Fifty Key Anthropologists

Fifty Key Anthropologists surveys the life and work of some of the most influential figures in anthropology. The entries, written by an international range of expert contributors, represent the diversity of thought within the subject, incorporating both classic theorists and more recent anthropological thinkers. Names discussed include:

• Clifford Geertz
• Bronislaw Malinowski
• Zora Neale Hurston
• Sherry B. Ortner
• Claude Lévi-Strauss
• Rodney Needham
• Mary Douglas
• Marcel Mauss

This accessible A-Z guide contains helpful cross-referencing, a timeline of key dates and schools of thought, and suggestions for further reading. It will be of interest to students of anthropology and related subjects wanting a succinct overview of the ideas and impact of key anthropologists who have helped to shape the discipline.

Fifty Key Anthropologists surveys the life and work of some of the most influential figures in anthropology. The entries, written by an international range of expert contributors, represent the diversity of thought within the subject, incorporating both classic theorists and more recent anthropological thinkers. Names discussed include:

• Clifford Geertz


• Bronislaw Malinowski


• Zora Neale Hurston


• Sherry B. Ortner


• Claude Lévi-Strauss


• Rodney Needham


• Mary Douglas


• Marcel Mauss

This accessible A-Z guide contains helpful cross-referencing, a timeline of key dates and schools of thought, and suggestions for further reading. It will be of interest to students of anthropology and related subjects wanting a succinct overview of the ideas and impact of key anthropologists who have helped to shape the discipline.

Robert Gordon is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, USA, and Research Associate at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is the author of The Bushman Myth and Going Abroad: How to Travel Like an Anthropologist.

Andrew Lyons is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, and current editor-in-chief of Anthropologica.

Harriet Lyons is Professor and Chair of Anthropology at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Her books include Irregular Connections: A History of Anthropology and Sexuality with Andrew Lyons.