Examines the role of the process of social comparison as it occurs between individuals and between social groups Much of our knowledge about ourselves, and about the world in which we live, is based on a process of social comparison. Our tendency to appraise events, objects, pe…
The theme of the gift can be located at the centre of current discussions of deconstruction, gender and feminist theory, ethics, philosophy anthropology and economics. This book offers several important essays on gifts and gift-giving.
Karl Albrecht defines social intelligence (SI) as the ability to get along well with others while winning their cooperation. SI is a combination of sensitivity to the needs and interests of others, sometimes called your "social radar," an attitude of generosity and consideration…
An illuminating introduction to the methods and problems of social anthropology, this book draws on a wide range of illustrations, including Raymond Firth's own experiences in New Zealand, Malaya and the Solomon Islands. The concept of social organisation is discussed with speci…
This text exposes the audacious attempts of companies to appropriate medical breakthroughs, public airwaves, outer space, state research, and even the DNA of plants and animals. It is an attempt to develop a new ethos of commonwealth in the face of a market ethic that knows no b…
In 1999, a seemingly incongruous collection of protestors converged in Seattle to shut down the meetings of the World Trade Organization. Union leaders, environmentalists dressed as endangered turtles, mainstream Christian clergy, violence-advocating anarchists, gay and lesbian …
How is social life lived today? What social relations and responsibilities do we recognize? Is there any sense in which contemporary social life can be described as 'ethical'? In this exciting book Maffesoli argues that the conventional approaches to understanding society and so…
The project of twentieth-century sociology and political science - to create predictive scientific theory - resulted in few full-scale theories that can be taken off the shelf and successfully applied to empirical puzzles. Yet focused 'theory frames' that formulate problems and …
Questions about the origins of human cooperation have long puzzled and divided scientists. Social norms that foster fair-minded behavior, altruism and collective action undergird the foundations of large-scale human societies, but we know little about how these norms develop or …
