American AnthropologyTHE BEGINNING OF ANTHROPOLOGY IN AMERICAN AND CORE CONCEPTS

Learning Objectives

1) Develop a timeline for emergence of American anthropology

2) Recognize the influence of European scholars on American anthropology

3) Distinguish between early ideas of cultural and biological variation and current understanding of such processes. (Note: represents a course theme)

4) Describe the scientific method and how it is used to develop theories of cultural change and diversity.

Unlinear Evolutionism

‘Armchair’ Anthropologists

[Note: As emphasis on scientific methodology grew, both methods and ‘theories’ were challenged]

Unlinear Evolutionism

Result of ‘Armchair’ Anthropology = ___________________________________________________

Cultures evolve in a ____________towards an end ________________________________

Cultural traits have a __________________

Unlinear Evolutionism

Louis Henjry Morgan

Example: Polynesians of the Solomon Islands

Unlinear Evolutionism

E. B. Tylor

Checkpoint: What does ‘living fossils’ mean?

Unlinear Evolutionism Summary

Positive Negative

Historical Particularism

Four-Field ApproachEmphasized different __________

Focused on demonstrating that _________ ____________________________

Historical Particularism

Historical ParticularismEmphasized that _______________________________

Cultures should be ____________________________

Methods of cultural analysis = ____________

Rejected _______________________

Historical Particularism

Franz Boas -- Father of American Anthropology

Cultures ____________________________________________________________________

Emphasized _______________Checkpoint: How is diffusion defined in

cultural anthropology?______________________________________Example: Subsistence practice

Historical Particularism Summary

Positive Negative

Functionalism

Emphasizes the ________________________________

Challenged both __________________________

Important scholars:Malinowski (Father of Ethnography)Radcliffe-Brown

Functionalism

Malinowski, a Functionalist because of:_______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________Cultural customs

are____________________________

Structural Functionalism

Radcliffe-BrownRole that _______________________________________

Theoretical category of _______________________Culture & cultural practices ________________, which

is maintained by the _____________________________Viewed _________________________________________

Functionalism

Functionalism – Still Present in Anthropology

Despite challenges to the general theme, a form of functionalism is still a very active perspective in anthropology

“…there are social & cultural systems and that their elements…are functionally related so that they covary,” (Kottak, 2013, p.65)

Configurationalism

Culture viewed ______________________________Pulled from both ___________________________________

________________ is not automatic___________________________________________

Considered to be part of ________________ anthropology

Scholars: Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead

Interpretive Anthropology

Geertz _______________________________ ____________________________________

Known for his 1973 Balinese cockfighting essay

Structuralism

Levi-Strauss Idea of structuralism evolved over time

______________________, giving shape to seemingly disparate cultures and creationsMain universal structure =

___________________________

Used ___________________to emphasis his pointUnderlying ________________________

Various Theoretical Perspectives – 20th centuryScholar Theoretical School of ThoughtMorgan Unilinear EvolutionismTylor Unilinear EvolutionismBoas Historical Particularism, Father of American Anthropology Malinowski Functionalism, Father of EthnographyRadcliffe-Brown Structural Functionalism

Benedict Configurationalism, Student of BoasMead Configurationalism, Student of BoasWhite NeoevolutionSteward Neoevolution, specifically Cultural EcologyHarris Cultural Materialism

Durkheim Conscience collectif, or ‘Collective Consciousness’Turner Symbolic AnthropologyDouglas Symbolic AnthropologyGeertz Interpretive AnthropologyLevi-Strauss Structuralism

Scientific method

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

Scientific method

What is a hypothesis?

___________________

___________________.

Scientific method

Hypotheses are subject to _______________Must be _________

_________________ _________________

Scientific method

What is a theory?

___________________

Can you think of an example of a theory?.

Scientific method

Induction ___________________

Deduction ___________________

Scientific method

Four steps: ___________________

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

___________________