Routledge Social Science and Historical Perspectives: Society, Science, and Ways of Knowing

This accessible book introduces the story of ‘social science’, with coverage of history, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and geography. Key questions include: How and why did the social sciences originate and differentiate? How are they related to older traditions that have defined Western civilization? What is the unique perspective or ‘way of knowing’ of each social science? What are the challenges―and alternatives―to the social sciences as they stand in the twenty-first century? Eller explains the origin, evolution, methods, and the main figures, literature, concepts, and theories in each discipline. The chapters also feature a range of contemporary examples, with consideration given to how the disciplines address present-day issues. Review Eller’s book is a logically structured and highly readable overview of the key tenets of various social science disciplines. - Wendy Rouse, San José State University, USA About the Author Jack David Eller is Associate Professor (Emeritus) of Anthropology at the Community College of Denver, USA. An experienced teacher and author, his other books for Routledge include Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives (third edition, 2016), Cultural Anthropology: 101 (2015), Culture and Diversity in the United States (2015), and Introducing Anthropology of Religion (second edition, 2014).