Final answer:
Franz Boas profoundly influenced anthropology by promoting a holistic and ethical approach to the study of cultures, refuting ethnocentric and racist theories, and by implementing rigorous ethnographic field research methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Franz Boas made major contributions to the discipline of anthropology by pioneering a holistic approach to the field and advocating for rigorous ethnographic research. He was instrumental in shaping anthropology as a modern science. One of his significant impacts was challenging the prevailing notions of racial superiority by showing that environmental factors, not race, accounted for variations in skull sizes among immigrants in America. Furthermore, he established the importance of considering the unique historical trajectory of each culture, rejecting the idea that all societies evolve along a single path toward 'civilization'. Boas emphasized the necessity of understanding cultures from an insider's perspective and set the standard for detailed field research that further contributed to anthropology's methodology.
Boas' work also had a powerful impact on how anthropologists consider culture and biology, significantly undermining race theory. He proved that biological differences do not determine cultural achievements, language, or values, thereby speaking out against the racial prejudices of his time. His fieldwork among the Kwakiutl people, where he recorded myths, songs, and folklore in native languages, exemplified his commitment to understanding and representing cultures as accurately and respectfully as possible.