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The Methods of Ethnology
This early work by Franz Boas was originally published in 1920 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Methods of Ethnology' is a work on the techniques of anthropology. Franz Boas was born on July 9th 1958, in Minden, Westphalia. Even though Boas had a passion the natural sciences, he enrolled at the University at Kiel as an undergraduate in Physics. Boas completed his degree with a dissertation on the optical properties of water, before continuing his studies and receiving his doctorate in 1881. Boas became a professor of Anthropology at Columbia University in 1899 and founded the first Ph.D program in anthropology in America. He was also a leading figure in the creation of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Franz Boas had a long career and a great impact on many areas of study. He died on 21st December 1942.
16 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2016
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About the author
Franz Boas
357 books91 followersFranz Uri Boas was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movements known as historical particularism and cultural relativism.
Studying in Germany, Boas was awarded a doctorate in 1881 in physics while also studying geography. He then participated in a geographical expedition to northern Canada, where he became fascinated with the culture and language of the Baffin Island Inuit. He went on to do field work with the indigenous cultures and languages of the Pacific Northwest. In 1887 he emigrated to the United States, where he first worked as a museum curator at the Smithsonian, and in 1899 became a professor of anthropology at Columbia University, where he remained for the rest of his career. Through his students, many of whom went on to found anthropology departments and research programmes inspired by their mentor, Boas profoundly influenced the development of American anthropology. Among his many significant students were Alfred Louis Kroeber, Alexander Goldenweiser, Ruth Benedict, Edward Sapir, Margaret Mead, Zora Neale Hurston, and Gilberto Freyre.
Boas was one of the most prominent opponents of the then-popular ideologies of scientific racism, the idea that race is a biological concept and that human behavior is best understood through the typology of biological characteristics. In a series of groundbreaking studies of skeletal anatomy, he showed that cranial shape and size was highly malleable depending on environmental factors such as health and nutrition, in contrast to the claims by racial anthropologists of the day that held head shape to be a stable racial trait. Boas also worked to demonstrate that differences in human behavior are not primarily determined by innate biological dispositions but are largely the result of cultural differences acquired through social learning. In this way, Boas introduced culture as the primary concept for describing differences in behavior between human groups, and as the central analytical concept of anthropology.
Among Boas's main contributions to anthropological thought was his rejection of the then-popular evolutionary approaches to the study of culture, which saw all societies progressing through a set of hierarchic technological and cultural stages, with Western European culture at the summit. Boas argued that culture developed historically through the interactions of groups of people and the diffusion of ideas and that consequently there was no process towards continuously "higher" cultural forms. This insight led Boas to reject the "stage"-based organization of ethnological museums, instead preferring to order items on display based on the affinity and proximity of the cultural groups in question.
Boas also introduced the idea of cultural relativism, which holds that cultures cannot be objectively ranked as higher or lower, or better or more correct, but that all humans see the world through the lens of their own culture, and judge it according to their own culturally acquired norms. For Boas, the object of anthropology was to understand the way in which culture conditioned people to understand and interact with the world in different ways and to do this it was necessary to gain an understanding of the language and cultural practices of the people studied. By uniting the disciplines of archaeology, the study of material culture and history, and physical anthropology, the study of variation in human anatomy, with ethnology, the study of cultural variation of customs, and descriptive linguistics, the study of unwritten indigenous languages, Boas created the four-field subdivision of anthropology which became prominent in American anthropology in the 20th century.
Studying in Germany, Boas was awarded a doctorate in 1881 in physics while also studying geography. He then participated in a geographical expedition to northern Canada, where he became fascinated with the culture and language of the Baffin Island Inuit. He went on to do field work with the indigenous cultures and languages of the Pacific Northwest. In 1887 he emigrated to the United States, where he first worked as a museum curator at the Smithsonian, and in 1899 became a professor of anthropology at Columbia University, where he remained for the rest of his career. Through his students, many of whom went on to found anthropology departments and research programmes inspired by their mentor, Boas profoundly influenced the development of American anthropology. Among his many significant students were Alfred Louis Kroeber, Alexander Goldenweiser, Ruth Benedict, Edward Sapir, Margaret Mead, Zora Neale Hurston, and Gilberto Freyre.
Boas was one of the most prominent opponents of the then-popular ideologies of scientific racism, the idea that race is a biological concept and that human behavior is best understood through the typology of biological characteristics. In a series of groundbreaking studies of skeletal anatomy, he showed that cranial shape and size was highly malleable depending on environmental factors such as health and nutrition, in contrast to the claims by racial anthropologists of the day that held head shape to be a stable racial trait. Boas also worked to demonstrate that differences in human behavior are not primarily determined by innate biological dispositions but are largely the result of cultural differences acquired through social learning. In this way, Boas introduced culture as the primary concept for describing differences in behavior between human groups, and as the central analytical concept of anthropology.
Among Boas's main contributions to anthropological thought was his rejection of the then-popular evolutionary approaches to the study of culture, which saw all societies progressing through a set of hierarchic technological and cultural stages, with Western European culture at the summit. Boas argued that culture developed historically through the interactions of groups of people and the diffusion of ideas and that consequently there was no process towards continuously "higher" cultural forms. This insight led Boas to reject the "stage"-based organization of ethnological museums, instead preferring to order items on display based on the affinity and proximity of the cultural groups in question.
