Functionalism, Structuralism Flashcards
(106 cards)
1
Q
Epistemology
A
What we know and how we know it. methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.
2
Q
Cultural Evolution
A
Unilineal, same stages, toward civilization (19th century)
3
Q
Comparative Methods
A
Primitive cultures are living fossils to investigate extinct cultures
-Make assumptions about family, politics, artifacts etc.
4
Q
Psychic Unity of Man
A
All humans have same fundamental capacities
-Same kind, same mind
5
Q
Lewis Henry Morgan
A
Late 19th Century, North America
- Scientific model of Evolution
- Technology and language
- Types of government
- Experimental knowledge=evolution driving force
6
Q
Morgan’s Contributions
A
Upper Middle lower Savagery and Babrarism, then Covilization.
Two types of government:
1) Based on kinship
2)Based on Government
Modern cizilization = territory + property
7
Q
Morgan’s indicators of Evolution
A
Subsistance technology and Language
8
Q
According to Morgan, what causes evolution?
A
Experimental knowledge
Germ of thought in lower stages germinate into proper ideas in the right environment
-Creates new subsistancy technologies
9
Q
Darwin
A
early 19th Century
-Evolution, natural selection
10
Q
Social Darwinism
A
Social theory based on natural selection
11
Q
Moral Being
A
- Reflect on past actions and motives
- Approve + dissaprove
- Judged morally on ither vs. christianity
- Darwin
12
Q
Does race afect Morgan’s Germ of Thought Hypothesis?
A
No, mnetal principles same in all races.
-Time and Circumstance influence
13
Q
Germ of thought
A
Germ of thought in lower stages germinate into proper ideas in the right environment
-Creates new subsistancy technologies
14
Q
What was Boas’s critique of Morgan?
A
- Illogical grouping (Some societies ha complex gov but simple tech etc. Can’t compare cultures to the same standards
- Ethnocentric, racist. Inferior societies.
15
Q
Edward Bernett Tylor
A
Late 19-20th Century
- Regected religious views of culture
- Evolution of religion–> Increasing rationality through stages
- Survivals
- Comparitive Method
- Downplays Darwinian evolution
- Culture isn’t inate, rather effects of laws and regulation
16
Q
Survivals
A
EB Tylor. Customs, practices, opinions carried by habbit
-proof of older primitive ways
“Non-functional cultural traits
17
Q
Tylor’s comparitive method
A
- Catalougue elements of culture and compare like animals and plants
- Same as a physical science
- Physcic unity of man, uniform action/causes
18
Q
Did EB Tylor agree with Armchair anthro?
A
yes; organise, analyse, classify data
19
Q
Karl Marx + Friedrich Engles
A
mid-late 19th Century
- Socialism needs to be sc ientific
- Evonlutionary model of economic systems
- Identitity effected by class structures
20
Q
Marxism
A
- Unequal access to resources for living (land etc.)
- Ruling class (chuirch and state) control means of production
- Class structure
21
Q
Compare Marx, Tylor and Morgan’s views on evolution
A
Morgan: communal kinship –>egalitarian organisation–>territory and propertty. Linked to tech and Intiutions
Tylor: religious ideas, beliefs
Marx: Political/economic system. Capitalism is not inate, we will evolve into “ultmiate communism” - building off Morgan
22
Q
What did Tylor focuss on?
A
(C)ulture was single body of beliefs and ideas. Some communities have less Culture than others. Relies of pshycic unity of man and uniform actions/causes.
23
Q
Baldwin Walter Spensor: Off the Veranda
A
- Salvage Ethnography
- Data collected like a science
- “other” vocabulary
- Man Colonial workers Involved
- Australia
24
Q
Emile Dirkheim
A
Late 19th Century
- Founder of sociology
- Sociology at par with physical sciences
- Focussed on cohesion and maintaining integrity
- Ahistorical/synchronous
- All religions are fundamentally equal
25
How was dirkheim different than Marx?
- Inherited Decartes' Logic independant from experience
- Synchronous
- Focussed on cohesion, not differences and conflict
26
Descarte
Positivism: Cultures are verifiable by scientific measurements.
