The Concept of Cultural Systems: A Key to Understanding Tribes and Nations

by Leslie White

Applies an anthropological theory concerning the interaction of the social, political, and economic elements that comprise a culture to primitive and modern industrial cultures to provide insight into the course of societies

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Leslie Alvin White was an American anthropologist known for his advocacy of theories of cultural evolution, sociocultural evolution, and especially neoevolutionism, and for his role in creating the department of anthropology at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He was president of the American Anthropological Association (1964).

Reviews

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eloquently written introduction into the basis of culture and brief overview of its history. If one wishes to understand anthropology, this book is an unnecessary read. It goes into detail over feuding schools of thought. Even though they shaped the currently field of anthropology it is not necessary to understand them to appreciate the field. Nonetheless if one is interested in that sort of reading this book will be a suitable introduction