franz boas 1858-1942
DESCRIPTION
FRANZ BOAS 1858-1942. Boas en route to Baffin Island 1883 and Central Inuit; to study reflectivity of sea-water. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS3wqv96VcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvFDioPrMM Shackles of Tradition (52 min). Odyssey Series on Boas. Born: July 9, 1858 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
FRANZ BOAS 1858-1942
Boas en route to Baffin Island 1883 and Central Inuit; to study reflectivity of sea-water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS3wqv96VcM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvFDioPrMM
Shackles of Tradition (52 min)
PERSONAL INFORMATIONPERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: July 9, 1858 Minden, Westphalia, Germany
Liberal Jewish parents
Meier Boas & Sophie Meyer Boas
Married to Marie Krackowizer
Anti-Semitism
“Germany” did not exist until 1871 Before 19th century, 350 states linked by
common language Some large such as Austria & Prussia Holy Roman Empire
”Scramble for Africa” (1875-1912)
European countries Colonize African continent
Three Emperors' League (1873) Coordinated by German Chancellor,
Otto von Bismarck
Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Russia
Pledged to consult on matters of mutual interest
Geography & physics at: Heidelberg, Bonn, and Kiel
1881-- Bachelors degree, University of
Heidelberg Ph.D., University of Kiel
TRAVELSTRAVELS 1883-1884 Expedition to Baffin Land, Canada
Fieldwork—Eskimo https://www.google.com/search?
tbm=bks&hl=en&q=Somatology#gs_ssp=eJzj4tDP1TfIMjDIBgAKNgJD&hl=en&q=baffin+island
Anthropology
1885--Immigrated to United States
Journal Science Editorial position
Fieldwork along North Pacific Coast of North America for several museums 1885-1896
OCCUPATIONOCCUPATION
1892-1893--Chicago World's Fair
Native American cultures
Life group displays Dioramas
CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR DIORAMACHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR DIORAMA
BOAS’ CAREERBOAS’ CAREER
New York (1896) American Museum of Natural
History Assistant Curator of Ethnology & Somatology (physical anthropology)
Columbia University: Professor of Anthropology (1899)
Best known: Kwakiutl Indians Northern Vancouver & mainland of
British Columbia, Canada
New concept of culture & race
Everything important to study culture
Collect data on all facets of a culture Not just religion, kinship etc.
KWAKIUTL INDIANSKWAKIUTL INDIANS
Bear Totem Pole Wearing a Mask
CENTRAL ESKIMO (IGULIK) STUDY
Inuit perceive and name hundreds of colors and qualities of sea-water and surfaces unknown in European languages…
Boas’ study: Earliest anthropological attempt to describe a non-European ‘ethno-science’ in phenomenological terms
Understand phenomena by grasping how they make sense within the framework of subject’s thought-world (cultural relativity)
Hamats'a coming out of secret room," and "Kwakiutl Indian ceremony for expelling cannibals."
1885:1885: First expedition to Northwest Coast (Bella Coola)
1886:1886: First collecting trip for American Museum of Natural History (New York City) to Nootka and Kwakiutl — massive documentation of Northwest Coast culture
THE PRACTICE OF MUSEUM THE PRACTICE OF MUSEUM EXHIBITSEXHIBITS
Demonstrating Eskimo harpooning, American Museum, 1900
No storage rooms, natural lighting, cases, life groups the most demanding (time, materials, skill), attempted realism.
Labels – “the ultimate limitation to the possibility of a museum anthropology”.
Boas believed exhibited artifact secondary to written interpretation by scientist
TYPOLOGICAL VS. LIFE GROUPTYPOLOGICAL VS. LIFE GROUP
U.S. National Museum
Life group, 1896
U.S. National Museum
Typological, 1890
Highest ranking Kwakiutl secret society Kwakiutl dance - a winter initiation
ceremony. 4 days long and very complex Hamatsa dancers represent a cannibal
spirit who lives in the sky (Bakbakwalanooksiwae)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzmNlejMKA0
MUSEUMS:MUSEUMS: ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, INSTRUCTION, RESEARCHINSTRUCTION, RESEARCH
Boas curator at American Museum 1896-1905
Over 90% of visitors “do not want anything beyond entertainment”
Visitor groups = children, school teachers, researchers
Researchers justify large museums “for the advancement of science”
Differences in peoples result of: Historical Social Geographic conditions
All populations have complete and equally developed culture
CULTURAL RELATIVISMCULTURAL RELATIVISM
Countered early evolutionist view of stages of development
Franz Boas and his students changed American anthropology
HISTORICAL PARTICULARISMHISTORICAL PARTICULARISM
Each culture has a unique history
Not assume universal laws for all cultures
ASSUMPTIONS OF HISTORICAL ASSUMPTIONS OF HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM:PARTICULARISM:
1. Rejects general laws: 1. Rejects general laws: RRanking, “progress
2. No simple or complex societies Onlynly different different societiessocieties
3. Unilineal evolution= Ethnocentric
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4. Not 4. Not CCultureulture, but cultures
5.5. Culture Culture, not race, determines behavior
6.6. Methodological rigor Methodological rigor
• Superorganic —Product of collective or group life• Individual has an influence
• Unconscious — Filter through which reality is perceived
• Adaptive — Culture helps individuals adapt to environment
//thesocietypages.org/socimages
REPRESENTATION OF THE “PRIMITIVE” AMERICAN INDIAN
SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL
LINGUISTICS
ARCHAEOLOGY
PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY
Four Field Approach
Generation of anthropologists Generation of anthropologists trained under Boas at Columbia University
Established Boasian doctrines in North American universities:
Alfred A. Kroeber Ruth Benedict Margaret Mead Robert Lowie Edward Sapir Paul Radin Alexander A. Goldenweiser Clark Wissler
Cultural Relativism
Historical Particularism
“Race, language, and culture” as independent variables
Superorganic
Cultural Determinism
Data Collection “without” theory
Emphasis on Fieldwork
4-field approach
FRANZ BOAS
1937--Professor Emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University
Made anthropology into a distinguished and recognized science
Author of many books, some of which Author of many books, some of which are:are:
Growth of Children (1896 – 1904) The Mind of Primitive Man, 1938 Primitive Art, 1927 Anthropology and Modern Life, 1938 Race, Language, and Culture, 1940 Dakota Grammar, 1941
Boas, professor emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University, was entertaining Professor Paul Rivet and other colleagues at a luncheon in Faculty Club.
He collapsed into arms of another well-known anthropologist, Claude Levi-Claude Levi-StraussStrauss, and died on December 21, 1942.