41 pages 1 hour read

E.E. Evans-Pritchard

The Nuer: A Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political Institutions of a Nilotic People

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1940

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Essay Topics

1.

Assess Evans-Pritchard’s argument regarding ecological influences on culture. What evidence is there that this principle holds true for all human cultures? To what extent does Evans-Pritchard suggest that it does?

2.

Research the model of social anthropology which Evans-Pritchard represented, structural functionalism, and observe how it is treated in anthropological circles today. Write an essay in the form of a letter to Evans-Pritchard, advising him how he might revise and strengthen his book by taking into account later critiques and refinements of structural functionalism.

3.

Evans-Pritchard depicts Nuer culture as being fundamentally egalitarian. Consider his depiction of gender relations in Nuer society and assess whether it fits with this view of an overarching egalitarianism.