
Andrew Gardner (ed.)
et al.
Published:
16 December 2013
Online ISBN:
9780191750977
Print ISBN:
9780199567942
Contents
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Introduction Introduction
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The necessity of theory The necessity of theory
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Why think about theory? Why think about theory?
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The case against archaeological theory The case against archaeological theory
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The case for archaeological theory The case for archaeological theory
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Conclusion Conclusion
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Acknowledgements Acknowledgements
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Suggested reading Suggested reading
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References References
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Chapter
What is theory for?
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Matthew H. Johnson
Matthew H. Johnson
Anthropology, Northwestern University
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Matthew H. Johnson, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University.
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Published:02 October 2014
Cite
Johnson, Matthew H., 'What is theory for?', in Andrew Gardner, Mark Lake, and Ulrike Sommer (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Theory (online edn, Oxford Academic, 16 Dec. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199567942.013.001, accessed 12 May 2025.
Abstract
This chapter is deliberately very simple. It should be read as an introduction, a first step, into the more complex issues discussed elsewhere in this Handbook. It defines theory, and discusses theory’s relationship to practice. It sees theory not as good or as bad, but simply as necessary. It examines the case both for and against explicit reflection on theory, and the case both for and against the existence of specifically archaeological theory. In conclusion, the chapter argues for theory as part of a wider project of learning about the world.
Series
Oxford Handbooks
Collection:
Oxford Handbooks Online
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