Theory in Anthropology

1. Theory in Anthropology

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

3. Unlinear Evolutionism • ‘Armchair’ Anthropologists • [Note: As emphasis on scientific methodology grew, both methods and ‘theories’ were challenged]

4. Unlinear Evolutionism • Result of ‘Armchair’ Anthropology = Unilinear Evolutionism • All human ways of life pass through a ___________ ________________________________________ • Cultures evolve in a _______________________________ • Cultural traits have a ______________________

5. Unlinear Evolutionism • Louis Henjry Morgan • _____________ development, with subdivisions: _____________ ____________  _________ • Problem(s) with Morgan’s scheme • _______________________________

6. 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?

7. Unlinear Evolutionism Unilineal Evolutionism Summary • Positive • Negative

8. Historical Particularism • Emphasized that each culture has its own unique _______________ • Cultures should be understood based __________ ____________________________________ • Methods of cultural analysis = _________________ • Rejected _________________

9. 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

10. Historical Particularism Historical Particularism Summary • Positive • Negative

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

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

13. 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 _______________________

14. Functionalism • Functionalism – Still Present in Anthropology • Despite challenges to the general theme, a form of functionalism is still a very active perspective in anthropology

15. 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

16. 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 ____________

17. Configurationalism • Mead • Viewed human nature as a ________________ • Focused on relationship between ___________ • Studied ____________________________ • Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) – pioneering fieldwork, ‘classic’ anthropological text

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

19. Neoevolutionism • Leslie White • Foundation of __________________________________ • ___________= unit of measurement & cause of cultural change • Rejected ___________________

20. Cultural Ecology & Neoevolutionism • Julian Steward • Environmental Influence: • Cultures in ___________________ would tend to follow the same developmental ______________________________to their ____________________________ • _____________influence ______________

21. Cultural Materialism • Marvin Harris • Proposed Cultural Materialism: • __________________________________ • All societies have __________________ • Reinforced anthropology as a science

22. Symbolic Anthropology • Study of symbols in their ___________________ • Victor Turner – • Mary Douglas –

23. Structuralism • Levi-Strauss • ____________________underlie all human activity, giving shape to seemingly _________________________ • Used ____________ to emphasis his point • Underlying ___________________

24. When we get to Globalization… We will cover: • ProcessualApproches • World System Theory • Political Economy

25. Anthropology Today • Increase specialization • Specializations of Cultural Anthropology: • Four-field approach continues to be present among Anthropologists Economic Anthropology Anthropology of Migration Anthropology of Religion Educational Anthropology Medical Anthropology Psychological Anthropology Urban Anthropology

26. 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