Economic
anthropology: four filmed talks by Alan Macfarlane (2005)
It is
always worth starting with a good text-book of anthropology to get
an overview on theories and debates. I recommend:
C.Hann,
Social Anthropology (1998), based on many years teaching economics
and politics in Cambridge [hereafter cited as Hann]
George Dalton, Tribal and Peasant Economies (1967)(a useful reader
with a wide range of theoretical and case studies) [hereafter cited
as Dalton]
Edward E.LeClair and Harold K. Schneider, Economic Anthropology (1968)
(another useful reader with theory and case studies). [hereafter cited
as Leclair & Schneider]
Marshall Sahlins, Stone Age Economics (1974) – a classic [hereafter
cited as Sahlins]
For specific
topics it is almost always worth starting with The Encyclopaedia of
the Social Sciences (1968) editions which usually contains useful
overviews and can be found in the Haddon Library. Also there are some
very useful articles in Tim Ingold (ed), The Companion Encyclopaedia
of Anthropology (1994).
FILMS
1.
Production of Wealth
2.
Distribution of Wealth
3.
Exchange of Wealth
4.
Consumption, technology and final overview
Other
films on www.alanmacfarlane.com
You will
find a great deal of materials illustrating the lectures under the
section ‘Global History’
on my web-site.
If you
have time, have a look under ‘Narrations’
at a six-part (50 minutes per part) history of the world over the
last ten thousand years, which is centred on technology and economy,
but relates them to culture, society, ideology etc.
There
are discussions of the central themes in an extended seminar under
‘Conversations’.
And there
are dozens of shorter films on many aspects of economy and technology,
filmed on location around the world, under ‘Explorations’.