Boas's Theory Of Anthropology

The two approaches (idealistic, materialist) to anthropology are at battle with one another, I believed both have points to argue in a fashionable way to interpret primitive culture. Boas, idealist view argues for a historical approach to study and interpret culture. His theory of cultural relativism examines primitive culture`s background and history to interpret an understand cultures. He argues that the idea of a uniform evolution does not fully explain culture and its change; however, he agrees that some cultures will build upon past experiences of other cultures and take upon what they find resourceful to shape their own. To Boas a materialistic view is not something we should explore, it does not explain the uniqueness of a culture. Eleanor

In my opinion there is not one right way to view culture, however, I do believed is that theorists have argued that primitive cultures are unique and that studying them gives us an insight to their cultures. Boas is the father of anthropology in America, and his idea is well-known among anthropologists and non-anthropologists and it may not be complete but he started something big and his idealistic view is an approach that argues the uniqueness of cultures. Anthropologists after Boas have created theories and even produced theories that see this primitive cultures in a different lens. Eleanor Leacock may not be a fan of Boas but surely his contributions lead her to her own path and she questions anthropologists before her. She created a deeper understanding in gender inequalities in egalitarian cultures and her contribution is not forgotten. Wolf may argued that Leacock did not stop to think maybe this culture where already changing before colonization and that the power of these cultures lies within the culture environment. Wolf may be neither a materialist nor idealist, yet I believe he is closest to a materialist. His study of power structural and both tactical is one many will talk about and argue; however, we can acknowledge Wolf is right we must arrive with new questions to the insight of culture. Culture is something that will be study for years and many will questions are unanswered, but we as humans never stop evolving. Wolf expresses this in his argument one must try answering questions and the only responsible for this answer are the anthropologists who study primitive