Bronislaw Malinowski

This vintage text contains three essays by Bronislaw Malinowski on the theory of functionalism. The first essay stipulates that anthropology can be viewed in a scientific manner, and offers insights into culture, human nature, and the ideal object of study. The other essays in this collection further explore functionalism and analyse the work and influence of Sir James Frazer on the field of anthropology. This book is highly recommended for those with an interest in the development of anthropology, and it would make for a worthy addition to collections of allied literature. The sections of this text include: "Culture as the Subject of Scientific Investigation", "A Minimum Definition of Science for the Humanist", "Concepts and Methods of Anthropology", "What is Culture?", "Theory of Organised Behaviour", "The Concrete Isolates of Organized Behaviour", etcetera. We are republishing this vintage book now in an affordable, modern edition - complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Sex, Culture, and Myth is a book written by Bronislaw Malinowski, a prominent Polish-British anthropologist. The book explores the relationship between sex, culture, and myth across various societies and cultures. Malinowski argues that sexual practices and beliefs are deeply intertwined with cultural norms and mythological narratives. He draws on his extensive fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands, as well as other cultures, to illustrate how different societies understand and express sexuality. The book is divided into three parts. The first part examines the role of sex in human life and society, and how it is regulated by cultural norms and values. The second part delves into the myths and symbols that surround sexuality and how they shape cultural beliefs and practices. The third part explores the relationship between sex and religion, and how religious beliefs and practices influence sexual behavior and attitudes. Throughout the book, Malinowski emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural context in which sexual practices and beliefs are situated. He argues that a deeper understanding of these contexts can help us to better understand human sexuality and its role in shaping culture and society. Overall, Sex, Culture, and Myth is a seminal work in the field of anthropology and a thought-provoking exploration of the complex relationship between sex, culture, and myth. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

The concluding part of Coral Gardens and Their Magic provides a linguistic commentary to the ethnography on agriculture. Malinowski gives a full description of the language of the Trobrianders as an aspect of culture.

This volume is a reassessment of Malinowski's work by a group of his former pupils and colleagues. A frank evaluation, not a eulogy, it examines the real and lasting importance of Malinowski's contribution to a range of subjects.

The main question of our age is how we live our lives. As we struggle with this question, we face others. How do we handle ideas and knowledge, both our own and those of others? What relationship to ideas do we want? Whose ideas do we want to be surrounded by? Where do we want to think? Most choose, or have the choice made for them, according to what family, colleagues, and friends do and say and what we read about, and a more or less rational calculation of the odds. Modern ecology results from the shift in thinking generated by quantum physics and systems theory, from the old view based on reductionism, mechanics, and fixed quantities to a new view based on holistic systems where qualities are contingent on the observer and on each other. This perception changes how people treat ideas and facts, certainties and uncertainties, and affects both art and science. Worldwide it is part of the process of understanding the current crisis in the environment, and the balance of economy, creativity, and control required in our response. The book's starting point is the growing role that information has played in industrial economies since the 1800s and especially in the last thirty years. It is an attempt to identify ecology of thinking and learning. It is also based on the need to escape from old, industrial ways and become more attuned to how people actually borrow, develop, and share ideas. Throughout the book, Howkins asks questions and offers signposts. He gives no guarantee that creative ecologies will be sustainable, but shows what should be aimed for.

The volume presents the diary of one of the great anthropologists at a crucial time in his career. Malinowski's major works grew out of his findings on field trips to New Guinea and North Melanesia from 1914-1918. His journals cover a considerable part of that period of pioneer research. The diary contains observations of native life and customs and vivid descriptions of landscapes. Many entries reveal his approach to his work and the sources of his thought. In his introduction, Raymond Firth discusses the significance of the notebooks which formed the basis for this volume. First published in 1967.