FRANZ BOAS 1858-1942

Boas en route to Baffin Island 1883 and Central Inuit; to study reflectivity of sea-water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS3wqv96VcM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvFDioPrMM

Shackles of Tradition (52 min)

PERSONAL INFORMATIONPERSONAL INFORMATION

Born: July 9, 1858 Minden, Westphalia, Germany

Liberal Jewish parents

Meier Boas & Sophie Meyer Boas

Married to Marie Krackowizer

Anti-Semitism

“Germany” did not exist until 1871 Before 19th century, 350 states linked by

common language Some large such as Austria & Prussia Holy Roman Empire

 ”Scramble for Africa” (1875-1912)

European countries Colonize African continent

Three Emperors' League (1873) Coordinated by German Chancellor,

Otto von Bismarck

Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Russia

Pledged to consult on matters of mutual interest

Geography & physics at: Heidelberg, Bonn, and Kiel

1881-- Bachelors degree, University of

Heidelberg Ph.D., University of Kiel

TRAVELSTRAVELS 1883-1884 Expedition to Baffin Land, Canada

Fieldwork—Eskimo https://www.google.com/search?

tbm=bks&hl=en&q=Somatology#gs_ssp=eJzj4tDP1TfIMjDIBgAKNgJD&hl=en&q=baffin+island

Anthropology

1885--Immigrated to United States

Journal Science Editorial position

Fieldwork along North Pacific Coast of North America for several museums 1885-1896

OCCUPATIONOCCUPATION

1892-1893--Chicago World's Fair

Native American cultures

Life group displays Dioramas

CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR DIORAMACHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR DIORAMA

BOAS’ CAREERBOAS’ CAREER

New York (1896) American Museum of Natural

History Assistant Curator of Ethnology & Somatology (physical anthropology)

Columbia University: Professor of Anthropology (1899)

Best known: Kwakiutl Indians Northern Vancouver & mainland of

British Columbia, Canada

New concept of culture & race

Everything important to study culture

Collect data on all facets of a culture Not just religion, kinship etc.

KWAKIUTL INDIANSKWAKIUTL INDIANS

Bear Totem Pole Wearing a Mask

CENTRAL ESKIMO (IGULIK) STUDY

Inuit perceive and name hundreds of colors and qualities of sea-water and surfaces unknown in European languages…

Boas’ study: Earliest anthropological attempt to describe a non-European ‘ethno-science’ in phenomenological terms

Understand phenomena by grasping how they make sense within the framework of subject’s thought-world (cultural relativity)

Hamats'a coming out of secret room," and "Kwakiutl Indian ceremony for expelling cannibals."

1885:1885: First expedition to Northwest Coast (Bella Coola)

1886:1886: First collecting trip for American Museum of Natural History (New York City) to Nootka and Kwakiutl — massive documentation of Northwest Coast culture

THE PRACTICE OF MUSEUM THE PRACTICE OF MUSEUM EXHIBITSEXHIBITS

Demonstrating Eskimo harpooning, American Museum, 1900

No storage rooms, natural lighting, cases, life groups the most demanding (time, materials, skill), attempted realism.

Labels – “the ultimate limitation to the possibility of a museum anthropology”.

Boas believed exhibited artifact secondary to written interpretation by scientist

TYPOLOGICAL VS. LIFE GROUPTYPOLOGICAL VS. LIFE GROUP

U.S. National Museum

Life group, 1896

U.S. National Museum

Typological, 1890

Highest ranking Kwakiutl secret society Kwakiutl dance - a winter initiation

ceremony. 4 days long and very complex Hamatsa dancers represent a cannibal

spirit who lives in the sky (Bakbakwalanooksiwae)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzmNlejMKA0

MUSEUMS:MUSEUMS: ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, INSTRUCTION, RESEARCHINSTRUCTION, RESEARCH

Boas curator at American Museum 1896-1905

Over 90% of visitors “do not want anything beyond entertainment”

Visitor groups = children, school teachers, researchers

Researchers justify large museums “for the advancement of science”

Differences in peoples result of: Historical Social Geographic conditions

All populations have complete and equally developed culture

CULTURAL RELATIVISMCULTURAL RELATIVISM

Countered early evolutionist view of stages of development

Franz Boas and his students changed American anthropology

HISTORICAL PARTICULARISMHISTORICAL PARTICULARISM

Each culture has a unique history

Not assume universal laws for all cultures

ASSUMPTIONS OF HISTORICAL ASSUMPTIONS OF HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM:PARTICULARISM:

1. Rejects general laws: 1. Rejects general laws: RRanking, “progress

2. No simple or complex societies Onlynly different different societiessocieties

3. Unilineal evolution= Ethnocentric

27

4. Not 4. Not CCultureulture, but cultures

5.5. Culture Culture, not race, determines behavior

6.6. Methodological rigor Methodological rigor

• Superorganic —Product of collective or group life• Individual has an influence

• Unconscious — Filter through which reality is perceived

• Adaptive — Culture helps individuals adapt to environment

//thesocietypages.org/socimages

REPRESENTATION OF THE “PRIMITIVE” AMERICAN INDIAN

SOCIAL AND

CULTURAL

LINGUISTICS

ARCHAEOLOGY

PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY

Four Field Approach

Generation of anthropologists Generation of anthropologists trained under Boas at Columbia University

Established Boasian doctrines in North American universities:

Alfred A. Kroeber Ruth Benedict Margaret Mead Robert Lowie Edward Sapir Paul Radin Alexander A. Goldenweiser Clark Wissler

Cultural Relativism

Historical Particularism

“Race, language, and culture” as independent variables

Superorganic

Cultural Determinism

Data Collection “without” theory

Emphasis on Fieldwork

4-field approach

FRANZ BOAS

1937--Professor Emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University

Made anthropology into a distinguished and recognized science

Author of many books, some of which Author of many books, some of which are:are:

Growth of Children (1896 – 1904) The Mind of Primitive Man, 1938 Primitive Art, 1927 Anthropology and Modern Life, 1938 Race, Language, and Culture, 1940 Dakota Grammar, 1941

Boas, professor emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University, was entertaining Professor Paul Rivet and other colleagues at a luncheon in Faculty Club.

He collapsed into arms of another well-known anthropologist, Claude Levi-Claude Levi-StraussStrauss,  and died on December 21, 1942.