acculturation Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The development of new cultural traits or identities as a result of cross-cultural contact. It can refer to situations of
acephalous society Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A society that operates without a formally recognized or stable leadership structure. It is associated primarily with *foragers and
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
This entry comprises two articles. The introductory article provides a discussion of the origins and phylogeny of HIV; the companion
action theory Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A line of inquiry within *political anthropology during the 1960s and 1970s concerned with the daily activities, decision-making processes,
activist anthropology Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The practice of collaborative research and action with (typically, but not always, socially marginalized) people involved in a political struggle.
actor-network theory Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
An approach to the study of social relations rejecting the idea that ‘social forces’ cause human action, holding instead that
adaptation Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
Genetic, biological, or behavioural adjustments that play a functional role in the ability of organisms to survive and/or reproduce in
Adaptation Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Adaptation refers to the many properties of organisms that enable those organisms to stay alive and reproduce. Adaptation is one
adjudication Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A form of *dispute resolution in which a third-party individual or council with socially recognized authority intervenes in a
advocacy anthropology Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The practice of providing direct vocal or political support for subjects in an anthropological research project. It is one of
aesthetics Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The sensory experience and qualitative perception of objects. Aesthetic properties include an object’s physical dimensions (i.e. texture, form, smell, taste,
affine Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A *kinship relationship created through *marriage as opposed to birth (known as a consanguineal, or ‘blood’, relationship). Affinity
age-class system Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The organization of individuals (in most cases men) into formal groupings by age (‘age sets’) that pass through defined life
agency Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
The human capacity for effective action in and on the world. In Western philosophical traditions, agency is often associated with
agriculture Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A *subsistence strategy based on the intentional cultivation and harvesting of plants and/or the raising of livestock. As a
Agriculture Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
This entry comprises two articles. The first article provides an account of the times and places of earliest centers of
Alarm Calls Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Alarm calls are highly conspicuous vocalizations given by animals when they encounter a predator. In some bird species, alarm calls
Algae Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
What are algae? Such a simple question, but there is no simple answer. Algae are important, ubiquitous, and diverse; they
alliance theory Quick reference
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology
A theory that emphasizes the importance of kinship relations created through *marriage as opposed to *descent. Developed
Alloparental Care Reference library
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Alloparental care is parentlike behavior that is typically performed by individuals that are not the parent of the recipient. The
