An ideal complement to standard anthropology texts or as a stand-alone text/reader, the best-selling Conformity and Conflict continues to offer an in-depth look at anthropology as a powerful way to study human behavior and events.

The 37 articles cover a broad range of theoretical perspectives and demonstrate basic anthropological concepts. The twelfth edition retains the accessibility of the previous editions and the view that anthropology provides a fascinating perspective on the human experience.

The twelfth edition has been shaped by the current concerns in both anthropology and American society, including globalization, the study of women's lives, race and ethnicity, and the practical applications of anthropology and the ways it leads to everyday careers.

The newly revised table of contents reflects the suggestions of Conformity and Conflict users. Thirty percent of the readings are either revised or entirely new to this edition.  Nine new articles appear in this edition of Conformity and Conflict (Readings 7, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29, 32, 33), three of which were expressly commissioned for this edition (12, 29, 25).  Four articles (5, 28, 31 and 35) have been updated for this edition.

More attention is paid to cultural ecology, to the impact of the world market and world systems on human social life, and to human change in increasingly large and complex societies. An entirely NEW section on globalization includes three new articles that introduce readers to key concepts -  how popular culture spreads to different societies, the processes by which cultural artifacts, social structures, and how ideas are adopted and changed as they reach new societies.