Doing Anthropology: A Guide by and for Students and Their Professors

This textbook is written by well-established anthropology professors for, and with, their undergraduate students. It explores what anthropological thinking is, what anthropological approaches are, and how these are applied in real-world settings. It provides a thorough introduction to key methods, theories and the disciplinary value of contemporary anthropology.

This book deliberately steps beyond the standard textbook format. Undergraduate students reveal the processes by which they came to understand and apply anthropological knowledge using everyday experiences and common life events as examples, while also showcasing the practical learning that student authors produced as a result of understanding and operationalising those processes. This fresh take showcases what can be done with anthropological knowledge, not what you can do with anthropology when you’ve achieved the rank of professor. This book is accompanied by practical exercises, and podcasts that relate to each of the chapters. Podcasts extend beyond the textbook as live resources, with episodes on a regular basis. This is an accessible, lively, active text that prepares students to outbound disciplinary knowledge.

This unique and engaging textbook will be core reading for undergraduate anthropology students, as well as a source of teaching inspiration for lecturers of undergraduate anthropology units. It would also be a useful text for undergraduate students conducting ethnographic research.

Simone Dennis was Professor of Anthropology and Associate Dean for Engagement, Impact and Innovation at the Australian National University when this book was begun. Now, she is Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Andrew Dawson is Professor and Chair of Anthropology at the University of Melbourne. His ethnographic and theoretical work focusses on experiences of mobility. He has published widely, including ‘Driven to Sanity: An ethnographic critique of the senses in automobilities’ which was recently awarded the Australian Anthropological Association’s Best Article prize. Andrew has lectured in anthropology for over 30 years, especially at first-year and doctoral levels.