27
Mechanical solidarity
Social cohesion kept by sharing knowledge, belifes, enforces by rituals (Durkheim)
- Reinforced by religious communal actions and totemic beliefs based on their specific social situations
- Homogenity; little internal difference
- Identity lies on kinsip relations and networks
28
Organic Solidarity
Social cohesion maintained by differences and interdependance of classes, professions, and specialisations
29
Did Durkheim agree with Social Darwinism?
Not fuly: Didn't think that some cultures grew and succseeded more than others through conflict and competition.
-Still believed in some evolution (mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity). Change comes from needing more solidarity.
30
What does Durkhiem see about simpler societies?
NOT living fossils, but simplified versions of civilized societies. All about cohesions.
31
What are collective representations?
Shared ideas, beliefs, values, among the collective. Function to express and define relationships. Not reduceable to individuals. Collective and complex (religious ideas ect.) Harmony not conflict!!
32
3 Terms define by Durkheim
organic solidarity
mechanical solidarity
collective representations
33
Marcel Mauss
20th century
- The Gift
- Student of Durkheim
- Reciprical exchange and boligation shape and have implications on all economy, social, policical, religious etc.
34
Evolutionist Theorists
Morgan, Eb Tylor, Marx, Social Darwinism, Durkheim (to a degree)
35
Functionalists
Durkhiem , Mauss, Boaz, Kroeber
36
Total Social Fact
(Total Social Phenomenia)
- elementary principles and structure that have implications on many feilds (social, economic etc. )
- Informs and organises
- Glue that unifies social institutions
- The Gift
- Maus
37
How is Mauss different than Durkhiem?
Inspired by durkheim but focusses on individuals instead of collective mind of group
38
Examples of total social fact
- Ongka's Big Moka: How priniciples of Moka effecting individuals
- Potlatch: Not just economic but contractual, religous, social etc.
39
Social Fact
-Durkheim
Social phemonena shared among society exerted over individuals from its original manifestation.
-Social intitutions such as marriage, laws, beliefs, professional codes
40
Difference between Total social fact and Social fact
Total social fact has implications on MANY social facts
41
What are Durheim's thoughts on religions?
Religion= fundamentally social
- Combines reasona nd logic and experience
- Religion = social conformaty
- Moralls codes explicitaly shared
- NOT AN EVOLUTION but changes to satisfy human needs and curiousity.
42
How does Durkheim see religion in mechanical society vs. organic societies
mechanical= less diversified, widely shared beliefs.
43
Are Mauss's gifts altruistic?
no!
44
What are three steps to reciprocity?
Give, recieve, pay back in more. Governs social organisation
| -Way of looking at mirco-level social order
45
Frans Boas
Early 20th century
- Agaisnt racism
- No culture is better than another!
- Cultural relativism
- Four field approach
- extensive feildwork
46
Cultural relativism
- Cultures are result of uniquie histories. Should be compared to others.
- Diresctly agaisnt cultral evolution
- Boaz
47
Four Field approach
```
prehistory
linguistics
physical anthro
cultural observation
-Must study extensively and live with the peoples
```
48
Four Field approach
prehistory
linguistics
physical anthro
cultural observation
-Must study extensively and live with the peoples
-lots of data collection (salvage ethnography)
-Boas
49
How did Boaz help to debunk physical anthropology racism?
Studied head shapes to prove they don't determine culture at all
50
Historical Particularism
```
Need to know:
-Enviornmental conditions
-physcological factors
-historical links particular to own circumstances
unique, no universal laws
```
51
Equifinality
Seperate processes have led to similar inventions, institutions and outcomes. Convergent proccesses but not the same (bow and arrows)
52
What principle was a solution to phsycic unity of man?
Equifinity - finite number of ways to do things means similar results sometimes
53
What is diffusion? What school of thought does it belong to?
Ever idea invented once and then shared among cultures. Evolutionism
54
What does Boaz not agree with?
Cultural evolution, diffusion, ethnocentric theories
55
Salvage ethnography
Need to collect as much data as possible from dying cultures.
56
Was boaz concerned with theory?
