The Boasians : founding fathers and mothers of American anthropology

This book is a study in depth of the work of Franz Boas and twenty of his students at Columbia University in the early years of the twentieth century. Collectively they laid the entire institutional as well as the intellectual foundations of American anthropology as it exists today. The book begins with a discussion of the historical context of Boasian anthropology, and an overview of its nature and limitations. The work of Boas and his leading students is then discussed in detail, including biographical data, a review and critique of their research, a review in detail of each of their major publications, and an overall assessment of their contribution to anthropology, as seen in their own time and today. Contents 7 Photo Credits 13 I: Background 15 1 Introduction 17 The Boasian Men 19 The Boasian Women 22 Boasian Anthropology 24 Rise and Fall 29 The Content of This Book 30 2 Antecedents and Circumstances 33 The German Contribution 33 The American Contribution 41 Anthropology as Natural History 45 The Four-field Tradition 46 Museum Anthropology 48 3 The Founding Grandfather Franz Boas, 1858–1942 51 Early Life and Education 52 Ethnography 54 Folklore 63 Linguistics 64 Physical Anthropology 66 Tutelage 70 Writings 72 Social Advocacy 76 Boas’ View of Anthropology 78 Boas, the Man 78 An Assessment 80 Sources 83 II: The Founding Fathers 85 4 Clark Wissler, 1870–1947 87 Early Life and Education 88 Professional Career 88 Ethnography 89 Museum Work 90 Tutelage 90 Writings 91 Professional Commitments 95 Wissler’s View of Anthropology 96 Wissler, the Man 96 An Assessment 96 Sources 97 5 A. L. Kroeber, 1876–1960 99 Early Life and Education 100 The California Appointments 101 Ethnography 103 Linguistics 107 Archaeology 108 Widening Horizons 109 Psychoanalysis 111 Tutelage 112 Writings 113 Kroeber’s View of Anthropology 117 Kroeber, the Man 120 An Assessment 122 Sources 123 Notes 124 6 Robert H. Lowie, 1883–1957 125 Early Life and Education 126 The Museum Years 127 The Berkeley Years 128 Ethnography 129 Tutelage 132 Writings 133 Trade Books 136 Lowie’s View of Anthropology 144 Lowie, the Man 145 An Assessment 147 Sources 149 Note 149 7 Edward Sapir, 1884–1939 151 Early Life and Education 152 The Canadian Years 154 The Chicago Years 156 The Yale Years 157 Linguistic Research 160 Psychological Anthropology 163 Tutelage 164 Writings 165 Sapir’s View of Anthropology 169 Sapir, the Man 170 An Assessment 172 Sources 173 Note 173 8 Paul Radin, 1883–1959 175 Early Life and Education 176 Professional Career 177 Ethnography 179 Linguistics 181 Tutelage 182 Writings 182 Radin’s Philosophy 194 Radin’s View of Anthropology 195 Radin, the Man 196 An Assessment 197 Sources 198 9 Melville J. Herskovits, 1895–1963 201 Early Life and Education 202 Physical Anthropology 203 Ethnography 205 Tutelage 208 Writings 209 Professional Activities 219 Controversies 220 Herskovits’ View of Anthropology 221 Herskovits, the Man 222 An Assessment 223 Sources 224 10 The Journeymen 225 Frank G. Speck, 1881–1950 225 Alexander Goldenweiser, 1880–1940 228 Fay-Cooper Cole, 1881–1961 231 Leslie Spier, 1893–1961 233 Melville Jacobs, 1902–1971 236 Alexander Lesser, 1902–1982 238 Notes 240 III: The Founding Mothers 241 11 Elsie Clews Parsons, 1874–1941 243 Early Life, Education, and Marriage 244 The Social Critic 247 The Folklorist 249 The Ethnographer 251 Writings 253 Power and Patronage 258 Parsons’ View of Anthropology 259 Parsons, the Woman 260 An Assessment 261 Sources 262 12 Ruth Benedict, 1887–1948 265 Early Life, Education and Career 266 Research 268 Tutelage 269 Writings 270 Benedict’s View of Anthropology 277 Benedict, the Woman 278 An Assessment 279 Sources 280 13 Margaret Mead, 1901–1978 283 Early Life and Education 284 Professional Career 285 Fieldwork 286 National Character Studies 289 Writings 290 Teaching and Lecturing 296 Controversies 296 Mead’s view of anthropology 298 Causes and commitments 298 Mead, the Woman 299 An Assessment 300 Sources 301 14 The Handmaidens 303 Gladys Reichard, 1893–1955 303 Erna Gunther, 1896–1982 306 Esther Goldfrank, 1896–1997 307 Ruth Bunzel, 1898–1990 309 Gene Weltfish, 1902–1980 312 Ruth Underhill, 1883–1984 315 Marian W. Smith, 1907–1961 317 Zora Neale Hurston, 1901(?)–1960 318 Notes 320 IV: Retrospective 321 15 Achievements and Failures 323 Ethnography/Ethnology 323 Linguistics 335 Archaeology 338 Physical Anthropology 339 The Bottom Line 340 16 The Legacies 343 Bibliography 347 This book is a study in depth of the work of Franz Boas and twenty of his students at Columbia University hi the early years of the twentieth century. Collectively they laid the entire institutional as well as the intellectual foundations of American anthropology as it exists today. The book begins with a discussion of the historical context of Boasian anthropology, and an overview of its nature and limitations. The work of Boas and has leading students is then discussed in detail, including biographical data, a review and critique of their research, a review in detail of each of their major publications, and an overall assessment of" their contributions to anthropology, as seen in their own rime and today. Book jacket