{"id":5948,"date":"2017-05-09T10:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/?p=5948"},"modified":"2025-05-12T08:20:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T08:20:32","slug":"may-10th-is-marcel-mausss-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/may-10th-is-marcel-mausss-birthday","title":{"rendered":"Marcel Mauss: Between Sociology and Anthropology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"mauss\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Marcel Mauss<\/a>, (born May 10, 1872\u2014died Feb. 10, 1950), nephew of \u00c9mile Durkheim,\u00a0French 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.<\/h4>\n

Learn more about the life and legacy of this influential sociologist with these books from Berghahn:<\/h4>\n

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\"\"THE NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY<\/a>
\nMarcel Mauss
\nTranslated by William Jeffrey
\nIntroduction by Mike Gane<\/p>\n

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Having taken over the leadership of the French school of sociology after the death of his uncle, Emile Durkheim, in 1917, Mauss, celebrated author of The Gift, re-launched the flagship journal, the Ann\u00e9e sociologique. Here are two of Mauss’s most significant statements on the social sciences. The first, written with Fauconnet, outlines the methodological orientations of the school. The second examines the internal organization of sociology as a division of intellectual labor. The essays are of interest to anthropologists as well as sociologists for Mauss, like Durkheim, did not distinguish in detail the two disciplines.<\/p>\n

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\"\"THE MANUAL OF ETHNOGRAPHY<\/a>
\nMarcel Mauss
\nTranslated by Dominique Lussier
\nEdited and Introduced by N. J. Allen
\nPublished in Association with Durkheim Press<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the wake of considerable recent biographical attention to Marcel Mauss in English-language publications, it is fitting that works by him still available only in French appear in translation. The Manual of Ethnography has been expertly translated by Dominique Lussier, and appropriately edited and introduced by N. J. Allen. This historically important document, \u2026 reflects the youthful moment of modern anthropology when the questions and subjects of this discipline came to depend on rigorous collection of material from field research\u2026 an important historical document in the context of Mauss’s teaching of anthropology and in the originary hopes for ethnography. Highly recommended.\u201d<\/em> \u00b7 George Marcus in Choice<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"TECHNIQUES, TECHNOLOGY AND CIVILIZATION<\/a>
\nMarcel Mauss
\nEdited and with an Introduction by Nathan Schlanger
\nPublished in Association with the Durkheim Press<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt seems that Mauss\u2019s fame has grown in inverse proportion to knowledge of his actual writings. It should therefore be a matter of celebration that his occasional writings on techniques and technology have been published in English\u2026when we look more closely at what Mauss did and did not do, his iconic status may be somewhat tarnished. But his general example still has the power to inspire, and maybe that is what counts.\u201d<\/em> \u00b7 JRAI<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\"\"ON PRAYER<\/a>
\nText and Commentary
\nMarcel Mauss
\nEdited and with an introduction by W. S. F. Pickering
\nPublished in Association with Durkheim Press<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis study should have been his doctoral dissertation that he never finished\u2026Its English version clearly shows that we are dealing with an important text on a topic that is curiously little explored by anthropologists.\u201d<\/em> \u00b7 Revue philosophique<\/strong><\/p>\n

“There is much of interest in this well-presented volume. Mauss\u2019s careful discussion of differences among types of oral rites \u2013 incantations, spells, invocations \u2013 remains instructive.”<\/em> \u00b7 Social Anthropology<\/strong><\/p>\n

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of related interest:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"MARCEL MAUSS<\/a>
\nA Centenary Tribute
\nEdited by Wendy James and N. J. Allen<\/p>\n

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“Each of the essays in this volume deals with various facets of his work, and all of them should be read.”<\/em> \u00b7 American Anthropologist<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis book offers a unique insight into the influence of one of the discipline\u2019s most important theorists. James and Allen are thoughtful editors … their respect produces the best form of criticism in fourteen essays by British, and other European, anthropologists … This is intriguing and stimulating reading … Mauss\u2019s work receives careful attention in this book which is helpful, incisive, and broadly significant to anthropology.\u201d<\/em> \u00b7 JRAI<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marcel Mauss, (born May 10, 1872\u2014died Feb. 10, 1950), nephew of \u00c9mile Durkheim,\u00a0French 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… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[107,190,135,111,113,454,155,2021,204,438,851],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5948"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5948"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10032,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5948\/revisions\/10032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}