Anthropological Theories

1. HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM
SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
Presentation Topic
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2. GROUP MEMBERS
 Nabeel Naz
 Adil Khan Chandio
 Saman Ijaz (Group Leader)
 Aynul Nasab
 Izza Asif
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3. INTRODUCTION
 Critique on Unilineal theory of evolutionism.
 Unlineal Anthropologists were armchair anthropologists.
 They divided culture into three development stages:
Savagery Barbarism Civilization
 Franz Boas criticized the paradigms of Unilineal
evolution.
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4.  This school of Thought valued Field Work and History.
 Boas saw each individual as a basic component of
society.
 Boas gathered information from individuals informants
and considered such data valuable enough for cultural
analysis.
 It was Dominant school of thought during first half of
20th century.
 It excluded racism from anthropology.
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5. FRANZ BOAS
By; Adil Khan Chandio
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6. FRANZ BOAS (1858 – 1942)
 He was a major Anthropologist.
 “ Culture is a unique product of all the influences
to which it was subjected in its past, making
cross-cultural generalization questionable”.
 Before taking interest in Anthropology, he
studied Physics, Mathematics, and Geography.
 He lived among Eskimo consequently.
 It was a solid reason which turned him into
Anthropology.
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7.  Franz Boas is considered as one of the founder of
Anthropology.
 He is also credited with the theory of Historicular
Particularism.
 He is also recognized as the Father of American
Anthropology.
 He emphasized cultural history to find out dynamics
of cultural change.
 He strongly believed in Field work over office work.
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8.  He introduced cultural relativism.
 He said every culture perform some
function but not everywhere as Eid-ul-
Azha.
 Every society can be understood only in
life of its unique past.
 He said, “ The art and characteristic style
of a people can be understood only by
studying its production as a whole”.
 He also presented Historical
Particularism.
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9.  Many anthropologists believed that society is
developed according to one universal order of
cultural evolution.
 This believe is called as Unilineal Evolution.
 It explains similarities and differences among
societies in three stages, Savagery, Barbarism, and
Civilization.
 He included the expansion of sociocultural
anthropology, linguistics, physical anthropology and
archaeology into his work.
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10. FRANZ BOAS CRITICISM ON UNILINEAL
EVOLUTIONISM.
 He criticized that this believe based on insufficient
evidence.
 For example: Unilineal evolution claims that matrilineal
kin system preceded patrilineal kin system.
 Religion based on animism.
 Boas argued this ordering is merely an assumption.
 There is no any historical evidence or way to
demonstrate its validity.
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11.  He also criticized unilineal evolution and its method
for gathering and organizing data is based on racism.
 Many anthropologists relied on missionaries or
traders collecting data themselves.
 Boas strongly advocate fieldwork.
 He developed the method of participant observation
as a basic strategy of ethnographic fieldwork.
 According to Boas, field workers should adopt an
attitude of cultural relativism.
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12.  He argued that a society is understandble only in its
own specific cultural context, especially in its own
historical processes.
 Boas become deriving cultural laws.
 He also realized that cultural phenomena are too
complex.
 He views that every culture has its own past.
 Each culture is “one of a kind” that is different from
all others.
 He said that Unilineal Evolutionist did not study each
culture on its own terms.
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13. CRITIQUES ON FRANZ BOAS :
 His biggest critique was that he defined the role of
culture in the development of societies.
 He did not have a good source of evidence to support the
importance and properties of that culture.
 They were not convinced that he used enough evidence
to justify that conclusion.
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14. ALFRED LOUIS KROEBER
By: Saman Ijaz
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15. ALFRED KROEBER
(11 JUNE, 1876 – 5 OCT, 1960)
 Alfred Kroeber was an American cultural anthropologist.
 The first doctorate in anthropology awarded by
Columbia University.
 Influenced by Franz Boas.
Family Back ground:
 Had three siblings.
 Bilingual family.
 No Religious upbringing.
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16. Educational Background:
 Studied “Latin” and “Greek” languages.
 Did M.A. in Romantic Drama in 1897.
 Basic interest was in Linguistic.
 Inspired by Franz Boas.
 Did PhD in Anthropology in 1901.
Similarities/differences between Franz Boas and
Alfred Kroeber:
 Bilingual
 Favored Historical background.
 Culture Ravitilism.
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17. Similarities/differences between Boas and
Kroeber….
 Kroeber disagree with boas on the question of
German state.
 Differ in explaining the concept of evolution of
culture.
 Boas had a scientific educational background while
Alfred was interested in linguistics.
Kroeber work:
 Culture - Civilization/history.
 Culture must be free from any connection or dependence
upon biology. (The Super Organic-1917)
 Universality of Morality:
 “Morality is inherit element of human mind, it is
psychologically unexplainable”
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18.  Disapprove the concept of biological and racial
explanation of human differences.
 Individual is not important in understanding cultural
change.
 Super organic in Alfred view is distinct and untouched
by biologically and also separate from individual.
 But still Alfred give importance to inheritance and
biology.
 Mental Activity as such as little to do with civilization.
“Civilization only begins where individuals ends”
 More Interested in geographical cultural traits while
Boas major interest was in history.
 studied fashion magazines and claim that he can predict
what would be next fashion.
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19. CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON ALFRED KROEBER:
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20. CLARK WISSLER & ROBERT H. LOWIE
By: Aynul Nasab
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21. CLARK WISSLER:
 An important American Anthropologist.
 constructed the concept of culture area.
 Culture Area: an area of similar cultures as cultural
area.
 “Universals of culture”
 He suggested that the following categories were common
to all cultures; Language, material culture, culture, art,
mythology and science, religion, family and social
organization, property, government and war.
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22. ROBERT H. LOWIE:
 Student of Boaz.
 Made major contribution to the ethnography of American
Indians, especially Indians of Plains.
 Cultural elements are interrelated due to historical
events.
 Objective scientific approach of Anthropology.
 Criticized the evolutionists thought.
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23. CONCLUSION/CRITICAL ANALYSIS
By: Izza Asif
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24. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
 This school of thought Neglects the importance of
globalization.
 No generalization approach as such used.
 It is an important school of thought to understand a
culture.
 However no culture is unique but some characterizes
are unique like people may adopt new culture but
practiced them in their own particular cultural
prospective which has roots in the unique history of
this culture.
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25.  Major contribution of this school of thought is to
highlight the importance of ethnography and
culture uniqueness.
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26. THANK YOU. . . .
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