Boas also introduced the idea of cultural relativism, which holds that cultures cannot be objectively ranked as higher or lower, or better or more correct, but that all humans see the world through the lens of their own culture, and judge it according to their own culturally acquired norms. For Boas, the object of anthropology was to understand the way in which culture conditioned people to understand and interact with the world in different ways and to do this it was necessary to gain an understanding of the language and cultural practices of the people studied. By uniting the disciplines of archaeology, the study of material culture and history, and physical anthropology, the study of variation in human anatomy, with ethnology, the study of cultural variation of customs, and descriptive linguistics, the study of unwritten indigenous languages, Boas created the four-field subdivision of anthropology which became prominent in American anthropology in the 20th century.
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October 23, 2023
Insightful!
In "The Methods of Ethnology" by Franz Boas, published in 1920, the author provides a critical analysis of the evolving methods of inquiry into the historical development of human civilization within the field of ethnology. Boas distinguishes two primary directions of inquiry, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
The first approach discussed is the Evolutionary Approach, which dominated late 19th-century ethnology. Boas outlines how scholars like Spencer, Morgan, Tylor, and Lubbock adhered to the idea of a uniform evolution of culture, assuming a single line of cultural development for all of humanity. Boas critiques this approach for its lack of empirical evidence and its implicit assumption that Western European civilization represents the pinnacle of cultural development, a notion he finds problematic and unproven.
In contrast, Boas presents the Diffusion Approach, influenced by scholars such as Ratzel, Foy, Graebner, Elliot Smith, and Rivers. This approach suggests that similarities in cultural traits across different regions are the result of migration and diffusion, rather than universal evolution. Boas appreciates this perspective for its focus on historical contacts between cultures and its emphasis on stability in cultural traits.
However, Boas doesn't fully endorse either approach. He argues that both are essentially forms of classifying cultural phenomena and interpreting these classifications as having historical significance. He believes that these approaches were arbitrarily chosen to construct a coherent narrative of cultural development.
Boas then introduces the American ethnological approach, which is centered on understanding dynamic cultural change and elucidating cultural history through empirical studies. American anthropologists are more interested in comprehending how cultures change over time and are less concerned with overarching theoretical frameworks.
Boas underscores the uniqueness of each cultural group's history, shaped by both internal development and external influences. He also challenges the notion that some cultural customs remain unchanged for thousands of years, emphasizing that periods of cultural stability are often followed by periods of rapid change.
While acknowledging the influence of psychoanalysis, particularly Sigmund Freud's work, on ethnology, Boas advises against overreliance on psychoanalysis for understanding cultural development. He contends that cultural changes cannot be solely attributed to suppressed desires, as suggested by Freud, and that other factors are at play.
In summary, "The Methods of Ethnology" by Franz Boas offers a critical evaluation of various approaches within ethnology. Boas highlights the significance of empirical studies in understanding dynamic cultural change and emphasizes the need to avoid overly simplistic and one-sided explanations in the field of anthropology. Boas's work remains a thought-provoking and influential contribution to the study of culture and human development.
In "The Methods of Ethnology" by Franz Boas, published in 1920, the author provides a critical analysis of the evolving methods of inquiry into the historical development of human civilization within the field of ethnology. Boas distinguishes two primary directions of inquiry, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
The first approach discussed is the Evolutionary Approach, which dominated late 19th-century ethnology. Boas outlines how scholars like Spencer, Morgan, Tylor, and Lubbock adhered to the idea of a uniform evolution of culture, assuming a single line of cultural development for all of humanity. Boas critiques this approach for its lack of empirical evidence and its implicit assumption that Western European civilization represents the pinnacle of cultural development, a notion he finds problematic and unproven.
In contrast, Boas presents the Diffusion Approach, influenced by scholars such as Ratzel, Foy, Graebner, Elliot Smith, and Rivers. This approach suggests that similarities in cultural traits across different regions are the result of migration and diffusion, rather than universal evolution. Boas appreciates this perspective for its focus on historical contacts between cultures and its emphasis on stability in cultural traits.
However, Boas doesn't fully endorse either approach. He argues that both are essentially forms of classifying cultural phenomena and interpreting these classifications as having historical significance. He believes that these approaches were arbitrarily chosen to construct a coherent narrative of cultural development.
Boas then introduces the American ethnological approach, which is centered on understanding dynamic cultural change and elucidating cultural history through empirical studies. American anthropologists are more interested in comprehending how cultures change over time and are less concerned with overarching theoretical frameworks.
Boas underscores the uniqueness of each cultural group's history, shaped by both internal development and external influences. He also challenges the notion that some cultural customs remain unchanged for thousands of years, emphasizing that periods of cultural stability are often followed by periods of rapid change.
While acknowledging the influence of psychoanalysis, particularly Sigmund Freud's work, on ethnology, Boas advises against overreliance on psychoanalysis for understanding cultural development. He contends that cultural changes cannot be solely attributed to suppressed desires, as suggested by Freud, and that other factors are at play.
In summary, "The Methods of Ethnology" by Franz Boas offers a critical evaluation of various approaches within ethnology. Boas highlights the significance of empirical studies in understanding dynamic cultural change and emphasizes the need to avoid overly simplistic and one-sided explanations in the field of anthropology. Boas's work remains a thought-provoking and influential contribution to the study of culture and human development.
Displaying 1 of 1 review