The Historical Development of Anthropology


Anthropology is a field of study that examines human societies, cultures, and their development over time. It encompasses various sub-disciplines, including cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology. The historical development of anthropology as a field has been shaped by several key factors.


- The origins of anthropology can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries when explorers, missionaries, and colonial administrators began documenting the customs, languages, and traditions of indigenous peoples they encountered during their travels.
- This early phase of anthropology was heavily influenced by ethnocentrism, the belief in the superiority of one's own culture, and the study of "exotic" societies was often motivated by a desire to understand and control them.


- In the mid-19th century, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution revolutionized the scientific community and had a profound impact on the development of anthropology.
- Scholars such as Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan applied Darwinian principles to the study of human societies, proposing theories of cultural evolution and social progress.
- Tylor's notion of "survivals" and Morgan's concept of "savagery," "barbarism," and "civilization" laid the groundwork for the comparative study of cultures and the classification of societies into different stages of development.


- In the early 20th century, anthropologists such as Bronislaw Malinowski and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown shifted the focus of anthropology from the study of cultural evolution to the analysis of social institutions and their functions.
- Malinowski's functionalist approach emphasized the role of culture in satisfying human needs and maintaining social equilibrium, while Radcliffe-Brown's structural-functionalism examined the social structures that underpin cultural practices.
- This period also saw the rise of structuralist anthropology, with Claude Levi-Strauss exploring the underlying structures of human thought and symbolism.


- In the mid-20th century, anthropology underwent a significant shift with the emergence of cultural anthropology as a distinct sub-discipline.
- Scholars like Franz Boas and Margaret Mead emphasized the importance of understanding cultural diversity and studying societies on their own terms, challenging earlier ethnocentric and evolutionary approaches.
- Cultural anthropologists conducted fieldwork and participant observation, immersing themselves in the daily lives of the communities they studied to gain a holistic understanding of their cultures.


- Anthropology continues to evolve and adapt to contemporary challenges and issues. It has expanded its scope to include topics such as globalization, transnationalism, gender, and postcolonialism.
- Anthropologists now collaborate with communities they study, promoting a more participatory and ethical approach to research.
- The field has also become more interdisciplinary, drawing insights from other disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and history to enrich its understanding of human societies.

Conclusion
The historical development of anthropology has been shaped by the contributions of scholars from various disciplines and by changing societal and intellectual trends. From its early ethnocentric beginnings to its contemporary focus on cultural diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration, anthropology has transformed into a vibrant field that seeks to understand and