Appetites and Identities is a clear, inviting and fascinating introduction to the social anthropology of western Europe. It covers food, migration, politics, urban and country life, magic, religion, sex and language in an accessible and straightforward fashion, introducing the student to aspects of the anthropology of contemporary European culture from mussel farmers in the Netherlands to Basque chambermaids in Lourdes, and from unhappy bachelors in western Ireland to unwitchers in Portugal.

Its scope takes in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus in the east, to the fringes of Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the west.

Avoiding the technical language of many anthropological textbooks, Appetites and Identities sets out the anthropological literature on the rich diversity of dialects, cultures and everyday lives of western European people, offering fascinating insights into how each region and community differs from its counterparts, despite the notion of an integrated Europe. The book will stimulate curiosity about social anthropological investigation, and about life in Europe today.

Students of European Studies, European Languages, EEC Studies and Sociology, as well as students beginning anthropology courses and their lecturers, will find this book useful.