No, he was anti-theoretical and said theory will come when we know more (premature at this point)
57
Alfred Kroeber
20th Century
- Studied under boas
- Superorganic
58
Superorganic
-Kroeber
| -
59
Superorganic
- Kroeber
- Cultural patterns and trends (fashion)
- These are influencing individuals, not thew other way around
- Culture generates itself can't be defined by individuals
- Importance of nature over nurture
- Major defiance of Boas's way of thinking
- Inspired by Durkhiem
60
Difference between cultural evolution and evolution?
Evolution: Universal laws that dictate change in societies
| Cultural evolution: Set stages of human evolution (Morgan)
61
2 differences between Boas and Kroeber
1) Boas: individuals influence culture
Kroeber: cultural patterns influence individuals
2) Boas: Intensive study of single societies
Kroeber: Regional surveys of general traits
Kroeber DOES agree that human differences ARE CULTURAL, NOT BIOLOGICAL/ RACE RELATED
62
In Eighteen Proffesions, What does Kroeber say?
- No Great Man, only people inflluenced by culture. Biographies not important for history
- People are placeholders
- Civilsation is an entitty of itself
63
How does Kroeber disagree with Durheim?
- Cultural laws cant be compared to physcial science
| - Not focussed on laws throughout societies but circumstances unique to each culture.
64
Compare radcliff brown and Malinkowski's functionalism
Brown: Parts of society contribute to the whole society
Malinowski: Culture responds to biolodigcal needs
-Both scientific ecxperiment to see societal details
-Both reject cultural evolution
65
What is syncronous approach? what school of thought does it belong to?
Analyse culture at fixed pont. Ignores history and outside influences (isolates factors for social science research) FUNCTIONALISM
66
What analogy do functionalists use to examine functions?
Analogy of the Body
- Society= organism
- Each part of society fit together and have unique function in larger structure/body
- Equilibrium is maintained through social matrix of institutions
67
Explain American Functionalsim
Some syncronic some did diachronic
- Thoughts and behaviours in relation to cultural components
- Boas and students
- reconstructing, salvaging endangered Indigenous cultures
- Studying native Americans ad Pacific Islands
68
Explain British Functionalism
Syncronic study of social structures/ social matric
- Social function= role that individuals play in maintaing the whole
- Watching native societies in action
- Sutdying colonies
69
What are three main aspects of British Functionalism?
- Interested in instituions more than material things
- Sees society as stable and harmonious
- Syncronic
70
Alfred Radcliff Brown
early 20th century
- Studying cultures as service to colonial administration
- Anthro serves empire
- Social Anthro= natural science, scientific method used
71
Brownislaw Malinkowski
Early 20th century
- Served empire who funded reasearch
- Believed colonialism benefited study subjects
- Later shifted thoughts when older
72
What did Radcliff Brown study?
how rituals and kinship contributed to social structure in primitive societies
- Institutions = rules of human conduct
- Insisted primitive peoples had complex sosical institutions, not chaotic
- People come and go but social structure stays same
73
Why doesn't Brown and Malinowski not use history?
Congecture, no written history. Irrational narratives
74
Why does Brown disagree with Boas?
Brown believe sin scientific appraoch:
| Not popular for the masses, and should reject history
75
What does Radliff Brown's Functionalism look like?
- Institutions that contribute to whole instead of humans or individuals.
- Culture is just a construct and isn't tangible.
- People come and but kinship structures stay the same
76
How is Brown's functionalism influenced by Durkheim?
- Social institutions maintain equilibrium
| - Social function is social solidarity
77
Bronislaw Malinowski
20th century
Torbian Islands
-Empathy for subjects, though unhappy/racist in private
-Participant observation, emic and etic
78
Participant Observation
Boas, Malinowski
| -Objectivism synthesised with insider subjectivism. Scientific and involved. Need to kmnow languages
79
Emic Vs. Etic
Emic=Insider point of view
Etic= Outsider (can be compared to other cultures)
Epistemological perspectives
80
Describe Malinowski's Methods
Scientific, live with natives, specific ways to collect, determine, use evidence
-Theories hsouldn't be preconcieved. Don't distort facts to fit theory
81
What elements of society did Malinowski focus on?
