Exploring Culture and Gender through Film

Exploring Culture and Gender through Film introduces cultural anthropology through concepts and case studies presented in a variety of media. The book pairs accessible documentary, ethnographic, and fiction films with articles that address the same themes and issues. Conceptual tools and background information help students understand both the visual and written content.

The anthology is organized into three sections: Culture, Intersections, and Entanglements. The first section introduces the anthropological perspective, the concept of culture, ethnography, documentary and ethnographic film, and Indigenous media. The second section discusses topics related to intersectionality, including gender, race, class, colonialism, globalization, and protest. In the final section, students explore the complex entanglements of human social life through topics such as genocide, structural violence, the relationship between nature and culture, surveillance capitalism, and more.

The second edition features a new organizational structure, 15 new readings, and fresh coverage of contemporary issues, including Islam, gender, and cultural relativism, the critically acclaimed TV series Reservation Dogs, racism and caste in the U.S., class conflict and neocolonialism in Parasite, digital protest and the Black Lives Matter movement, and Taika Waititi's anti-anthropology.

While ideally designed to be used in conjunction with the suggested films, the book also successfully stands alone as an introduction to cultural anthropology through contemporary issues. Exploring Culture and Gender through Film can be used for courses in social and cultural anthropology, media studies, and contemporary issues.