Topic #15. Neo-Evolution

Though trained by Alexander Goldenweiser, the most Boasian of Boasians, White became dissatisfied with the limitations of the Boasian paradigm in answering fundamental questions about the nature of culture and its process of development. Contact with the Iroquois led him to study Morgan, and as a result White gradually developed an alternative paradigm, which came to be known as neo-evolution. Meanwhile Steward, drawing on Kroeber's _Cultural and Natural Areas_, developed an ecological perspective that naturally extrapolated into a more complex evolutionary model. While White vigorously rejected historical particularism, Steward always sought to keep one foot in both paradigms.

All members of the class should read and be prepared to discuss:

White, Leslie A. 1940. The Symbol: The Origin and Basis of Human Behavior. Philosophy of Science 7:451-463 reprinted 1949, pp. 22-39 in The Science of Culture. New York: Grove Press (CFAL: CB19 W48 1960 - on reserve) reprinted 1973, pp. 333-335 in High Points in Anthropology, ed.by Paul Bohannon & Mark Glazer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf (CFAL : GN17 B63 - on reserve)

White, Leslie A. 1949. Energy and the Evolution of Culture, pp. 363-393 in The Science of Culture. New York: Grove Presss (CFAL: CB19 W48 1960) reprinted 1973, pp. 335-355 in High Points in Anthropology, ed. by Paul Bohannon & Mark Glazer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf (CFAL: GN17 B63)

White, Leslie A. 1958. The Evolution of Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 3-32, 281-303, 314-328, 367-370 (CFAL: CB311 W55) (3 copies on reserve)

Steward, Julian. 1955. Theory of Culture Change. Urbana, IL: Univ. of Illinois Press, pp. 11-63 (CFAL: HM101 S785 - on reserve)

 

 

 


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