An Introduction to Holistic Anthropology
1st Edition
Published on 5. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-394-26599-2 (ISBN)
Description
Combines anthropology's four subfields to explore what it means to be human
Introduction to Holistic Anthropology invites students to rediscover anthropology as Franz Boas once envisioned it - a unified discipline that integrates biological, historical, linguistic, and cultural perspectives to understand human diversity and commonality. In contrast to the fragmented state of the field today, where sub-disciplines often operate in isolation, this innovative textbook emphasizes a holistic approach that encourages readers to see the connections between different aspects of human life. John Forrest and Badger Forrest-Blincoe confront the challenge of making sense of anthropology's "post-everything" landscape by shifting the focus from what anthropology is not to what it can be: a rigorous, integrative inquiry into the many dimensions of human existence.
Drawing on decades of combined teaching and research experience across six continents, the authors explore anthropology's enduring questions about human nature, cultural variation, and the interplay of biology and learning. This book challenges students to consider how anthropologists build knowledge, where disagreements arise, and how the very foundations of the discipline can be contested and conceptualized.
Offering an accessible yet comprehensive framework that prompts learners to think across disciplinary boundaries, Introduction to Holistic Anthropology:
Addresses the fragmentation of the discipline and offers strategies for reconnecting its branches
Draws on fieldwork and teaching experience spanning six continents
Frames key questions in clear and engaging language for those new to the subject
Fosters analytical thinking and respectful debate
Highlights anthropology's relevance to contemporary global issues and intercultural understanding
Supports interdisciplinary thinking that connects anthropology to other fields of study
Introduction to Holistic Anthropology is designed for undergraduate students in introductory anthropology courses, particularly at the first- and second-year level. Suitable for degrees in anthropology, sociology, history, and global studies, it provides a solid foundation for understanding human cultures and diversity.
Introduction to Holistic Anthropology invites students to rediscover anthropology as Franz Boas once envisioned it - a unified discipline that integrates biological, historical, linguistic, and cultural perspectives to understand human diversity and commonality. In contrast to the fragmented state of the field today, where sub-disciplines often operate in isolation, this innovative textbook emphasizes a holistic approach that encourages readers to see the connections between different aspects of human life. John Forrest and Badger Forrest-Blincoe confront the challenge of making sense of anthropology's "post-everything" landscape by shifting the focus from what anthropology is not to what it can be: a rigorous, integrative inquiry into the many dimensions of human existence.
Drawing on decades of combined teaching and research experience across six continents, the authors explore anthropology's enduring questions about human nature, cultural variation, and the interplay of biology and learning. This book challenges students to consider how anthropologists build knowledge, where disagreements arise, and how the very foundations of the discipline can be contested and conceptualized.
Offering an accessible yet comprehensive framework that prompts learners to think across disciplinary boundaries, Introduction to Holistic Anthropology:
Addresses the fragmentation of the discipline and offers strategies for reconnecting its branches
Draws on fieldwork and teaching experience spanning six continents
Frames key questions in clear and engaging language for those new to the subject
Fosters analytical thinking and respectful debate
Highlights anthropology's relevance to contemporary global issues and intercultural understanding
Supports interdisciplinary thinking that connects anthropology to other fields of study
Introduction to Holistic Anthropology is designed for undergraduate students in introductory anthropology courses, particularly at the first- and second-year level. Suitable for degrees in anthropology, sociology, history, and global studies, it provides a solid foundation for understanding human cultures and diversity.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 254 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
520 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-26599-2 (9781394265992)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
John Forrest | Badger Forrest-Blincoe
An Introduction to Holistic Anthropology
E-Book
02/2026
1st Edition
Wiley
€37.99
Available for download
John Forrest | Badger Forrest-Blincoe
An Introduction to Holistic Anthropology
E-Book
01/2026
1st Edition
Wiley
€37.99
Available for download
Persons
JOHN FORREST is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology in the State University of New York system, where he taught for over 40 years. A recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, he has conducted fieldwork on five continents, examining cultural practices in the United States, England, Mexico, China, Argentina, Kenya, and Cambodia.
BADGER FORREST-BLINCOE is a doctoral candidate in anthropology at Binghamton University (SUNY), specializing in the anthropology of martial arts. His research explores martial arts, ethnic identity, and nationalism in East Asia. He has co-authored multiple publications, advocating for holistic perspectives within general anthropology.
