Man and Culture

work by Wissler

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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Clark Wissler's Man and Culture (1923) explores the distribution and adaptation of cultural traits and their relationship to the environment. The book delves into how cultural characteristics spread and change over time, influenced by their surroundings. Wissler, an American anthropologist, is known for developing the concept of the culture area, which categorizes cultures based on geographic regions and shared traits. His work, including The American Indian (1917), was foundational in understanding the regional clustering of cultural elements and their connection to the natural environment.123

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Cultural areas
…The American Indian (1917) and Man and Culture (1923). He divided the Indian cultures (as they were in the latter half of the 19th century) into geographic cultural regions: the Caribou area of northern Canada; the Northwest coast, characterized by the use of salmon and cedar; the Great Plains, where…
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…The American Indian (1917) and Man and Culture (1923). He divided the Indian cultures (as they were in the latter half of the 19th century) into geographic cultural regions: the Caribou area of northern Canada; the Northwest coast, characterized by the use of salmon and cedar; the Great Plains, where…
Read More