This anthology has been assembled as a text for an anthropology course titled Contemporary Non-Western Cultures. The mission of this course is to help students achieve a better understanding of cultural diversity in the modern world.
There are several themes that will be seen running through the various units. These themes are modernization, commercialization, and globalization. The five areas that are covered in the text are: North America, South America, Africa (including parts of the Middle East), Oceania, and Japan.
In each of the area sections there will be a discussion of the natural and social environments of native cultures before and after contact, the nature of subsequent changes, and how these cultures are presently adjusting to the impact of modern sources of change. The articles in the text have been selected to offer reflections on these different topics from varying points of view.