I. Course structure and requirements

 

II. Contributions of anthro concept of culture

A. Relativistic
B. Work in progress
C. Nurture, not nature

 

III. Evolution

A. Charles Lyell (1797-1875)

1. Principles of Geology, 1830
2. Gradualism

B. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

1. Evolution of human species
2. Origin of Species, 1859
3. Natural selection, natural laws

 

IV. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903): Evolution applied to Society

A. "survival of the fittest"
B. evolution = perfection of a species

 

V. Anthropologists and Evolutionism

A. Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881)

1. Three stages

a. savagery
b. barbarism
c. civilization

2. Associated each stage with types of marriage, technology

B. Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917): Stages associated with technology and religion

C. Together, Tylor and Morgan's schemes look like:

Stage	Marriage	Technology	Religion
Savagery	group	hunting/gathering	Animism
Barbarism	polygamy	simple tools: agriculture iron smelting, animal husbandry	polytheism
Civilization	monogamy	industry, writing	monotheism

 

VI. Anthropological Methods based on Evolution

A. Tylor: comparative method

1. "primitive societies" = Europe's past
2. Victorian society = pinnacle of civilization
3. Compare societies to determine where they fit into ladder of progress and develop comprehensive history of human civilization

B. Racist aspects of comparative method
C. Egalitarian aspects of comparative method: "Psychic unity of mankind"

 

VII. Social Darwinism, Racism, and Politics

A. Apply evolution to individuals

1. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny
2. White man's burden
3. Romanticization
4. Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) and the criminal type: atavism

 

VIII. The contributions of Franz Boas (1858-1942)

A. No ladder of progress
B. Race not formative force in human nature
C. Used Lombroso's methods against him

1. Example of immigrants' children in US

D. Unlike causes can produce like effects
E. Genius of a people
F. Ethnographic fieldwork

 

For more information, contact:  aleshkow@holycross.edu