The 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 contributions to contemporary public intellectual debates.

Format: Hardback
Length: 398 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2021
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

In the realm of The History of Anthropology, Regna Darnell delves into a critical reevaluation of the Americanist tradition, centered around the influential figure of Franz Boas and the professionalization of anthropology as an academic discipline during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book specifically focuses on the scholars, often referred to as the Boasians, who were deeply engaged in the study of anthropology and ethnography, particularly concerning North American Indigenous peoples. Spanning a fifty-year career, Darnell has made seminal contributions to the history of anthropology across four distinct fields: cultural anthropology, ethnography, linguistics, and physical anthropology.

Among the prominent researchers, theorists, and fieldwork subjects featured in The History of Anthropology are Edward Sapir, Daniel Brinton, Mary Haas, Franz Boas, Leonard Bloomfield, Benjamin Lee Whorf, Stanley Newman, and A. Irving Hallowell. Additionally, 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 engagements with contemporary public intellectual debates.

The History of Anthropology serves as an indispensable resource for scholars, undergraduates, and graduate students seeking to delve into the history of the Americanist tradition and its enduring legacies. By employing a blend of historicism and presentism, the book contextualizes anthropology's historical and contemporary relevance, highlighting its profound impact on the field. Through its comprehensive coverage, The History of Anthropology provides a comprehensive understanding of the development and trajectory of anthropology as a discipline, shedding light on its rich heritage and ongoing significance.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496224170