1. Historical Particularism
Anthropological Theory
IB Anthropology
UWC Costa Rica

2. Key Theorist Franz Boas – founder of American Four-Field Anthropology
‘Race, Language and Culture’ (1940) – collection of essays
Contributed mainly to cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology

3. ‘Biological studies of European Immigrants to USA
Revealed and measure phenotypical plasticity
Children of immigrants differed physically from parents – not because of genetic change but because of growing up in different environment
Boas demonstrated that human biology was plastic – it could be changed by the environment including cultural factors
Boas strived to prove that biology (including race did not determine culture

4. Boas + Fieldwork
Studied language and culture among Native Americans esp. Kwakiutl of North Pacific coast
New York Columbia University… many influential students e.g Mead and Benedict
Boas and students took criticised Unilinear Evolutionism, particularly idea of preordained evolutionary path

5. Given cultural feature does not follow single path of development
E.g. totemism did not follow single path of development but could arise for many reasons
Known as Historical Particularism
Histories of totemism in societies A, B and C have all been different, forms of totemism have different causes which makes them incomparable
They might seem to be the same, but are really different, because they have different histories

6. Rejection of Comparative Method
Boasian Historical Particularism rejects comparative method advocated by Tylor and Morgan (as well as many anthropologists today)
But how to explain cultural generalities (cultural traits shared by many – but not all – societies)?

7. Explaining cultural generalities
Evolutionists stressed independent invention – eventually, people in may areas had developed same cultural solution to a common problem
E.g. Agriculture was invented several times
Boasians reject this view. Stress importance of diffusion (borrowing) among cultures

8. Analytical Units of Diffusion
Culture Trait: e.g. a bow and arrow
Trait Complex: the hunting pattern that goes along with use of a bow and arrow
Culture Area: based on diffusion of traits and trait complexes across a particular geographic area e.g. Plains or Pacific Northwest
These areas usually had environmental boundaries limiting spread of cultural traits outside that area

9. Analytical Units of Diffusion
For Boasian anthropologists, historical particularism and diffusion are complementary concepts.
As culture traits diffused, they developed their particular histories as they entered and moved through particular societies

10. Summary
Historical Particularism based on idea that each element of culture has its own distinctive history
Social forms that may look familiar are actually far from identical because of their different histories
Historical Particularism rejects comparison and generalization – favours an individuating historical approach