American Anthropology

THEORY IN ANTHROPOLOGY

Learning Objectives Develop a timeline for anthropological theory 2) Recognize the early influence of European scholars on American anthropological theory 3) Discriminate between the various anthropological theoretical schools of thought 4) Explain the main contributes of each scholar to anthropological theory 5) Distinguish between early ideas of cultural and biological variation and current understanding of such processes. 1)

Unlinear Evolutionism •‘Armchair’ Anthropologists

•[Note: As emphasis on scientific methodology

grew, both methods and ‘theories’ were challenged]

Unlinear Evolutionism • Result of ‘Armchair’ Anthropology = Unilinear Evolutionism • All human ways of life pass through a ___________

________________________________________

• Cultures evolve in a _______________________________

• Cultural traits have a ______________________

Unlinear Evolutionism • Louis Henjry Morgan • _____________ development, with

subdivisions: _____________ ____________  _________

• Problem(s) with Morgan’s scheme

• _______________________________

Unlinear Evolutionism • E. B. Tylor • Anthropology of ____________

_________ __________  _________  _________ • Different starting points & speeds along the unilinear

continuum • Viewed some cultures as _________________ • Checkpoint: What does ‘living fossils’ mean?

Unlinear Evolutionism Unilineal Evolutionism Summary • Negative

• Positive

Historical Particularism • Emphasized that each culture has its own unique

_______________ • Cultures should be understood based __________

____________________________________ • Methods of cultural analysis = _________________ • Rejected _________________

Historical Particularism • Franz Boas (Father of American Anthropology) • Cultures may take ___________________

• Cultural histories are __________________ • Emphasized ______________

• Checkpoint: How is diffusion defined in cultural

anthropology? • ___________________________________ • Example: Subsistence practice

Historical Particularism Historical Particularism Summary • Negative

• Positive

Functionalism • Emphasizes the role (function) of________________ • Challenged both ______________________________ • Important scholars: • Malinowski (Father of Ethnography) • Radcliffe-Brown

Functionalism • Malinowski, a Functionalist because of: • All customs & institutions were ____________________ • If one changed, ____________________ • Each were therefore a ____________________ • ‘Needs Functionalism’ • Cultural customs are developed to_______________

Structural Functionalism • Radcliffe-Brown • Role that ____________ play in the life of societies

today • Theoretical category of Structural Functionalism

• Culture & cultural practices _________________ • maintained by the ____________________________

• Social systems similar to _______________________

Functionalism • Functionalism – Still Present in Anthropology • Despite challenges to the general theme, a form of

functionalism is still a very active perspective in anthropology

Configurationalism • Culture viewed as _____________________ • Pulled from both ____________________________

• Diffusion is ______________________ • _____________ barriers and/or _____ barriers

• Considered to be part of psychological anthropology • Scholars: Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead

Configurationalism • Benedict • Believed that each culture is ______________________ • “made over into consistent patterns in accordance with

unconscious cannons of choice that develop within a culture,” (Benedict, 1961, p.34) • Illustrated her point through studying the ____________

Configurationalism • Mead • Viewed human nature as a ________________ • Focused on relationship between ___________ • Studied ____________________________

• Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) – pioneering

fieldwork, ‘classic’ anthropological text

Neoevolutionism • Leslie White & Julian Steward – American Anthropologists • Renewed interest in cultural change & evolution after WWII • Theoretical school of thought: Neoevolutionism

Neoevolutionism • Leslie White • Foundation of __________________________________ • ___________= unit of measurement & cause of cultural

change • Rejected ___________________

Cultural Ecology & Neoevolutionism • Julian Steward • Environmental Influence: • Cultures in ___________________ would

tend to follow the same developmental ______________________________to their ____________________________ • _____________influence ______________

Cultural Materialism • Marvin Harris • Proposed Cultural Materialism:

• __________________________________ • All societies have __________________ • Reinforced anthropology as a science

Symbolic Anthropology • Study of symbols in their ___________________ • Victor Turner –

• Mary Douglas –

Structuralism • Levi-Strauss • ____________________underlie all human

activity, giving shape to seemingly _________________________ • Used ____________ to emphasis his point

• Underlying ___________________

When we get to Globalization… We will cover: • Processual Approches • World System Theory • Political Economy

Anthropology Today • Increase specialization • Specializations of Cultural Anthropology: Economic Anthropology

Urban Anthropology

Anthropology of Migration

Anthropology of Religion

Medical Anthropology

Educational Anthropology

Psychological Anthropology

• Four-field approach continues to be present among

Anthropologists

Summary • Become comfortable with: • Scholars outlined on previous slide • Theoretical school of thought • Main contribution • Example: Leslie White’s idea that energy capture

propelled cultures forward & his rejection of unilinear evolutionism