Biological needs and cultural responses:
| metabolism, kinship, sehlter, protection vs. Food equipment, mating, bodily comforts, safety
82
How does magic and kula function for society?
Magic is rational, psycological function to reassure unpredictable events. Intelligent.
Kula Utilitarian items to keep peaceful relationships among partners
83
Differences and similarities of Brown and Malinowski
Malinowski: Individuals, sympathetic, rational, and purposeful
Brown: Institutions, culture is construct not tangible
84
Where does our prof do Research?
Fatrnal polyandry in Ledac, Indian Hymalayas.
- One man married to multiple women
- Woman marries all the brothers. Each has own responsibility
85
What are three theoretical functions for polyandy?
Economic-> ecological or economic constraints. Means to an end
Cultural--> Cultural value to not splitting land etc.
Fruedian Outlook--> Latent homosexuality??
86
What would Brown, Malinkowski and emic say about polyandry?
Brown--> Wouldn't ask why but how it's working. What role does it play?
Malinowski--> Biological need (landscape requires it)
Emix-->mutual sharing, cooperation, comprimise, lots of labour need to share
87
Edward Evans Pritchard
20th century
- Witchcraft, oracles, and magic in Azande
- Magic is logical under social circumstances
88
Explain Azande's use of magic. Who studied this?
Evens Pritchard
Witchcraft used to explain what science can't (grainhouse collapses from termites but WHY when a certain person is sitting there)
-Dual mode of rationalisation
89
What are Evan's Prichards methods?
- Not scientific- this dehumanizes
- More tanslator of culture
- Logical connective maps that explain humanity
- Meaning in society comes from cultural structures
- History is imporetant but not for determining how culture is
- Emic view can't inform cause it's too close to it....
- Cultural relativism
90
Claude Levis Strauss
20th century
- Founder of French Structuralism
- Reciprocity and kinship
- Grammar of culture
91
Three things that influenced Strauss
Marxism, geology, psycoanalysis
| below surface, processes affecting us, economic base influencing individuals
92
British Structuralism
Social Structures and elements of social organisation that are imperacle and visible
93
French Structuralism
Meaning comes from comparisons. Rooted in linguistics (phemones only have meaning when put together)
- Cultural systems have essential core
- Made of elementary structures
94
Levis Strauss's mmethods
-Grammar of culture
-Units of cultural discourse are created by binary opppositions
units= oposing terms
-units are arranged to make current cultureal production
95
Elementary structures
Universal mental logics and their cultural manifistations. Logic that affects everyday life
96
Explain Strauss's theories of myth
Four Winnabego myths
| -All myths have same structure and polar systems (male/femal, undergifted/overgifted)
97
Explain how Strauss uses Mauss's theories
Reciprical exchange + gift in simple kinship symstems
= elementary structure (universal)
=fundamental principle of cohesion
Incest tabboo =binary elementary structure and meaning-->forms civil societies
-market system and rules of reciprocity
(Exchange of women defines reltrionships in groups)
98
Atoms of culture
set of kinship structures, Strauss
| Oppositions determine kinshop relations
99
phenomes
smallest units in language. just a sound until combined for meaning
100
How does Strauss see culture like language?
culture is symbolic and unconcious meanings
Human thoughts based on contrast (binary)
Grammar of culture= dos and donts
Culture changes but logic, structure, form doesn't
Rules and structures can even change but common base doesn't
101
Extplain kindship through Mauss's eyes
Exchange of women defines relationships in groups
| Mediates groups, can cause positive or negtive effects
102
contrasting category
Relationships with immediate family members through blood and marriage
103
incest taboo
logical opposition between kin and non-kin
104
What are qritiques of Strauss?
Not imperical and doesn't consider cultural context
Eridution (sophisticated) theory but not always accurate
valueble for data collecting and organising
Not scientific- some don't like that you can't prove or disprove it
105
Marshal Sahlins
Late 20th Centrury
- Structure of conjuncture
- Used French structuralism but said it wasn't statis. Subject to trasnformation on context
106
Structure of conguncture
Sahlins
| -How apparently static cultures change through time
