The objective of this book remains to introduce cultural anthropology to readers with little background in the subject and to present the material in a unified framework rather than as an encyclopedia of anthropological concepts and findings. Traditionally, cultural anthropology texts have treated the many topics which constitute the field as a series of loosely interrelated subjects unified by the concept of culture. The concept of culture, the myriad facets of human life which are rooted in learning and communication, is the hallmark of American anthropology. This book makes much use of this important tool for understanding unity and diversity in human social life.

A central theme of Cultural Anthropology is that individuals are active decision makers, continually involved in creating and using their culture. Faced with new problems and new situations in their environment, people will often attempt to find solutions that go beyond traditional customs and cultural prescriptions. In other words, behavioral variation constantly exists within as well as between societies. Those variations that prove useful are passed on to new generations; they become part of culture. With this revision, the authors hope to convey some of the excitement and controversy that are part of the ongoing, developing science of anthropology.