Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 3 History of Anthropological Theory

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 3History of Anthropological Theory


The Evolution of Evolution

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution suggested that

different species developed, one from another, over long periods

of time.

Darwin later rejected his original notion, focusing instead on a

process of natural selection.


Early Anthropological Theory

Early Evolutionism Darwinism influenced cultural

theory. In the early years the prevailing view was that

culture generally develops (evolves) in a uniform and

progressive manner.

“Race” TheoryEvolutionism influenced

anthropology in the 19th century to posit that the reason human

cultures differed was because they represented separate subspecies

of humans or “races.”





Diffusionism Popular in the late 19th and

early 20th centuriesSuggested that most aspects

of high civilization had emerged in culture centers from which they then diffused out


Later Anthropological Theory

Historical Particularism

Frank Boas opposed evolutionism

Stressed the importance of collecting as much

anthropological data as possible, from which the laws governing cultural variation

would emerge



Psychological Approach

How do psychological factors and processes help to explain

cultural practices?



Functionalism

An analysis of what function or part some aspect of culture or

social life plays in the maintenance of society.



Structuralism

Lévi-Strauss’ approach views culture as a surface

representation of the underlying patterns of the

human mind.


Ethnoscience and Cognitive Anthropology

Attempts to derive the rules of thought that may underlie a given culture from a logical analysis of ethnographic data.

Cultural EcologyThe study of the relationships between

cultures and their physical and social environments.



Political EconomyAssumes that external forces explain

the way a society changes and adapts. Central to this approach is the social and political impact of

those state societies that transformed the world by colonialism and imperialism after the mid-1400s.


Recent Developments in Anthropological TheoryEvolutionary Ecology

Approaches

The idea that natural selection can operate on the behavioral

or social characteristic of a population.


Recent Developments in Anthropological TheoryFeminist Approaches

With the advent of the “women’s movement” of the 1960s, a focused effort on

studying the roles of women was found necessary.


Recent Developments in Anthropological TheoryInterpretive Approaches

Clifford Geertz- A culture is like a literary text that can be

analyzed for meaning. The goal is to understand what

it means to be a person living in a particular culture, rather than to explain why cultures

vary.


Recent Developments in Anthropological Theory

Postmodernists

All knowledge is subjective and actively shaped by the political powers-that-be.

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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 3 History of Anthropological Theory