Unit 2 Flashcards
Anthropology as a science: theoretical and methodological aspects
What is unilinear evolutionism in anthropology?
- A 19th-century theory stating that all cultures evolve through a series of stages
- It suggests that culture obeys natural laws and can be studied scientifically.
Who is Lewis Henry Morgan, and what is his contribution to cultural evolution?
- In his work “Ancient Society,” Morgan argued that all human societies evolved through a series of stages: savagery, barbarism, and civilization.
-> emphasized that societies had to progress through these stages without skipping any.
What is Edward Burnett Tylor’s significance in anthropology?
- In “Primitive Culture,” Tylor proposed that religion would diminish as science provided better explanations.
-> believed in the evolutionary path from animism (spiritual beings) to polytheism (multiple gods), and finally monotheism (one deity).
What are the stages of cultural evolution according to Morgan?
Savagery, Barbarism, Civilization
What does animism, polytheism and monotheism refer to in the context of Tylor’s theories?
Animism: the belief in spiritual beings
Polytheism: The belief in multiple gods
Monotheism: The belief in a single, all-powerful deity
Who is Franz Boas? What did he believe in?
the father of American anthropology
-> Historical particularism
What is historical particularism?
different cultures develop in unique ways, rejecting comparisons and generalizations across cultures
What did Boas argue about cultural solutions?
similar solutions can arise independently in different cultures
e.g.: agriculture
What is an example for a cultural trait and a trait complex?
culture trait: bow and arrow;
trait complex: hunting pattern
-> need to be accepted and integrated
What ist functionalism in anthropology?
A perspective focusing on the role of cultural traits in contemporary societies, suggesting that customs fulfill universal human needs (e.g., reproduction, food).
Who is the father of ethnography? How did he contribute to functionalism?
Bronislaw Malinowski
-> emphasized that customs and institutions are interrelated and fulfill universal human needs
What is the relationship between customs and institutions according to Malinowski?
They are integrated and interrelated
What did Radcliffe-Brown emphasize in Functionalism?
The role of particular practices in life of societies today
What is synchronic study?
Studying societies at one time
What are the 2 types of functionalism?
Structural functionalism
Panglossian functionalism
What is structural functionalism?
the idea that a system has a structure whose parts function to maintain the whole, similar to how organs and processes kept the body running smoothly
-> Radcliffe-Brown & Evans-Pritchard
What is Panglossian functionalism?
the belief that the function of culture is to maintain harmony and that everything functions in the most optimal way possible for the system
-> any deviation form the norm is seen as damaging to the system
How does structural functionalism view rebellion and conflict?
is interested in how rebellion and conflict are regulated and dissipated to maintain the stability of the system
What did Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead contribute to cultural anthropology?
focused on how culture shapes personalities and behaviors, highlighting the importance of enculturation in forming individual identities
What did Benedict and Mead believe about the variation in cultures?
that cultures vary in their patterns of enculturation, which influence how members develop both their personalities and biology
What is neoevolutionism in anthropology?
the renewed interest in studying culture change and human evolution, linking culture to biology and studying its evolution over time through archaeological and ethnographic records.
What did Leslie White contribute to neoveolutionism?
general evolution
-> we can observe how cultures evolve over time, through archaeological, historical, and ethnographic records
What is Julian Steward’s Theory of Cultural Change?
multilinear evolution
-> cultural ecology (environmental influence)
How do technology and the environment influence cultural change according to neoevolutionism?
cause of cultural change