Front and Back Covers, Volume 21, Number 3. June 2005

Abstract

Anthropology TodayVolume 21, Issue 3 p. i-ii Front and Back Covers, Volume 21, Number 3. June 2005 First published: 09 June 2005 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0268-540X..021c3.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Front and back cover caption, volume 21 issue 3 ENERGY AND VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE The photo on the front and back cover illustrates the article by Annette Henning in this issue. A solar collector is hoisted onto the roof of a Swedish house. In Sweden, the most common solar heating systems are those that supply hot water for both heating and general domestic hot water purposes. Contrary to popular belief, solar collectors are not dependent on a high air temperature, but produce heat throughout the year, whenever there is a clear sky. In her article, Annette Henning examines the actual and potential role of anthropology in energy studies. She reflects on her own experience of the trials of working as an anthropologist in the energy sector, where economists and technical expertise reign, and where production- and distribution-oriented approaches prevail. There is a great deal of resistance to anthropological contributions, in part because anthropologists have made so little effort to be heard in the public domain on this issue. In his editorial, Hal Wilhite makes the case for "energy anthropology". He argues that anthropologists have paid insufficient attention to one of the most urgent problems facing the world, namely our patterns of energy consumption and their economic and environmental consequences. Increasing consumerism in developing countries makes anthropological approaches indispensable, particularly in finding ways to moderate energy consumption and to help implement small-scale renewable energy initiatives. In his review of three of the latest books on vernacular architecture, Marcel Vellinga identifies architecture as a prominent cultural category and a major consumer of energy and resources, and thus a significant contributor to current environmental problems. Vellinga argues that anthropology should pay more attention to vernacular architecture as a locus of indigenous knowledge, to help the global community address the challenges of creating a sustainable built environment for all. ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY brings these contributions to your attention in the hope of stimulating discussion and promoting wider ethnographic research in areas of public concern. Volume21, Issue3June 2005Pages i-ii RelatedInformation