Franz Boas, Father of American Anthropology

German-American anthropologist Franz Boas was one of the most influential social scientists of the early twentieth century, noted for his commitment to cultural relativism and as a staunch opponent of racist ideologies. Boas was arguably the most innovative, active, and prodigiously productive of the first generation of anthropologists in the U.S. He is best known for his curatorial work at the American Museum of National History in New York and for his nearly four-decade career teaching anthropology at Columbia University, where he built the first anthropology program in the country and trained the first generation of anthropologists in the U.S.  His graduate students went on to establish many of the first and most highly regarded anthropology programs in the country. Fast Facts: Franz Boas Born: July 9, 1858 in Minden, GermanyDied: December 22, 1942 in New York City, New YorkKnown For: Considered the Father of American AnthropologyEducation: University of Heidelberg, University of Bonn, University of KielParents: Meier Boas and Sophie MeyerSpouse: Marie Krackowizer Boas (m. 1861-1929)Notable Publications: The Mind of Primitive Man (1911), Handbook of American Indian Languages (1911), Anthropology and Modern Life (1928), Race, Language, and Culture (1940)Interesting Facts: Boas was an outspoken opponent of racism, and used anthropology to refute the scientific racism that was popular during his time. His theory of cultural relativism held that all cultures were equal, but simply had to be understood in their own contexts and by their own terms. Early Life Boas was born in 1858 in Minden, in the German province of Westphalia. His family was Jewish but identified with liberal ideologies and encouraged independent thinking. From a young age, Boas was taught to value books and became interested in the natural sciences and culture. He followed his interests in his college and graduate studies, focusing primarily on the natural sciences and geography while attending the University of Heidelberg, the University of Bonn, and the University of Kiel, where he graduated with a Ph.D. in physics. Research In 1883, after a year of service in the military, Boas began field research in Inuit communities in Baffin Island, off the northern coast of Canada. This was the beginning of his shift toward studying people and culture, rather than the external or natural worlds, and would alter the course of his career. Spirit of the Earthquake, Nootka Mask, Pacific Norwest Coast American Indian. Possibly American Museum of Natural History. Acquisition Year: 1901. Heritage Images / Getty Images In 1886, he began the first of many fieldwork trips to the Pacific Northwest. Contrary to dominant views during that era, Boas came to believe—in part through his fieldwork—that all societies were fundamentally equal. He disputed the claim that fundamental differences existed between societies that were deemed civilized versus savage or primitive, according to the language of the time. For Boas, all human groups were fundamentally equal. They simply needed to be understood within their own cultural contexts. Boas worked closely with the cultural exhibits of the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago Worlds Fair, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arrival in the Americas. It was a huge undertaking and many of the materials gathered by his research teams went on to form the basis of the collection for the Chicago Field Museum, where Boas worked briefly following the Columbian Exposition. Eskimos At The Worlds Columbian Exposition, which Franz Boas helped create. Chicago History Museum / Getty Images Following his time in Chicago, Boas moved to New York, where he became assistant curator and later curator at the American Museum of Natural History. While there, Boas championed the practice of presenting cultural artifacts in their context, rather than attempting to arrange them according to imagined evolutionary progress. Boas was an early proponent of using dioramas, or replicas of scenes from daily life, in museum settings. He was a leading figure in the research, development, and launch of the Museums Northwest Coast Hall in 1890, which was one of the first museum exhibits on the life and culture of the indigenous people of North America. Boas continued to work at the Museum until 1905, when he turned his professional energies toward academia. Franz Boas was curator of the American Museum Of Natural History from 1896 to 1905. The New York Historical Society / Getty Images Work in Anthropology Boas became the first professor of anthropology at Columbia University in 1899, following three years as a lecturer in the field. He was instrumental in establishing the universitys anthropology department, which became the first Ph.D. program in the discipline in the U.S. Boas is often referred to as the Father of American Anthropology because, in his role at Columbia, he trained the first generation of U.S. scholars in the field. Famous anthropologists Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict were both his students, as was the writer Zora Neale Hurston. In addition, several of his graduate students went on to establish some of the first anthropology departments in universities across the country, including programs at the University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and beyond. The emergence of anthropology as an academic discipline in the U.S. connects closely to Boas work and, in particular, his lasting legacy through his former students. Boas was also a key figure in the founding and development of the American Anthropological Association, which remains the primary professional organization for anthropologists in the U.S. Chiefs Blanket with Bear Design, Totemism,Tlingit Tribe, Pacific Northwest Coast Indians. Totemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant. Heritage Images / Getty Images Main Theories and Ideas Boas is well known for his theory of cultural relativism, which held that all cultures were essentially equal but simply had to be understood in their own terms. Comparing two cultures was tantamount to comparing apples and oranges; they were fundamentally different and had to be approached as such. This marked a decisive break with the evolutionary thinking of the period, which attempted to organize cultures and cultural artifacts by an imagined level of progress. For Boas, no culture was more or less developed or advanced than any other. They were simply different. Along similar lines, Boas denounced the belief that different racial or ethnic groups were more advanced than others. He opposed scientific racism, a dominant school of thought at that time. Scientific racism held that race was a biological, rather than cultural, concept and that racial differences could thus be attributed to underlying biology. While such ideas have since been refuted, they were very popular in the early twentieth century. In terms of anthropology as a discipline, Boas supported what came to be known as the four-field approach. Anthropology, for him, constituted the holistic study of culture and experience, bringing together cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and physical anthropology. Franz Boas died of a stroke in 1942 at the Columbia University campus. A collection of his essays, articles, and lectures, which he had personally selected, was published posthumously under the title Race and Democratic Society. The book took aim at race discrimination, which Boas considered the most intolerable of all forms. Sources: Elwert, Georg. Boas, Franz (1858-1942). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015. Pierpont, Claudia Roth. The Measure of America. The New Yorker, March 8, 2004.Who Was Franz Boas? PBS Think Tank, 2001.White, Leslie A. Book Review: Race and Democratic Society. American Journal of Sociology, 1947.

