique perspectives regarding various issues and characteristics across different regions of the globe. Students are encouraged to understand the content through the lens and worldview of each contributing author and within the broader scope of an inclusive human experience.

Peoples and Cultures of the World provides academic scaffolding for discussions on contemporary cross-cultural understanding and helps readers appreciate the diverse lived realities of our global population. It is ideal for courses in cultural anthropology, world cultures, ethnic and ethnographic studies, and identity studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.