-Malinawski is considered as the father of cultural anthropology’s cornerstone method of fieldwork

f.3. Franz Boas (158-1942)- born in Germany- educated in Physics and geography-Introduce the concept of cultural relativism

* Cultural Relativism- the position that each culture must be understood in terms of the values and ideas of that culture and should not be judged by the standards of another

-promoted the detailed study of individual culture s within their own historical contexts as the only way to understand them

*Historical particularism- the view that individual cultures must be studied and describe on their own terms and that cross-cultural comparison and generalizations ignore the realities of individual cultures and are thus invalid

g. Post World War II-cultural anthropology expanded in the USg.1. Julian Steward (1902-1972)- a major supporter of environmental determinismg.2. French Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss

-concerned with tribal people’s thought, myths and symbols-believed that we can best learn about a culture by analyzing all myths and stories to discover the themes that are the underlying structures of culture-established the Symbolic Anthropology

APPROCAHES TO ANTHROPOLOGYA. 1960’s

1. Cultural Materialism- reflects the conviction that understanding of a culture should be pursued first by examining the material aspects of life: natural environment and how people make a living within particular environment

2. Interpretivism or Interpretive Anthropology- developed from Levi-Strauss Symbolic Anthropology

- Focuses on understanding culture by studying what people think about, their ideas and the meanings that are important to them

B. 1990’s or The Post-Modernism- Aspect of modernism such as scientific method, urbanization, technological

change, mass communication and the idea that human progress is based on scientific knowledge

1. Structurism- says that powerful structures such as the political economy and media shape cultures and create entrenched systems of inequality and oppression rather than social change

2. Human Agency or Free Will- power of individuals to create and change culture by acting against structures

Culture-the shared products of human being- the sum total skills, beliefs, knowledge, and products that are commonly shared by a number of people and transmitted to their children. (Dressler)- A fabric ideas, beliefs, skills, tools, aesthetics objects, methods of thinking, customs and

institutions into which each member of society is born. ( Smith)- May be material (tangible) or non-material (intangible) in form

- A complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, morals, customs and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (Taylor)

- Refer to expressive culture, which includes plastic and graphic arts such as sculpture and painting

- Sociologists and anthropologist define culture as the total and distinctive way of life or designs fir living of any society

- Sum total of human creations-intellectuals, technical, artistic, physical and moral- Culture is a people’s social heritage; it refers to the customary ways in which groups

organize their ways of behaving, thinking and feeling