Analysis Of Ernest Hemingway s Hemingway Once Said

Ernest Hemingway once said, â€Å"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.† So, it is no surprise that many of his stories focus on the relationships between men, and women. Hemingway himself had been in many different relationships, and that translates into his writing. Each of the women he was with had different personalities, views of the world, and ways of loving him. Hemingway was able to learn from these relationships as well as those of the people around him, and write about them openly, and honestly. All fiction has a bit of truth hidden behind it, and I believe Hemingway was aware of that. He wanted to make people think about the lives that they were living. Hemingway exposed the fact that men took advantage of women in order to get what they wanted, and that women would put up with a lot for a man they love, but they do have limits. Hemingway’s story Up in Michigan is the most prevalent example of a man taking a dvantage of a women. In this story, a man named Jim Gilmore pays no attention to a young women that works for him named Liz Coates. Liz is obviously infatuat with Jim, and she pays no mind to the fact that she doesn’t really know him. The story never says that Jim is rude to Liz or anything of that nature it simply states that he doesn’t spend much time thinking about her or even looking at her. One night when Jim is drinking with his friends he begins to give Liz attention, and she is so happy that she doesn’tShow MoreRelatedErnest Hemingway: A Brief Biography 1210 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899. He was a writer who started his career with a newspaper office in Kansas City when he was seventeen. When the United States got involved in the First World War, Hemingway joined with a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. 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Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding Free Essays

Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding Lacey Payson BCOM/275 March 18, 2013 Allen Sutton Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding In today’s society, many mothers face making the decision to breastfeed or to formula feed. We will write a custom essay sample on Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding or any similar topic only for you Order Now After 36 – 42 weeks of carrying a child, some mothers want their body back. Other mothers want to save money and give their child a nutritious diet. Breast milk is known to be healthier, in conjunction with an amazing way to bond with her child. There are two mottos that have been heard. One saying is â€Å"breast is best† and the second is â€Å"formula or breast, mother knows best. Kathryn Blundell, deputy editor for Mother and Baby magazine states â€Å"I formula fed. So What? I wanted my body back. (And some wine)†¦I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around my stomach† (Rock, 2010). Society would understand where she is coming from by wanting her body back but her body will never be the same after carrying a child and going through labor. Many mothers feel they have to fully give up drinking. It has been determined that a mother can have one 4 ounce glass of wine, except that she will need to wait a minimum of 2 hours after to nurse her baby. A mother can pump before she has a glass of wine and give the baby that milk. Breastfeeding has been known to help mothers lose weight. Kathryn Blundell also states, â€Å"†¦You’ll hear tales of agonizing three-hour feeding sessions and – the drama! – bloody nipples† (Rock, 2010). Breastfeeding can be rough because the sore nipples, late night feedings and needing to pump if she is a working mom. Jobs may let her take a break to go pump to help keep the production of milk going. Regardless of the choice between breastfeeding and formula feeding, there will be late night feedings. â€Å"They’re part of my sexuality, too – not just breast, but fun bags. And when you have that attitude (and I admit I made no attempt to change it), seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well a little creepy† (Rock, 2010). Breasts are for feeding babies. When pregnant woman’s body adjusts to bearing a child, it knows to produce milk. Some women will lactate as early as 23 weeks. Before the 1800s, women had no choice but to breast feed. Saying that the breasts are only for a sexual purpose is like saying a woman would rather have a cesarean delivery, so the baby will not touch her vagina. Breasts are only sexual because people make them out to be. An example of this is Victoria’s secret models advertising lingerie. Women’s bodies are made to carry and nurture babies. Mother and baby deputy editor states â€Å"there are studies that show [breastfeeding] reduces the risk of breast cancer for you, and your stomach upsets and allergies for your baby. But even the convenience and supposed health benefits of breast milk couldn’t induce me to stick my nipple into a bawling baby’s mouth† (Rock, 2010). She is correct about breast milk being healthy for both mommy and baby however, a mother that feels the way she does may be interpreted as being selfish. Breast milk is the perfect food for an infant with many advantages over formula. Research has shown that it may help prevent SIDS, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Breast milk contains the ideal proportion of nutrients including the following; protein, carbohydrates, fat, and calcium. Breast milk is easily digested compared to formula, free and available when needed. Breast milk includes active infection-fighting white blood cells that helps protect against impurities during the first few months. It may contain fatty acids, which may assist with brain development. The best reason to breastfeed is the bond a woman will have with her child. In summary, breastfeeding can be hard because of late night feedings. However in the end it is better for the baby and less expensive. A mother does not have to surrender drinking completely. She should do what she feels, breastfeeding can be a hassle, but it is healthier. â€Å"Formula or breast, mother knows best. † Bibliography Rock, L. (2010, June 2010). Breastfeeding is ‘creepy’, says parenting magazine. The Observer. How to cite Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding, Essay examples