Question

How is Malinowski’s approach to the study of cultures different from Boas’s? a. Malinowski was an evolutionist and Boas was a critic of evolutionism. b. Their approaches are similar, except that Franz Boas did not actually carry out fieldwork. c. Boas focused on the study of child-rearing, while Malinowski focused on the study of history and body measurements. d. Malinowski focused on the study of social institutions and function, while Boas focused on the study of history and adaptation. e. Boas focused on the study of history and adaptation and Malinowski focused on the study of child-rearing.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. Malinowski focused on the study of social institutions and function, while Boas focused on the study of history and adaptation.

While Boas is considered one of the main representants of the relativist current and precursor of the historic particularism, Malinowski is known as a critic of the Freudian’s psychoanalytic theory, particularly regarding the structure of the family among different cultures, therefore A and C are incorrect. Both started their careers in different fields, and ended as anthropologists, and both developed fieldwork in different communities and countries, so B is also incorrect. Malinowski was interested the function and structure of the family within their own culture, but not particularly on child-rearing and though, for Boas history and adaptation of the settled secondary generations was important, he looked further into the community’s development, so E is also incorrect.