Author: iamdefinitory

Cultural Materialism: Marvin Harris’ theory that material conditions, such as economic and environmental factors, shape cultural practices and societal development.

Structuralism: A theoretical perspective developed by Claude Lévi-Strauss, which argues that human culture is shaped by underlying structures such as language, myths, and kinship.

Functionalism: A theory that views cultural elements as serving specific roles in maintaining social stability, as proposed by Bronisław Malinowski and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown.

Historical Particularism: Franz Boas’ approach that emphasized studying each culture in its own historical and environmental context rather than assuming universal stages of development.

Diffusionism: The theory that cultural traits spread from one society to another through contact and migration rather than independent invention.

Multilinear Evolution: A later concept that suggests societies evolve in different ways depending on their environmental, social, and historical contexts.

Unilinear Evolution: The idea that all societies follow a single path of development, often classified as savagery, barbarism, and civilization (as proposed by early theorists like Lewis Henry Morgan).

Evolutionism: An early anthropological theory suggesting that societies progress through linear stages from primitive to advanced civilization.

Anthropological Thought: The development of theoretical perspectives and methodologies used to study human societies and cultures over time.