The Social Construction of Communities
Agency, Structure, and Identity in the Prehispanic Southwest
Mark D Varien editor James M Potter editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:AltaMira Press
Published:15th Aug '08
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
The Social Construction of Communities draws on archaeological research in the Southwest to examine how communities are created through social interaction. The archaeological record of the Southwest is important for its precise dating, exceptional preservation, large number of sites, and length of occupation—making it most intensively researched archaeological regions in the world. Taking advantage of that rich archaeological record, the contributors to this volume present case studies of the Mesa Verde, Rio Grande, Kayenta, Mogollon, and Hohokam regions. The result is an enhanced understanding of the ancient Southwest, a new appreciation for the ways in which humans construct communities and transform society, and an expanded theoretical discussion of the foundational concepts of modern social theory.
The authors in The Social Construction of Communities raise the right questions as they attempt to break with the ecofunctionalist models of past decades. Southwest archaeologists will find the volume's substantive, synthetic discussions of recent research to be particularly useful. -- Ruth Van Dyke, Colorado College
Varien and Potter are to be congratulated on editing a volume that provides a substantial theoretical and methocological foundation for understanding how past communities were created and maintained in the American Southwest....this book is a must-add to the literature and an important addition to our understanding of the Chacoan world. * Journal of Anthropological Research *
This volume is an admirable combination of social theory and substantive results that helps to redefine how archaeologists look at past communities. Although the case studies are from the U.S. Southwest, they have broad applicability to many archaeological regions and should serve as important sources for agency-oriented approaches in archaeology. -- Barbara J. Mills, University of Arizona
ISBN: 9780759110083
Dimensions: 239mm x 161mm x 17mm
Weight: 658g
336 pages