BADGER FORREST-BLINCOE is a doctoral candidate in anthropology at Binghamton University (SUNY), specializing in the anthropology of martial arts. His research explores martial arts, ethnic identity, and nationalism in East Asia. He has co-authored multiple publications, advocating for holistic perspectives within general anthropology.
Content
List of Illustrations xi
List of Tables xiv
About the Authors xv
About the Companion Website xix
Introduction 1
1 Anthropologies 3
Definitions 3
Franz Boas 5
Boas and Holism 6
Academic Disciplines 8
Holistic Anthropology 9
2 Human Diversity 12
Genetic Inheritance: The Passing of Genes from One Generation to the Next 15
Epigenetic Inheritance: The Process of External Factors Causing Heritable Genetic Changes in the Successive Generation of Organisms 16
Behavioral Inheritance: The Transfer of Behavioral Actions and Knowledge to Successive Generations 16
Symbolic Inheritance: The Passing Down of Symbols, Beliefs, and Worldviews Between Generations 16
Human Biological Evolution 17
Human Genetics 17
Biological Variation 20
Linguistic Variation 23
Technological Variation 24
Cultural Universals 25
Conclusion 28
3 Worldviews and Narratives 29
Definitions 29
Sentience and Ideology 32
Narratives and Worldview 34
Visual Narratives 36
Landscapes and Worldview 39
Anthropological Worldview Narratives 40
Change in Worldview 43
4 The Human Body 44
Definitions of the Body 44
Types of Bodies 46
Anatomy and Physiology 46
Bodily Vulnerabilities 47
Disability 50
Metaphorical Bodies 51
Embodiment 52
Performance Theory: Bodies and Identity 52
Phenomenology and Embodiment 53
Bioarcheological and Paleoanthropological Data 54
Body Modification and Adornments 56
Non- verbal Communication 57
Non- human Primates 57
Human Non- verbal Communication and Gesture 58
Conclusion: The Three Body Problem 59
5 Domestication of Plants and Animals 60
Foraging 60
Domestication 64
6 Nutrition 77
Digestion 77
Food Choices and Taboos 78
Food as a Social Object 82
Table Manners 83
The Language of Food and Taste 84
Food and Rituals 85
The Archeology of Food 86
Conclusion 86
7 Health and Healing 88
Sickness 88
Causes of Illness 90
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Medicine 90
Ayurveda 92
Traditional Chinese Medicine 92
Other Traditional Medicines 94
Social Care 95
Herbal Remedies 96
The Body's Defenses 97
Healing Words 99
Archeology of Medicine 100
Public Health 103
Conclusion 103
8 Technology, Cognition, and Perception 105
Tools 105
Human Evolution 106
Stone, Bronze, and Beyond 110
Humans and Technology 114
Conclusion 117
9 Art and Aesthetics 118
Art vs Aesthetics 118
The Sensorium 119
Colors 121
Senses and Sense Organs 123
Genres 125
Play 128
Conclusion 129
10 Communities 130
Community 130
Primate Sociability 130
Family 132
Archeology and Kinship 135
Households 136
Incest and Marriage 136
Language and Kinship 137
Socio- political Organization 138
Mobility 141
Nations 141
Sense of Community 141
Transnational Communities 142
Speech Communities 144
Conclusion 144
11 Migration 145
Migration Today 145
Globalization 146
Labor Migration 147
Displaced Peoples/Refugees 148
Prehistoric Migrations 149
Holocene and Neolithic 150
Proto- historical and Early Historical Migration 154
Forced Migration 156
A Time of Empire 157
Voyages of Exploration 159
Colonialism, Industrialism, and Beyond 160
Conclusion 162
12 Religion (and Magic and Science) 163
Early Evidence of Religious Thought 164
Magic 165
Religion 167
Science 169
Divination 169
Astrology 171
Liminality 172
Religious Language 174
Religion and Ethics 175
Conclusion: Religion Today 177
13 Race and Ethnicity 178
Race and Racism 179
Ethnicity 187
Material Culture, Archeology, and Ethnicity 188
Language Varieties and Ethnicity 189
Conclusion 190
14 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 191
Sex 191
Gender 193
Love and Attraction 197
Sexuality 198
Conclusion 200
15 Conflict and Death 201
Don't Push Me 'Cuz I'm Close to the Edge 201
Fighting for Entertainment 202
Language 202
Pre- Fight Rituals 203
Rules of Engagement 204
Weapons 205
Fighting Techniques 205
Death 206
