Critical Comparisons in Politics and Culture

An excellent case book for courses on comparison across the social sciences.

John Bowen (Edited by), Roger Petersen (Edited by)

9780521653794, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 7 October 1999

278 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.41 kg

Leading anthropologists and political scientists are brought together in this volume to debate the problem of comparison, taking up a variety of topics from nationalist violence and labour strikes to ritual forms and religious practices. The contributors criticise conventional forms of comparative method, and introduce new comparative strategies, ranging from abstract model building to ethnographically based methods. They represent a wide variety of theoretical positions, from rational choice theory to interpretivism, and the issues are clarified in the cut and thrust of debate. This will be an excellent case book for courses on comparison across the social sciences.

1. Introduction John R. Bowen and Roger Petersen
2. National revivals and violence David D. Laitin
3. Mechanisms and structures in comparison Roger Peterson
4. Comparative methodologies in the analysis of anthropological data Fredrik Barth
5. The role of comparison in light of the theory of culture Greg Urban
6. Case studies in contemporary job loss Miriam A. Golden
7. Defining the contours of an Islamic reform movement John Bowen
8. Producing an analytic narrative Margaret Levi
9. Political consciousness on Boa Ventura Allen Johnson
10. Comparisons in the context of a game theoretic argument Barbara Geddes
11. The role of microhistories in comparative studies John Bowen.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC]