History of Anthropology

Catalog description

The history of anthropology is rooted in philosophical questions concerning the relationship between human beings and the formation of society. This course surveys these issues as they relate to the development of method and theory. Focuses on French, British, and American anthropology and how they contributed to the development of the modern discipline. Covers key figures Franz Boas, Emile Durkheim, Marcel Mauss, Bronislaw Malinowski, and Radcliffe-Brown. Issues: cultural relativism, relation between biology and culture, functionalism, and structuralism.