Final answer:
Culture was not first defined in anthropology by Bronislaw Malinowski; earlier anthropologists like Edward Burnett Tylor contributed to the concept, but Malinowski did provide significant insights into the complexity of so-called primitive societies through his fieldwork.
Step-by-step explanation:
False, culture was not first defined in anthropology by Bronislaw Malinowski. The concept of culture in anthropology predates Malinowski and was significantly influenced by earlier anthropologists, such as Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan. However, Malinowski was a pivotal figure in demonstrating that all societies, including those considered 'primitive,' had complex cultural systems. Malinowski's fieldwork with the Trobriand Islanders and his subsequent ethnographic work, particularly in 'Argonauts of the Western Pacific,' highlighted the complexity and functionality of their cultural practices, including the kula ring exchange system.
Earlier in anthropology, Edward Burnett Tylor, for example, offered a definition of culture in his work 'Primitive Culture.' However, it was American anthropologist Franz Boas who challenged the earlier notions of unilineal evolution and stressed that cultures evolve according to their own histories and through interactions with other cultures. Boas argued for a vision of culture that recognized the diffusion of ideas and practices among societies, which could lead to very different developmental trajectories for different cultures.