Anthropological theories

Unilineal Evolutionary Sir Edward Tylor (1832 – 1917) English Lewis Henry Morgan (1818 – 1881) American Progressive Stages

Historical Particularism American response to unilineal evolution and primarily associated with Franz Boas (1858 – 1942).

Diffusionism Cultural change occurs when societies “borrow” cultural traits from one another.

Functionalism British Functionalism Society consists of institutions (or structures, systems) that serve vital purposes for people. Functionalists not interested in evolution of societies, but relationship among different systems, or structures, and How these structures serve society or the individual.

Structural functionalism – A.R. Radcliffe-Brown Societal structures function to maintain harmony in the society

Psychological Functionalism Bronislaw Malinowski How all elements of a society function to meet the needs of the individual. Identified three basic types of needs: 1. Biological (food, sex); 2. Instrumental (protection, education, social control) and 3. Integrative (a common worldview).

Psychological Anthropology Culture-and-personality theories Theorists assume all members of a given society share the same cultural knowledge “National Character”

Cultural Ecology Importance of the environment and environmental adaptations  that led to change. Interrelationship among the natural conditions in the environment (rainfall, temperature, soils, etc.) and Technology Social organization Attitudes within a particular culture

Cultural Materialism Marvin Harris Key determinants in sociocultural evolution: Technology Environment Energy Food Economy

Behavioral Ecology /Evolutionary Ecology Derived from Sociobiology Reproductive success of the individual is the overall goal of behavior: Survival and perpetuation of one’s own genes

French Structuralism More psychological or cognitive approach Claude Levi-Strauss More psychological or cognitive approach Focuses on identifying how structure of the mind organizes Ideas, symbols, and myths into patterns

Interpretive/Symbolic Anthropology Clifford Geertz Opposite of cultural materialism. The focus is on nonmaterial aspects of culture such as symbols, values, worldviews, beliefs, motivations, ideas, perceptions, and thoughts