Edward Tylor

Both Boas and Malinowski elaborated on cultural relativism. Boas in particular pushed hard against the common tendency to judge others by one’s own culture rather than by the basic assumptions of the culture being studied. He was fighting against ethnocentrism, seeing the world through one’s own glasses.

An anthropologist focuses on the study of human societies and human nature. Some of the famous anthropologists who contributed in understanding the modern concept of anthropology are Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, Ralph Linton, Margaret Mead, etc.

In 1885, Boas went to work with physical anthropologist Rudolf Virchow and ethnologist Adolf Bastian at the Royal Ethnological Museum in Berlin. Boas had studied anatomy with Virchow two years earlier while preparing for the Baffin Island expedition.

PARIS – Claude Levi-Strauss

Franz Boas is regarded as both the “father of modern anthropology” and the “father of American anthropology.” He was the first to apply the scientific method to anthropology, emphasizing a research- first method of generating theories.

Franz Boas, (born July 9, 1858, Minden, Westphalia, Prussia [Germany]—died December 22, 1942, New York, New York, U.S.), German-born American anthropologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the founder of the relativistic, culture-centred school of American anthropology that became dominant in the 20th …

One of his most significant contributions to physical anthropology was his study of changes in body form among children of immigrants in New York. He published “Changes in Bodily Form of Descendants of Immigrants” in 1912.

Synopsis. Born on July 9, 1858 in Minden, Germany, Franz Boas’s first anthropologic fieldwork was among the Eskimo in Baffinland, Canada, beginning in 1883. He later argued against contemporary theories of racial distinction between humans.

Boas is well known for his theory of cultural relativism, which held that all cultures were essentially equal but simply had to be understood in their own terms. Comparing two cultures was tantamount to comparing apples and oranges; they were fundamentally different and had to be approached as such.

By studying this indigenous group, Boas introduced the theory of cultural relativism, which is the idea that all people have equally developed cultures. Boas brought in the idea that cultural traits must be explained in specific cultural contexts instead of a broad reference to evolutionary trends.

Franz Boas and his students developed historical particularism early in the twentieth century. This approach claims that each society has its own unique historical development and must be understood based on its own specific cultural and environmental context, especially its historical process.

The four-field approach in anthropology sees the discipline as composed of the four sub fields of Archaeology, Linguistics, Physical Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology (known jocularly to students as “stones”, “tones”, “bones” and “thrones”).

Anthropology is the study of human behavior, beliefs, and adaptations. In the U.S. this study is traditionally divided into four sub-fields. The Anthropology department at U.W. offers courses in all four sub-fields: Archaeology and Biological, Cultural, and Linguistic Anthropology.

Anthropologists in each of the four subfields are specialists in studying human change. By uniting the study of human prehistory, social life, language, and biology in one broad discipline, anthropology provides powerful tools for understanding the whole human experience in context.

Some of the more common types of anthropological research methods include (1) immersion in a culture, (2) analysis of how people interact with their environment, (3) linguistic analysis, (4) archaeological analysis, and (5) analysis of human biology.

Anthropologists specialize in cultural or social anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological or physical anthropology, and archaeology. While subdisciplines can overlap and are not always seen by scholars as distinct, each tends to use different techniques and methods.

THE FIVE-FIELD APPROACH IN ANTHROPOLOGY Sociocultural anthropology, physical/biological anthropology, archaeological anthropology, linguistic anthro- pology, and applied anthropology are the five subfields of anthropology explored in this book.

Archaeology examines peoples and cultures of the past. Biological anthropology specializes in evolution, genetics, and health. Cultural anthropology studies human societies and elements of cultural life. Linguistic anthropology is a concentration of cultural anthropology that focuses on language in society.

5 Most Branches of Anthropology – Discussed!

• Physical Anthropology: Before understanding the social, cultural and lingual nature of man, it is necessary to understand him as a biological organism.
• Linguistic Anthropology: Language is the expression of feelings and emotions.
• Socio-Cultural Anthropology:
• Ethnology:
• Archaeological Anthropology:

I love anthropology because it is the discipline that takes seriously the idea that our common humanity with those we study is a boon and a strength, not an impediment that distort objective judgment. I love anthropology ۪s willingness to compare anything to anything else and to study anything under the sun.

By using the knowledge and perspectives gained from many cultures, anthropology is in a position to offer great insight into understanding present human societies and offering solutions for the future. Anthropology is a key discipline contributing to multiculturalism, environmental studies, and globalization.

Studying anthropology gives you an insight into what makes people tick and the centrality of culture in motivating social action. Anthropologists compare how people live in different societies at different times and places and come up with theories about why people behave in particular ways.

SOCIETY: humanly created organization or system of interrelationships that connects individuals in a common culture. All the products of human interaction, the experience of living with others around us.

Anthropology is a distinctive field of study and perspective on humanity….It is characterized by the following elements:

• Holistic.
• A global perspective.
• Evolutionary.
• Study of culture.
• Biocultural.
• Fieldwork.
• A natural science, a social science and one of the humanities.
• Respect for human diversity.

What makes anthropology unique is its commitment to examining claims about human ‘nature’ using a four-field approach. The four major subfields within anthropology are linguistic anthropology, socio-cultural anthropology (sometimes called ethnology), archaeology, and physical anthropology.

Anthropology is the study of people, society, and culture through all time and everywhere around the world. Three of its main characteristics are an ongoing debate between evolutionism and cultural relativism, the use of cross-culture comparison, and ethnographic research based on “participant observation.”

The definition of anthropology is the study of various elements of humans, including biology and culture, in order to understand human origin and the evolution of various beliefs and social customs. An example of someone who studies anthropology is Ruth Benedict.