Boas: The Father of Anthropology

Boas’ theory is anti-evolutionist. The cultural evolutionists viewed western culture as the pinnacle of civilization, however Boas disagrees with that view. The cultural evolutionists also believe that each culture must go through a linear step wise progression to reach civilization. Boas sees all cultures as equal, and believes that the differences between cultures is normal. Boas sees each culture as a distinct product of their unique history. He believes there is no universal law that governs the progression of culture. Whereas, the cultural evolutionists believe that there is a distinct pathway that all cultures follow on the way to “civilization”.

Boas revolutionized the way that Anthropologists study culture. Boas has contributed many enduring ideas: He sees each culture as an individual entity, but he recognizes that cultures are also influenced by the surrounding cultures and their environments. He is the first Anthropologist to believe that each culture has historical particularism, which is the idea that each culture experiences their own history which then leads to the development of the culture. He also believes that similar cultural traits diffuse through interactions of cultures. He also has coined the term “Salvage Ethnography” in which anthropologists must gather as much information as possible before a culture becomes extinct.

Boas completed many studies in his time as an Anthropologist; he brought the scientific method and theory into Anthropology. He believed that if an anthropologist is going to make a statement they must have evidence in order to back up their claim. Boas completed a study to disprove the influence of genetics which he measured morphological differences of the cranium. His evidence led him to believe that genetics and race did not play a role in cranium shape and size, but environmental factors did affect cranium size and shape.

My biggest critique of Boas’ theory is that he leans heavily on the side of nurture and to some extent often neglects the biological aspects of people in a society. Boas place emphasis on the effects of the environment and society on people. I do respect the fact that Boas is the first person to look deeper than simply the genetic make-up of people, saying that different societies are different based on their genetics. However, I do think that genetics play a role in a person. A person isn’t shaped by simply the environment or their genetics, but a person is molded by both their genetic make-up and their surrounding environment. Another critique of Boas’ methods of salvage anthropology, is the way in which Boas obtained remains. The ethics of salvage anthropology are questionable, at best. Although many items and remains have been repatriated to their rightful owners, Boas’ actions are still ethically problematic. There is a very fine line that Anthropologists must walk in order to obtain artifacts while also respecting the property of the culture they are studying.

Boas’ influence extends to today. We see his influence in the way we study Anthropology today. His four subfields of Anthropology still endure today. He also provides Anthropology with its scientific methodology for research, because he demanded that evidence be provided in order to back up statements about culture.