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GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 04
GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued)
French Structuralism French Structuralism focused on identifying the mental structures that underpin
social behavior, drawing heavily on the science of linguistics. Structuralism thought that cognition (based on
inherent mental codes) is responsible for culture.
Structuralism focused on underlying principles that supposedly generate behavior at the unconscious level
rather than observable empirical behavior itself. It focused more on repetitive structures rather than
considering reasons for cultural change or variation. Cultural alterations and variation are explained by
reference to external environmental and historical influences.
Structuralism is criticized for being overly theoretical and not easily verifiable through empirical evidence
Ethno-Science
Ethno-science describes a culture using categories of the people under study (emic approach) rather than
by imposing categories from the ethnographer's culture (etic approach).
This theory tires to minimize bias and make ethnographic descriptions more accurate by focusing on
underlying principles and rules of a given context.
Due to the time consuming nature of this methodology, ethno-science is confined to describing very small
segments of given cultures. It is difficult to compare native data collected by ethno-scientists, since there is
no common basis for comparison.
Despite its impracticality, the theory draws attention to the relativity of culture and its principles are useful
for other theorists as well.
Cultural Materialism
Cultural materialists rely on supposedly scientific, empirical and the etic approach of an anthropologist,
rather than relying on the viewpoints of the native informant.
Cultural materialists argue that material conditions and modes of production determine human thoughts
and behavior. Material constraints that arise from the need to meet basic needs are viewed as the primary
reason for cultural variations. For cultural materialist the importance of political activity, ideology and ideas
is considered secondary, since it can only retard or accelerate change, not be the cause for it.
Post Modernism
Post modernism refutes the generalizing tendency in anthropology and does not believe that
anthropologists can provide a grand theory of human behavior. Instead, it considers each culture as being
unique. Post modernism is influenced by both cultural relativism and ethno-science. Post-modernists want
anthropology to stop making cultural generalizations and focus on description and interpretation of
different cultures. They consider cultural anthropology to be a humanistic not a scientific discipline.
Post-modernists argue that ethnographies should be written collaboratively, so that the voice of the
anthropologist co-exists alongside that of local people.
Interpretive Anthropology
Emerging out of post-modernism, interpretive anthropology focuses on examining how local people
themselves interpret their own values and behaviors. Using an emic approach, interpretive anthropologists
focus on the complexities and living qualities of human nature.
Useful Terms
Structural functionalism: a school of cultural anthropology that examines how parts of a culture function
for the well being of society.
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Confined: limited
Cultural materialism: a contemporary orientation in anthropology that holds that cultural systems are
most influenced by such material things as natural resources and technology.
Etic: Relying on the views of the researcher or the cultural anthropologists
Emic: Relying on views of local people
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 4 in `Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and/or Chapter 14 in `Anthropology' by
Ember and Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following website for this lecture:
Anthropological Theories
http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/436/anthros.htm
Use the hyperlinks on the above website to read up on the following theories for today's lecture:
Ecological Anthropology
Cognitive Anthropology
Structuralism
Symbolic & Interpretive Anthropologies
Postmodernism & Its Critics
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Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival