Download - Theory in Anthropology
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THEORY IN ANTHROPOLOGY
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Learning Objectives1) Develop a timeline for anthropological
theory2) 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.
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Unlinear Evolutionism•‘Armchair’ Anthropologists
•[Note: As emphasis on scientific methodology grew, both methods and ‘theories’ were challenged]
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Unlinear Evolutionism•Result of ‘Armchair’ Anthropology = Unilinear Evolutionism •All human ways of life pass through a ___________ ________________________________________
•Cultures evolve in a _______________________________
•Cultural traits have a ______________________
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Unlinear Evolutionism•Louis Henjry Morgan•_____________ development, with subdivisions:_____________ ____________ _________
•Problem(s) with Morgan’s scheme•_______________________________
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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?
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Unlinear Evolutionism
•Positive•NegativeUnilineal Evolutionism Summary
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Historical Particularism•Emphasized that each culture has its own unique _______________
•Cultures should be understood based __________ ____________________________________
•Methods of cultural analysis = _________________
•Rejected _________________
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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
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Historical Particularism•Positive•Negative
Historical Particularism Summary
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Functionalism•Emphasizes the role (function) of________________
•Challenged both ______________________________
•Important scholars:•Malinowski (Father of Ethnography)•Radcliffe-Brown
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Functionalism
•Malinowski, a Functionalist because of:•All customs & institutions were ____________________•If one changed, ____________________•Each were therefore a ____________________
•‘Needs Functionalism’•Cultural customs are developed to_______________
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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 _______________________
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Functionalism•Functionalism – Still Present in Anthropology
•Despite challenges to the general theme, a form of functionalism is still a very active perspective in anthropology
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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
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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 ____________
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Configurationalism•Mead
•Viewed human nature as a ________________
•Focused on relationship between ___________
•Studied ____________________________•Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) – pioneering fieldwork, ‘classic’ anthropological text
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Neoevolutionism•Leslie White & Julian Steward – American Anthropologists•Renewed interest in cultural change & evolution after WWII
•Theoretical school of thought: Neoevolutionism
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Neoevolutionism•Leslie White •Foundation of __________________________________
•___________= unit of measurement & cause of cultural change
•Rejected ___________________
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Cultural Ecology & Neoevolutionism
•Julian Steward•Environmental Influence:
•Cultures in ___________________ would tend to follow the same developmental ______________________________to their ____________________________
•_____________influence ______________
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Cultural Materialism
•Marvin Harris •Proposed Cultural Materialism:
•__________________________________
•All societies have __________________
•Reinforced anthropology as a science
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Symbolic Anthropology •Study of symbols in their ___________________
•Victor Turner –
•Mary Douglas –
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Structuralism
•Levi-Strauss•____________________underlie all human activity, giving shape to seemingly _________________________
•Used ____________ to emphasis his point•Underlying ___________________
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When we get to Globalization…We will cover: •Processual Approches•World System Theory•Political Economy
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Anthropology Today•Increase specialization
•Specializations of Cultural Anthropology:
•Four-field approach continues to be present among Anthropologists
Economic Anthropolog
y
Anthropology of
Migration
Anthropology of
Religion
Medical Anthropolo
gy
Educational Anthropolog
y
Urban Anthropolog
y
Psychological
Anthropology
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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