Anthropology in the Making: A Reader

Anthropology in the Making: A Reader provides students with a collection of essays that trace the discipline of anthropology over the past 20 years through the editor's personal experiences as a student and a lecturer. It features a timely perspective that considers contemporary intersectionalities of gender, generational differences, nationalities, traditional and cultural inheritances, and our individual experiences. Readers learn what anthropology looks like in a post-COVID-19 world and how individual actions ripple out to one's community, the society at large, the nation, and the world.

The anthology is organized into three distinct units. Unit I features readings that introduce the foundations of anthropology through an overview of salient theories, methods, and practices. In Unit II, students learn about anthropology as intervention. The readings address the experiences of Japanese Americans during WWII, colonialism and reimagined history, and generational trauma. The final unit deals with existential anthropology and features works on hospice care, the aftermath of September 11th and COVID-19, and global anthropology.

An enlightening collection to inspire deep critical thinking, Anthropology in the Making is an ideal supplemental resource for courses and programs in anthropology.

Atiba Rougier is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He was a hospice volunteer, and his research centers on what it means to die with dignity and the role vigil plays in the bereavement process.