The Anthropology of Self and Behavior.

Abstract

In this engaging book in the field of psychological anthropology, Gerald Erchak argues that culture shapes the human self and behavior, and that the self and behavior are in turn adapted to culture. After defining basic concepts and debates in the field, Erchak takes up the topics of socialization, gender, sexuality, collective behavior, national character, deviance, behavioral disorders, cognition, and emotion. Erchak includes more material about sexuality and gender than other books in this field. For Erchak, psychocultural adaptation is basic to human life. Culture plays a central role in our behavior and survival. Each chapter reviews the literature, providing an overview of central issues in the field, and includes ethnographic case material, some of which comes from Erchak's own work on West African socialization and initiation, American alchoholism, and other important topics. His examples are drawn from the U.s. as well as non-Western cultures. Erchak addresses himself to students in the field, but also to specialists who want a clearly presented yet provocative approach. This book will be of particular interest to teachers looking for new texts for undergraduate courses in anthropology and psychology. Gerald M. Erchak is a professor of anthropology at Skidmore College.