The evolutionary explanation of cultures
The evolutionary explanation of cultures, as developed by prior anthropologists, explained how culture works. For instance, Taylor believed that culture was a complex system that incorporated art, laws, customs, morals, beliefs, and knowledge (Boas, 1920, 26). The evolutionary explanation of culture focused on all the habits that man acquires for being part of society. Boas, on the contrary, believed that cultures are complex systems, which don’t follow the linear progression techniques as projected by the previous anthropologists like Taylor. In his argument, Boaz thought that only through comprehensive ethnographic field studies could culture be understood. Inherently, Boas disliked the anthropologists’ idea that the civilized European culture was the superior culture as defined by his predecessors. The diffusionism concept explained culture as having originated from a common origin and spread from one society to the other communities. Boas do not like the assumption that communities do not change over time (Boas, 1920, 27). Boas sees the lack of study by the diffusionists led them to interpret societies as remnants of the evolutionary stages.
Boas’s arguments suggest that historical studies are essential in determining the various cultures; thus, Boas supports historical studies to a large extent. Boas’ argument proves that historical studies play a crucial role in understanding people; hence anthropologists must do historical studies. Boas argued that the basic methodology in anthropology involves competition of surveys of a society’s tribal, mythology, marriage, religion, diet, and social taboos factors to understand its culture (Boas, 1920, 28). In conducting studies, Boas shows that ethnographers must be part of the study location, by being there, learning the language of the society, and undertaking an intense study/survey. By being part of the community under study, ethnographers get first-hand information about the society. It is only through this understanding that ethnographers avoid the evolutionist and diffusionists’ problems.