Herskovits 18951963 work helped to shape how african. Baixe no formato pdf, txt ou leia online no scribd. The myth of the negro past by herskovits melville,j. He also considered himself to beand i think he wasa. Published way back in 1941, this unprecedented chronicling of the racist academic procedures practiced by most white scholars peers into the subject of the retainment of an african cultural identity and draws. Some further comments on cultural relativism melville j. Herskovits northwestern university d uring the past five years, the implications of cultural relativism have been considered at length in at least two books by philosophers and two. Any embellishment of ordinary living that is achieved with competence and has describable form 1955. His tendency was to minimize, though not ignore, the influence of national or global forces on culture and emphasize endogenous development. Campbell points out in the introduction of herskovits s book. Reflective of the depth of his concern about the arts was his frequent emphasis on art as a cultural universal the search for beauty is universal in human experience 1955.
Some further comments on cultural relativism1 herskovits. Sep 18, 20 in the passage, cultural relativism and cultural values, melville herskovits explains why morality has no absolute identity and that it is a social and cultural phenomenon that varies according to the customs and beliefs of different cultural groups 2. Herskovitss two decades of research in the field of what could now be called black diaspora studies, preceding world war ii, is reflected in his wartime. Herskovits, frances herskovits, american journal of sociology 79, no. Herskovits spent his long academic career at northwestern university, from 1927 until his death in 1963. Published way back in 1941, this unprecedented chronicling of the racist academic procedures practiced by most white scholars peers into the subject of the retainment. He also considered himself to beand i think he was a. Americans in the united states were viewed and viewed themselves.
In addition, i address not one or two, but eleven arguments for cultural relativism, many of which contribute to its popularity but receive scant attention from its critics. Herskovits at the heart of blackness cultural relativism. Cross cultural adaption was first put forward by american anthropologist robert redfield, the main representatives of american cultural personality, ralph linton and melville herskovits in the early 20. Take the case of melville herskovits, a jewishamerican anthropologist of slovak extraction who broke new ground in the definition. Cultural relativism is the idea that a persons beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that persons own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another it was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by franz boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later popularized by his students. Herskovits and the racial politics of knowledge is the first fullscale biography of the trailblazing anthropologist of african and african american cultures. It may be, as james fernandez 1990 has argued, that the portrait of herskovitss relativism conveyed in these books and essays misinterprets many aspects of what he was trying to convey. In his book, the myth of the negro past, melville j. Two points are central in understanding his conception of anthropology. It is through experience that man comes to know about the world, and it is from this experience that judgments are derived. In their views, cross cultural adaption is the variant of cultural pattern, which is. Herskovits is one of the early masters in this concept.
There he established the first program in african studies at a major u. Herskovits drew from numerous social sciences to make his points, but he viewed culture as learned behavior and took an ethical position cultural relativism that precluded ethnocentric judgments. African studies was herskovits discussion of the cattle complex in east africa which formed the. It may be, as james fernandez 1990 has argued, that the portrait of herskovitss relativism conveyed in these books and essays misinterprets many. This study became the starting point of his fundamental work on the classification of african cultures into culture areas, which appeared in preliminary form in. Herskovits at the heart of blackness melville herskovits. Melville jean herskovits 18951963 was an american anthropologist. The negro past and present explores the wartime contributions of melville herskovits, founder and chair of the first african studies program in the country, at northwestern university. In herskovits article, he talks about how cultural relativism is such a controversial study. Cultural relativism and cultural values by melville j. From the 1920s to the 1960s, herskovits confronted questions about race and culture in innovative and groundbreaking ways, controverted hierarchical ways of thinking about humanity, and underscored the value of human diversity. In the passage, cultural relativism and cultural values, melville herskovits explains why morality has no absolute identity and that it is a social and cultural phenomenon that varies according to the customs and beliefs of different cultural groups 2. Melville jean herskovits, an american anthropologist who was a student of franz boas at columbia university, became a leading student of acculturation and an outstanding teacher at northwestern university, where he founded the first u. Of all published articles, the following were the most read within the past 12 months.
