ANTH 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Marvin Harris, Roy Rappaport, Complex Adaptive System
8 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Socio-Cultural Anthropology ANTH 202
Class 3 – Anthropological Thought II
When doing anthropological research, who you are shapes what you can do / have access to.
o Historical Particularism (USA) → patterns of different cultures, though not seeking to
understand why cultures came to be “patterned”; No consideration for interactions env –
cult
o HISTORICAL POSSIBILISM = Theory that environment is a passive force limiting
human options. It does not play an active role in human traits / culture. Culture is
determined by social conditions!
+ Culture and its artifacts = shaped by historical forces and “diffusion” – env provides
material, but is not an important variable.
Culture Area Approach:
Shared cult traits (// tech, econ sys, material cult) overlap with geographic areas
No generalizations to compare across areas / cultures
Cultural change is explained by historical links to earlier cultures – econ and social
organization is unpredictable
DIFFUSION = ideas, tech and traditions move between “cultures” – people learn from each
other, that’s why we find similarities.
cf Alfred Kroeber & Clark Wissler
MULTILINEAR EVOLUTION AND CULTURAL ECOLOGY cf Julian Steward
Ecology (natural env) = one of many factors influencing social structure
We can compare ≠cults to understand how env shapes // patterns of social organization
Steward looked at cultural traditions in ≠areas to look for similarities or patterns and seek to
explain them
→Scientific study: empirical observation, comparison to determine relationship between social
organization – environment (ecological and social)
Steward = founder of CULTURAL ECOLOGY
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Considers how societies respond to changes in their env and their “cultural core”
(interrelationship between cult, social org and ecology based on how people meet
subsistence needs)
- Cross-cultural comparison
- Environment = variable influencing culture (there are others such as tech,
knowledge…)
- Different social org in same cult areas because of ecology
MULTILINEAR EVOLUTION = no one path for all cultures, but similarities/patterns in
social organization because of interaction ecology – social structure
Cultures adapt to environments!
- Cultural core = features of social and econ life most closely linked to subsistence; it
shapes social organization & cult in different env
→Reading about pig lovers
- Materialist explanation = explains cult and traditions as shaped primarily by meeting
material needs in specific env (also based on histories)
Case Study: Shoshonean Indians
Shared “cultural area” with other groups → similar patterns
Different social organization: family-focused rather than settlements/leaders
Stewart → ecology to explain why their social org is ≠from the one from other groups in the =
cult area → scarcity and distribution of res
GEERTZ – Approach with irrigation systems in Bali and Morocco
Differences in climate and nature:
Bali = wet, irrigation widespread VS Morocco = dry, irrigation scattered around oasis
1. BALI → Temples located at the start each irrigation channel; Subak system
âž” Religion is completely integrated with this irrigation system, influence of env on culture
âž” Hierarchical scale, the whole thing is managed with cooperation/collaboration
between the farmers & temple priests
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
It does not play an active role in human traits / culture. + culture and its artifacts = shaped by historical forces and diffusion env provides material, but is not an important variable. Shared cult traits (// tech, econ sys, material cult) overlap with geographic areas. No generalizations to compare across areas / cultures. Cultural change is explained by historical links to earlier cultures econ and social organization is unpredictable. Diffusion = ideas, tech and traditions move between cultures people learn from each other, that"s why we find similarities. cf alfred kroeber & clark wissler. Multilinear evolution and cultural ecology cf julian steward. Ecology (natural env) = one of many factors influencing social structure. We can compare cults to understand how env shapes // patterns of social organization. Steward looked at cultural traditions in areas to look for similarities or patterns and seek to explain them.
