Anthropology And Modern Life Classic Reprint

Excerpt from Anthropology and Modern Life ON november 17, 1961, the Council of Fellows of the American Anthropological Association meeting at Philadelphia, the cradle of American democracy, passed this resolution, thus once more providing scientific support for those fighters for equality and brotherhood for whom democracy is a moral issue. At this moment Of history when the Specter of racism is once more walking abroad, it is especially fortunate and appropriate to have reissued in a popular edition the definitive statement on race and culture by the man who more than anyone else was responsible for providing the conceptual framework and scientific underpinnings for the anthropological position on this important con temporary problem. Franz Boas wrote Anthropology and Modern Life as a declaration of faith after more than thirty years Of research in the field Of race and culture. An earlier publication on the same theme was translated into German (kultur and Rome, Leipzig, 1914) and was eventually honored by a prominent place in the Nazi auto-da-fe. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The great anthropologist's classic treatise on race and culture. One of the most influential books of the century, now available in a value-priced edition. Introduction by Ruth Bunzel.

Anthropology and Modern Life, first published in 1929, addresses itself to an immensely broad field with clarity, introducing anthropology as a unique and coherent discipline, and demonstrating its importance in the understanding of socio-cultural change throughout history. The author covers varied and diverse areas of study: ethnicity, including a lengthy discussion of the concepts of 'race' and 'nationality'; criminology, and the importance of hereditary and environmental factors in producing criminals; education, and the associated issues of gender, class, and what would now be called 'brainwashing'; and also the comparison between 'modern' and 'primitive' cultures, taking note of the development of socio-political institutions such as marriage and property.

Franz Boas (1858–1942) is widely regarded as the founder of American anthropology. He influenced an astonishing variety of scholars and researchers, from the anthropologists Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict, to the philosopher W. E. B. DuBois, and novelist Zora Neale Hurston. Towards the end of his life he also lectured widely in an attempt to educate the public on the dangers of Nazi ideology. Anthropology and Modern Life demonstrates the incredibly rich and fertile range of Boas’s thought, engaging with controversies that resonate loudly today: the problem of race and racial types; heredity versus environment; the significance of intelligence tests; open versus closed societies; the ‘nature versus nurture debate’; and nationality and nationalism. Believing passionately that science should be used to break down racial and cultural barriers, from the book's very opening Boas shatters the myth that anthropology is simply a collection of ‘curious facts about exotic peoples’. Thanks to Boas's influence, anthropologists and other social scientists began to see that differences among the races resulted not from physiological factors, but from historical events and circumstances, and that race itself was a cultural construct. This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Regna Darnell and an Introduction and Afterword by Herbert S. Lewis, who details Franz Boas's life, influence, and ideals. "In writing the present book I desired to show that some of the most firmly rooted opinions of our times appear from a wider point of view as prejudices, and that a knowledge of anthropology enables us to look with greater freedom at the problems confronting our civilization." - Franz Boas, Anthropology and Modern Life

Excerpt from Boas Anniversary Volume: Anthropological Papers Written in Honor of Franz Boas This call has met with a hearty, unanimous approval, to which the present volume bears witness. The general sentiment of sympathy with this matter was well expressed by Mr. F. W. Hodge, editor of The Amer ican Anthropologist, in a letter dated Dec. I 5, 1905, as fol lows: I am very glad of this proposed action, both because the great value of Dr. Boas's work, his energy in advancing the interests of anthropology, and his many personal qualities, are thus to be recognized, and because in this country we are rather prone, I fear, to forget that there is a sentimental side to scientific life. Unfortunately Mr. Hodge was prevented from writing an article which he had planned for this occasion, owing to ill health. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This is the magisterial biography of Franz Boas and his influence in shaping not only anthropology but also the sciences, humanities, and social science, the visual and performing arts, and America's public sphere during a period of global upheaval and social struggle.