Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is theory?
It’s a statement that suggests a relationship among phenomena. It enables us to reduce reality to an abstract set of principles and brings together older hypotheses toward new theory development.
What is evolutionism and major assumption and advocates?
Major assumption: all societies pass through a series of stages.
Advocates: Tylor, Morgan
What is diffusionism and major assumption and advocates?
Major assumption: All societies change as a result of cultural borrowing from one another
Advocates: Graebner, Smith
Diffusion process?
That certain cultural features were originally invented originally in one/several parts of the world and spread to other cultures.
Societies change as a result of cultures borrowing from one another.
What is functionalism?
Focuses on how culture works for individual and society. Society is like a biological organism with many interconnected parts. And the structure of society contains indispensable functions without which the society couldn’t continue.
Who are the British functionalists?
Malinowski( functionalist) and Radcliffe-Brown (structure functionalist)
Malinowski (functionalist)
Concentrated on how contemporary cultures meet the needs of individuals( functionalism) He looked at how culture serves individuals.
Radcliffe- Brown ( structure functionalist)
Concentrated on how institution maintain the structure of the society ( structure functionalist) He looked at how the institution of the society maintain their structure.
What is neo-evolutionism?
It’s cultures evolve in proportion to their capacity to harness energy. The culture is shaped by environmental conditions
Who are the theorists of neo-evolutionism?
Leslie White, Julian Steward
French Structuralism: Claude Levi-Strauss
He identify the mental structure that underpin culture and social behaviour. Human mind is programmed to think in binary oppositions (eg. Hot vs Cold)
What is cultural materialism? (Determine the culture based on conditions)
Material conditions(natural resources) determine human thoughts and behaviour.
By de-emphasizes the role of ideas and values( culture) in choosing the conditions of social life.
What does scientific school do?
Humans are conditioned to survive and therefore, the behaviour and cultural systems stem from the need
What is postmodernism? ( human choice)
Human behaviour is a result of how people perceive and classify the world around them. Biology provides the ability to be flexible as we(culture) make choice from a range of possibilities
What does humanistic school affect?
The interrelated website of economic and power relations affect choices.
