This concise introduction to social and cultural anthropology has become a modern classic and showcases the rich global diversity of social life and culture. The text provides a clear overview of anthropology and focuses on central themes such as kinship, ethnicity, rituals, and political systems, offering a wealth of examples that illustrate the vast scope of anthropology and the importance of a comparative perspective. Unlike other texts on this subject, "Small Places, Large Questions" integrates the anthropology of complex modern societies. By using reviews of key monographs to illustrate its arguments, Eriksen's clear and accessible text remains an established introductory textbook in anthropology. This new edition has been thoroughly updated and places greater emphasis on the interdependence of human worlds. There is a new discussion on the influence of cultural studies and the natural sciences on anthropology.