Rituals of Death 207
The Dead Body 208
16 Cooperation and Exchange 211
The Social Animal 211
Cooperation 213
Exchange and Reciprocity 216
Concluding Thoughts 225
References 227
Index 245
List of Tables xiv
About the Authors xv
About the Companion Website xix
Introduction 1
1 Anthropologies 3
Definitions 3
Franz Boas 5
Boas and Holism 6
Academic Disciplines 8
Holistic Anthropology 9
2 Human Diversity 12
Genetic Inheritance: The Passing of Genes from One Generation to the Next 15
Epigenetic Inheritance: The Process of External Factors Causing Heritable Genetic Changes in the Successive Generation of Organisms 16
Behavioral Inheritance: The Transfer of Behavioral Actions and Knowledge to Successive Generations 16
Symbolic Inheritance: The Passing Down of Symbols, Beliefs, and Worldviews Between Generations 16
Human Biological Evolution 17
Human Genetics 17
Biological Variation 20
Linguistic Variation 23
Technological Variation 24
Cultural Universals 25
Conclusion 28
3 Worldviews and Narratives 29
Definitions 29
Sentience and Ideology 32
Narratives and Worldview 34
Visual Narratives 36
Landscapes and Worldview 39
Anthropological Worldview Narratives 40
Change in Worldview 43
4 The Human Body 44
Definitions of the Body 44
Types of Bodies 46
Anatomy and Physiology 46
Bodily Vulnerabilities 47
Disability 50
Metaphorical Bodies 51
Embodiment 52
Performance Theory: Bodies and Identity 52
Phenomenology and Embodiment 53
Bioarcheological and Paleoanthropological Data 54
Body Modification and Adornments 56
Non- verbal Communication 57
Non- human Primates 57
Human Non- verbal Communication and Gesture 58
Conclusion: The Three Body Problem 59
5 Domestication of Plants and Animals 60
Foraging 60
Domestication 64
6 Nutrition 77
Digestion 77
Food Choices and Taboos 78
Food as a Social Object 82
Table Manners 83
The Language of Food and Taste 84
Food and Rituals 85
The Archeology of Food 86
Conclusion 86
7 Health and Healing 88
Sickness 88
Causes of Illness 90
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Medicine 90
Ayurveda 92
Traditional Chinese Medicine 92
Other Traditional Medicines 94
Social Care 95
Herbal Remedies 96
The Body's Defenses 97
Healing Words 99
Archeology of Medicine 100
Public Health 103
Conclusion 103
8 Technology, Cognition, and Perception 105
Tools 105
Human Evolution 106
Stone, Bronze, and Beyond 110
Humans and Technology 114
Conclusion 117
9 Art and Aesthetics 118
Art vs Aesthetics 118
The Sensorium 119
Colors 121
Senses and Sense Organs 123
Genres 125
Play 128
Conclusion 129
10 Communities 130
Community 130
Primate Sociability 130
Family 132
Archeology and Kinship 135
Households 136
Incest and Marriage 136
Language and Kinship 137
Socio- political Organization 138
Mobility 141
Nations 141
Sense of Community 141
Transnational Communities 142
Speech Communities 144
Conclusion 144
11 Migration 145
Migration Today 145
Globalization 146
Labor Migration 147
Displaced Peoples/Refugees 148
Prehistoric Migrations 149
Holocene and Neolithic 150
Proto- historical and Early Historical Migration 154
Forced Migration 156
A Time of Empire 157
Voyages of Exploration 159
Colonialism, Industrialism, and Beyond 160
Conclusion 162
12 Religion (and Magic and Science) 163
Early Evidence of Religious Thought 164
Magic 165
Religion 167
Science 169
Divination 169
Astrology 171
Liminality 172
Religious Language 174
Religion and Ethics 175
Conclusion: Religion Today 177
13 Race and Ethnicity 178
Race and Racism 179
Ethnicity 187
Material Culture, Archeology, and Ethnicity 188
Language Varieties and Ethnicity 189
Conclusion 190
14 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 191
Sex 191
Gender 193
Love and Attraction 197
Sexuality 198
Conclusion 200
15 Conflict and Death 201
Don't Push Me 'Cuz I'm Close to the Edge 201
Fighting for Entertainment 202
Language 202
Pre- Fight Rituals 203
Rules of Engagement 204
Weapons 205
Fighting Techniques 205
Death 206
Rituals of Death 207
The Dead Body 208
16 Cooperation and Exchange 211
The Social Animal 211
Cooperation 213
Exchange and Reciprocity 216
Concluding Thoughts 225
References 227
Index 245