Melville and frances herskovits page 3 herskovits, melville j. Publication date 1938 topics acculturation, ethnology publisher new york, j. Tolerance in a repugnant world and other dilemmas in the cultural. Ethnocentrism is usually defined as a kind of ethnic or cultural.
Almost fifty years ago melville herskovits set out to debunk the myth that black americans have no cultural past. Melville jean herskovits september 10, 1895 february 25, 1963 was an american anthropologist who helped establish african and africanamerican studies in american academia. Even the most well trained individuals tend to look at other cultural societies and ideas through the filter of their own morals, and sense of what is right, good. Herskovits 4 editions first published in 1947 download daisy. Herskovits was criticized for his views on both the formation of africanamerican subculture and cultural relativism. Cultural relativism might be easier in theory than in practice. Cultural relativism can be portrayed by the opposite of ethnocentrism. Cultural relativism of melville herskovits 141 man of science and a man of the world. It was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by franz boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later popularized by his students.
Herskovits definition of art is exceptionally broad. Herskovits at the heart of blackness examines the life and work of the jewishamerican anthropologist, melville herskovits, whose writings challenged prevailing notions of race and culture. Herskovits was, in particular, a student of african societies and of the experience of blacks in the new world. He studied at the university of chicago and columbia university, and later taught at northwestern university. Melville jean herskovits, american anthropologist, was among the founders of african anthropology and african studies in the united states. Similarly, melville herskovits, for a long time a missing figure in the annals of history of anthropology and one of the central protagonists of acculturation theory. Take the case of melville herskovits, a jewishamerican anthropologist of slovak extraction who broke new ground in the definition and analysis of africanamerican culture. In other words, a persons judgment about what is right and wrong is determined by their cultural experiences. The intellectual standard critiquing cultural relativism ther elucidated the theory. Herskovits was a champion of cultural relativism, which he saw as an antidote to european colonial attitudes and the ethnocentrism that they express. His additional works include economic transition in africa, the human factor of changing africa, and life in a haitian valley. This would include everything from childhood training. Herskovits 18951963 employed physical anthropology and ethnography to undermine racist and hierarchical ways of thinking about humanity and to underscore the value of.
Herskovits papers consist of the research data field notes, both handwritten and typed used for their seminal publications on both old and new world african cultures, manuscripts of their books and published articles, conference papers and materials relating to their careers. Judgments are based on experience, and experience is interpreted by each individual in terms of his own enculturation. Originally published in 1941, his unprecedented study of black history and culture recovered a rich african heritage in religious and secular life, the language and arts of the americas. Definition of cultural relativism although philosophically not very satisfactory see bidney 1953, pp. Herskovits northwestern university d uring the past five years, the implications of cultural relativism have been considered at length in at least two books by philosophers and two by anthropologists. Study on crosscultural adaptation of southeast asian. In addition to this monograph, herskovits produced two other major contributions to the study of dahomey in collaboration with his wife, an outline of dahomaen religious belief 1933 and, much later, dahomean narrative. Cultural relativism is the idea that a persons beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that persons own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another. Melville herskovits, a wellknown anthropologist and student of boas, fur. Herskovits cultural relativism and cultural values september 25, 20 sharindeva 2 comments morality is a universal this is the. Cultural relativism 2 california state university, northridge. Ethnocentrism is a slippery concept that different disciplines and individuals use in diverse, inconsistent, and incompatible ways.
He is known for exploring the cultural continuity from african cultures as expressed in africanamerican communities. Herskovits at the heart of blackness documentary film. Herskovits at the heart of blackness follows melville herskovits historically significant efforts to connect african americans with africa, and interrogates the relationship between anthropological observer and subject. Cultural relativism, posits herskovits, begins with the notion that experience is mans primary connection to reality. Evanspritchard economic elements employed enculturation euroamerican european. Sep 18, 20 cultural relativism can be portrayed by the opposite of ethnocentrism. Melville herskovits 18951963 was an anthropologist most wellknown for his study the myth of the negro past.
300 637 668 1351 631 487 900 452 12 77 957 1237 1445 1364 1433 1319 24 757 250 152 1032 380 966 541 521 1116 957 1391 555 1342 425 463