EVOLUTIONISM DIFFUSIONISM HISTORICAL PARTICUALRISM FUNCTIONALISM CULTURE AND PERSONALITY NEO-FUNCTIONALISM MARXIST ANTROPOLOGY CULTURAL ECOLOGY CULTURAL MATERIALISM STRUCTURALISM ETHNOSCIENCE SYMBOLIC ANTHROPOLOGY

1. Theories in
Socio-Cultural
Anthropology
CANDELARIO, JOY CHRISTINE
CARBONEL, CHRISTINE
CACUYONG, MARY JANE

2. What is a Theory?
A theory is a statement or statements of how and why
specific facts are related. (Macionis, 1977)
A theory is a set of interconnected hypotheses that offer
general explanations for natural or social phenomena.
(Scupin and DeCorse, 1995)

3. The Theories in
Socio-Cultural Anthropology
• EVOLUTIONISM
• DIFFUSIONISM
• HISTORICAL
PARTICUALRISM
• FUNCTIONALISM
• CULTURE AND
PERSONALITY
• NEO-FUNCTIONALISM
• MARXIST ANTROPOLOGY
• CULTURAL ECOLOGY
• CULTURAL
MATERIALISM
• STRUCTURALISM
• ETHNOSCIENCE
• SYMBOLIC
ANTHROPOLOGY

4. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Evolutionism Human society and
culture develop
gradually from
simple to complex,
primitive
to “civilization”
The first systematic
attempt to explain
why societies are
similar and different
1. Ethnocentric
2. Racist
3. Armchair
speculation

5. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Diffusionism Cultures change
through the spread of
ides and traits from
centers of innovation
to other areas
Useful in explain
the development of
classic cultures
1. Ethnocentric
2. Assumed that
non-western
societies are
inherently
inferior

6. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Historical
Particualrism
Each culture is a
unique entity, it has
to be studied and
documented in its
historical context;
Rejected racism;
Promoted the idea of
cultural relativism;
helped ethnographic,
empirical research
grow.
Did not take into
account broader
factors beyond a
particular culture.

7. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Functionalism Society and culture
are integrated, holistic
entities
Promoted empirical
ethnographic
research highly
Ahistorical; did not
deal with change,
conflict; too much
focus on stability
and order.

8. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Culture and
Personality
Main cultural themes
shape individuals’
character and the vice
versa
Promoted
understanding of the
personality and
culture dynamics
Too much focus on
Neo-Freudian
psychology

9. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Neo-
functionalism
A modification of
functionalist theory,
explaining the issue
of order in terms of
conflict and
competition
Filled gaps in
functionalist
theory;
accommodating
the issue of
conflict and
competition
Takes social order
as a given fact;
failed to deal
with issues of
fundamental
structural
changes

10. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Marxist
anthropology
Society is in constant
struggle of social class
conflicts among the
dominant and
minority groups in
society
Valid to
understanding
societal
development
Some of its
assumptions and
predictions failed
to occur; neglecting
issues of stability
an unity

11. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Cultural
ecology
The dynamic
interaction between
culture and the
ecology
Is not ethnocentric
and rejected
unilineal evolution;
stated some of
small-scale cultures
are more useful and
adaptive
Neglecting historical
and political aspects;
Stressing the
environment; the
theory tends to reduce
human behavior to
simple adaptations to
the external
environment

12. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Cultural
materialism
The key factors in
and determinants of
socio-cultural
evolution are the
infrastructures which
include technology,
environment and
material conditions
Explains well how
the material forces
help create and
change other non-
material aspects
Too much focus on
material
dimensions of
society

13. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Structuralism
The origin of
universal principles
that order the ways
in which we behave
and think about the
world is to be found
in the structure of
human thought
Promotes the idea that
human mind and
nature are
fundamentally similar,
the same underlying
universal principles
help people create their
culture and order their
lives
Views societies as
static and do not help
very much in
explaining variation
among societies;
treats culture as a
given order and fails
to explain the
adaptive dimensions
of culture

14. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Ethnoscience
Interested in describing
how a specific people
view their world; what
are the manner in which
people perceive and
structure their
environment through
language; and the
nature of the rules and
principles that
guide their decision
making
Promotes the value
of ach people’s own
cognitive
understanding of
their world
Too much focus on
specific cultures;
neglectingthe
material
dimensions of
culture

15. THEORY WHAT DOES IT STATE STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Symbolic
anthropology
The study of culture
through the
interpretation of the
meaning of symbols,
values and beliefs in
society
Contributed towards
the idea that
symbolic culture is
important in its own
right.
Focuses exclusively
on cultural symbols
at the expense of
other factors that
may shape human
behavior and
thought.

16. Those are the
Different Theories
in Socio-cultural
Anthropology
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listening.
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