Introduction to Cultural Ecology

Mark Q. Sutton is professor emeritus of anthropology at California State University, Bakersfield, and is principal investigator at Statistical Research, Inc., a cultural resource management and heritage preservation firm. E. N. Anderson is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of California, Riverside.

• ContentsList of Figures and TablesPrefaceAcknowledgments1 IntroductionWhat Is Cultural Ecology?AnthropologyThe Study of Human EcologyA History of Thought on Culture and EnvironmentThe Rise of Cultural EcologyThus . . .Chapter SummaryKey Terms2 Fundamentals of EcologyThe EnvironmentNiche and HabitatResourcesEnergyChapter SummaryKey Terms3 Human Biological EcologyHumans as AnimalsBiological AdaptationsHuman Population RegulationNutritionEvolutionary EcologyChapter SummaryKey TermsCASE STUDY 3.1. The Dietary Role of Insects in the Ancient Great Basin4 Cultural EcologyHuman CapabilitiesCulture as an Adaptive MechanismTraditional Knowledge SystemsHuman Control of the EnvironmentDecision MakingA Concluding Thought on ManagementChapter SummaryKey Terms5 Hunting and GatheringHunter-Gatherer ClassificationThe Hunter-Gatherer StereotypeBias in Hunter-Gatherer StudiesPopulationSettlement and SubsistenceEnvironmental Manipulation and Resource ManagementRelations with other GroupsChapter SummaryKey TermsCASE STUDY 5.1: The Nuu-chah-nulth of British ColumbiaCASE STUDY 5.2: The Mbuti of the Ituri Forest6 The Origins of Food ProductionAgricultural DomesticationThe Transition to FarmingOn the Origin of AgricultureTypes of AgricultureThe Impact of AgricultureChapter SummaryKey Terms7 HorticultureHorticultural TechniquesUse of Wild ResourcesEnvironmental Manipulation and Resource ManagementRelations with Other GroupsChapter SummaryKey TermsCASE STUDY 7.1: The Grand Valley Dani of Highland New GuineaCASE STUDY 7.2: The Lozi of Western Zambia8 PastoralismGeneral Sociopolitical OrganizationTypes of PastoralismThe Geography of PastoralismThe Origin of PastoralismSome Parameters of PastoralismUse of Nonpastoral ProductsEnvironmental Manipulation and Resource ManagementRelations with Other GroupsA Note on the Impact of GrazingChapter SummaryKey TermsCASE STUDY 8.1: The Maasai: Pastoralists in East AfricaCASE STUDY 8.2: The Navajo: Pastoralists of the American SouthwestCASE STUDY 8.3: Cattle Ranchers in the American West, by Kimberly Hedrick9 Intensive AgricultureChanges in ScaleTechniques of Intensive AgricultureContemporary Industrialized AgricultureEnvironmental Manipulation and Resource ManagementRelations with Other GroupsChapter SummaryKey TermsCASE STUDY 9.1: Mountains and Water: The Traditional Agricultural System along South Coastal ChinaCASE STUDY 9.2: The Maya Agricultural System10 Current Issues and ProblemsThe Tragedy of the CommonsAgricultural InvolutionAgricultural Development and IntensificationThe Rainforest DilemmaThe General ProblemChapter SummaryKey TermsGlossaryReferencesIndexAbout the Authors

Discussion of human-environmental interactions is increasingly politicized leaving anthropologically, biologically, ecologically, and geographically minded students and professionals wondering: ‘What can be agreed upon regarding people in the context of environments?’ Fractured perspectives and theoretical positions abound, ranging from anthropology to environmental science to environmental philosophy. This third edition of Sutton and Anderson’s Introduction to Cultural Ecology goes back to basics and summarizes established knowledge about people in environments, but also contextualizes this long history of empirical research and theoretical development within contemporary perspectives that matter in terms of sustainability, political ecology, and conservation.