The Anthropology of Economy: Community, Market and Culture - Hardcover

"This is the first book to propose a cross-cultural model of the economy inspired by anthropology. Gudeman succeeds magnificently in weaving the results of decades of anthropology into an original synthesis." Caroline Humphrey, University of Cambridge "A stimulating rethinking of anthropology's contribution to our understanding of economics. Clear and original, this highly readable book will disturb many people's habits of thought as well as expand & enrich them. In it, Gudeman shows how the economy is embedded in human life and society, and how it builds on community and the commons, as much as on individuality and the market. A signal contribution." Fredrik Barth, University of Oslo and Boston University "Given the clarity of the prose and the accessibility of the ideas, this book would make for an excellent textbook for an economic anthropology class. Indeed, it is hard to think of a textbook that compares. But the book is much more than this. It is clearly intended as a liberating framework within which anthropologists and fieldworkers can rethink economic issues in a much broader way." The Australian Journal of Anthropology "This is an important work, synthesizing a substantial body of anthropological and economic thought into a coherent whole." James G. Carrier, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

Recent, dramatic changes in local and global economies have profoundly affected the lives of millions and have demanded that students of economy rethink their analytical approaches. In The Anthropology of Economy, noted anthropologist Steve Gudeman presents a model and lexicon for thinking about and discussing "things economic. " This book illustrates that, across cultures, economy can be understood as a combination of both community and market forces. Drawing from the work of anthropologists, as well as that of economists, sociologists, historians, geographers, feminists, and post-Marxists, Gudeman presents an anthropological approach to economy that highlights the centrality of communal processes in the market. His inclusion of over 50 cross-cultural examples from historical and contemporary contexts will clearly demonstrate to readers the significance of this distinctive model. Ultimately, The Anthropology of Economy furnishes readers with a new language for discussing and reconceptualizing vital contemporary issues - including the emergence and distribution of profit, the effects of expanding capital on marginalized people and the environment, and our shifting identities in response to the growth of global markets.