| Status: | Active, full but can join waiting list |
| Convenor: | |
| When: | Monthly on Monday afternoons 4th Monday of the Month |
| Venue: | Mint |
Anthropology is the study of humankind in all its diversity. Our group has tended to focus on the socio-cultural aspects of the subject, either from an historic perspective or from understanding how the tools of anthropology can inform our own lives. This tends to be through the study of specific books that cover different topics. In 2024 we looked at 'The WEIRDest People in the World …' by Joseph Henrick, in 2025 we finished 'Ritual' by a Greek anthropologist, Dmitris Xygalatas and in September 2025, we started 'AnthroVision' by Gillian Tett.
In April 2026 we have started 'Inheritance: The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World' by Harvey Whitehouse. This is a book that looks at the three building blocks of our common inheritance : Conformism, religiosity and tribalism. Whitehouse believes that, far from being wildly different, humans are fundamentally alike, rooted in a set of universal evolutionary urges.
New members need no previous knowledge of the subject just curiosity, open-mindedness, empathy and the ability to think reflectively.