History And Theory In: Anthropology

In the mid-20th century, introduced Structuralism , looking for the deep, underlying patterns of the human mind. He argued that beneath the surface of different myths and kinship systems lies a universal mental structure based on "binary oppositions" (like nature vs. culture).

The history of anthropology is a move from the "armchair" theorizing of the 19th century to the deeply reflexive, politically engaged discipline of today. It has evolved from a tool of colonial classification into a vital framework for understanding global diversity, proving that while human nature may be universal, its expressions are infinite.

Simultaneously in Britain, and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown developed Functionalism . They moved away from history altogether, focusing instead on how cultural institutions (like religion or kinship) function to meet biological needs or maintain social stability in the present moment. 3. Structuralism and the Symbolic Turn

In the mid-1800s, anthropology emerged under the shadow of Darwinism. Early theorists like and Lewis Henry Morgan proposed "Unilineal Evolution." They argued that all societies progress through the same stages: Savagery, Barbarism, and finally, Civilization (modeled after Victorian Europe). While this established anthropology as a comparative science, it was inherently ethnocentric and served to justify colonial hierarchies. 2. The Turn to Particularism and Functionalism

The history of anthropology is not just a timeline of discoveries, but a shifting landscape of how we define "humanity" and "culture." Since its formal inception in the 19th century, the discipline has oscillated between trying to find universal laws of human behavior and documenting the unique, irreducible nuances of specific societies. 1. The Victorian Foundation: Unilineal Evolutionism