Marcel Mauss, a gift to the social sciences

mauss

Marcel Mauss (May 10, 1872—Feb. 10, 1950), celebrated author of The Gift and nephew of Émile Durkheim, was a French sociologist and anthropologist whose contributions include a highly original comparative study of the relation between forms of exchange and social structure. His views on the theory and method of ethnology are thought to have influenced many eminent social scientists.

In the spirit of his birthday, we are delighted to present volumes from the Publications of the Durkheim Press series, with special attention to The Nature of Sociology and Techniques, Technology, and Civilization. Recently released in paperback, these volumes offer students an ideal introduction to Mauss’s writings and theories.

 

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David Émile Durkheim, Father of Mind

Commonly credited as the father of modern sociology, David Émile Durkheim (born on April 15, 1858) drew on the philosophies of Karl Marx and Auguste Compte to create his own. In turn, his philosophy inspired Marcel Mauss, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and Michel Foucault, among many others, including Alexander Tristan Riley, W.S.F. Pickering, and William Watts Miller, whose edited collection Durkheim, the Durkheimians, and the Arts is now available in paperback. Below, Riley shares what brought him to the study of Durkheim, a prediction of the collection’s reception, and what he would ask the philosopher if given the chance. 

 

Durkheim and the ArtsBerghahn Books: What drew you to the study of David Émile Durkheim?

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Marcel Mauss: Between Sociology and Anthropology

mauss

Marcel Mauss, (born May 10, 1872—died Feb. 10, 1950), nephew of Émile Durkheim, French sociologist and anthropologist whose contributions include a highly original comparative study of the relation between forms of exchange and social structure. His views on the theory and method of ethnology are thought to have influenced many eminent social scientists.

Learn more about the life and legacy of this influential sociologist with these books from Berghahn:

Continue reading “Marcel Mauss: Between Sociology and Anthropology”