Anthropological Theory: A podcast created by anthropology students · Laurette McGuire

Cultural Materialism ft. Nick & Noah (All Things Anth)

·11 min·1 clip

Noah describes how Marvin Harris used India's sacred cow taboo to demonstrate infrastructure shaping superstructural beliefs.

In this episode of All Things Anth, hosts Nick and Noah explore cultural materialism, an anthropological theory that explains how material conditions like technology, economics, and environment shape cultural practices and social structures. They discuss Marvin Harris's foundational work, examine key concepts like infrastructure, structure, and superstructure, and provide concrete examples including India's sacred cow taboo and women's workforce entry after WWII.

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