History of Anthropology: A Critical Window on the Discipline in North America

The History of Anthropology by Regna Darnell is a critical reexamination of the Americanist tradition in anthropology, focusing on the Boasians and their studies of North American Indigenous peoples. Darnell's fifty-year career includes seminal writings in cultural, ethnographic, linguistic, and physical anthropology, and the book explores the theoretical schools, institutions, and social networks of these scholars and fieldworkers. It also discusses the professionalization of anthropology, American folklore scholarship, theories of Indigenous languages, Southwest ethnographic research, Indigenous ceremonialism, text traditions, and anthropological forays into contemporary public intellectual debates. The book is essential for scholars, undergraduates, and graduate students to understand the history of the Americanist tradition and its legacies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 398 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2021
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

In the captivating realm of The History of Anthropology, Regna Darnell delves into a critical reexamination of the Americanist tradition, centered around the influential figure of Franz Boas and the professionalization of anthropology as an academic discipline in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This insightful work focuses on the researchers, often referred to as the Boasians, who were deeply immersed in the study of anthropology and ethnography, particularly concerning the indigenous peoples of North America. Spanning a fifty-year career, Darnell has left an indelible mark in the history of anthropology through seminal writings across four distinct fields: cultural anthropology, ethnography, linguistics, and physical anthropology.

Among the distinguished scholars, theorists, and fieldwork subjects featured in this remarkable narrative are Edward Sapir, Daniel Brinton, Mary Haas, Franz Boas, Leonard Bloomfield, Benjamin Lee Whorf, Stanley Newman, and A. Irving Hallowell. Moreover, the book explores the professionalization of anthropology, the growth of American folklore scholarship, theories of Indigenous languages, Southwest ethnographic research, Indigenous ceremonialism, text traditions, and anthropological forays into contemporary public intellectual debates.

The History of Anthropology serves as an indispensable resource for scholars, undergraduates, and graduate students seeking to delve into the rich history of the Americanist tradition and its enduring legacies. By seamlessly alternating between historicism and presentism, the book contextualizes anthropology's historical and contemporary relevance, shedding light on its profound impact on the field. This comprehensive volume offers a comprehensive exploration of the theoretical schools, institutions, and social networks that shaped the study of anthropology during this pivotal period, providing a valuable foundation for understanding the evolution and development of the discipline.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496228147