Schools of Thought in Anthropology

What is a School of Thought?

A perspective, a viewpoint, or a certain way of interpreting a discipline's subject

matter that has become widely credible.

Functionalism• Society must have a set of

standard laws and practices to provide stability. These are called Institutions.

• Society is a logical institution and functions in the best interest and by the needs of the majority; every practice, custom serves a purpose to provide stability.

• All cultures are set up to deal with the universal problems that human societies face (e.g. Conflict = law enforcement).

Key Terms of Functionalism

Institutions: established laws, practises & customs in a society.

Norms: a set of generalized patterns of behaviour for a society (e.g. Marriage, job)

Roles: the expected behaviours, responsibilities associated with a position (principal)

Status: Where that role fits in the societyHierarchy: a ranking system based on

status & roles of the society.

Individuals have physiological needs:• Food • Shelter• Water

There are also culturally derived needs:• Language• Arts• Clothing• Products/ Technology

Structuralism• The mind functions on binary

opposites• Humans see things in terms of two

forces that are opposite to each other. For example night and day, good and bad

• Binary opposites differ from society to society

• Rules in each culture are different• Anthropologists must seek out &

explain these rules, depending on cultural they are in.

For example: Structuralists, believe that the

world is organized according to male and female constructs, roles, words, and ideas.

Functionalist and Structuralist Views on Kinship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqXHJEb3mwA

Cultural Materialism

• Technological and economical factors are most important ones in moulding a society

• The types of technology and economic methods that are adopted always determine the type of society that develops; the true explanation of a culture can only be derived by examining members' decisions regarding human reproduction & economic production.

• This is known as Determinism:

According to Cultural Materialists, a culture is evaluated by outsiders on 3

levels:

Level 1Infrastructure

Represented by material factors: goods/ products / services.

• E.g. Way in which goods are produced

• E.g. Methods used to reproduce population at an acceptable rate

Level 2Structure

• Social class• Distribution of wealth

Level 3Superstructure

• Music• Recreation• Arts