Economic Anthropology

Abstract

For almost a century, economic anthropology has formed a fairly coherent field at the interface between sociocultural anthropology and economics. Many anthropologists are suspicious of economists' concepts and some question the very notion of “the economy.” Material livelihoods are always embedded in wider contexts of immaterial values and practices that cannot be reduced to a utilitarian calculus. However, some anthropologists maintain that the axioms of mainstream economics are universally applicable. This entry begins by reviewing the contentious history of the subdiscipline. It then sets out some of the principal categories within which practitioners have systematized their knowledge. Finally, it considers economic development and suggests that applied anthropologists working in this field can draw theoretical inspiration from classic sources in economic anthropology, notably Karl Polanyi.