History And Theory — In Anthropology

In the mid-1800s, anthropology emerged under the shadow of Darwinism. Early theorists like and Lewis Henry Morgan proposed "Unilineal Evolution." They argued that all societies progress through the same stages: Savagery, Barbarism, and finally, Civilization (modeled after Victorian Europe). While this established anthropology as a comparative science, it was inherently ethnocentric and served to justify colonial hierarchies. 2. The Turn to Particularism and Functionalism

In the mid-20th century, introduced Structuralism , looking for the deep, underlying patterns of the human mind. He argued that beneath the surface of different myths and kinship systems lies a universal mental structure based on "binary oppositions" (like nature vs. culture). History and Theory in Anthropology

The history of anthropology is a move from the "armchair" theorizing of the 19th century to the deeply reflexive, politically engaged discipline of today. It has evolved from a tool of colonial classification into a vital framework for understanding global diversity, proving that while human nature may be universal, its expressions are infinite. In the mid-1800s, anthropology emerged under the shadow