Final answer:
British anthropologist Edward Tylor is known for his etic explanation of cultural evolution, categorizing cultures into stages from 'savagery' to 'civilization' based on European standards. This reflects an ethnocentric approach to anthropology, which has been challenged by feminist anthropology and other 20th-century perspectives, such as cultural ecology and cultural materialism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anthropologist who offered an etic explanation for cultural evolution was British anthropologist Edward Tylor. In the 19th century, Tylor proposed that cultures evolved from a state of 'savagery,' through 'barbarism,' to reach a pinnacle of 'civilization.' This scheme, similar to others of its time, carried an implicit comparison to European standards and often marginalized non-European societies by placing them at lower stages of development. Tylor's work reflects an ethnocentric viewpoint that judged and classified cultures based on European norms and values.
Meanwhile, various forms of anthropological biases were acknowledged, such as those in earlier research conducted by predominantly white and male anthropologists. Feminist anthropology emerged to mitigate these biases, with notable contributors like Zora Neale Hurston, Ruth Benedict, and especially Margaret Mead after her influential work 'Coming of Age in Samoa' was published in 1928.
Diving into the 20th century, theorists like Julian Steward and Marvin Harris developed cultural ecology and cultural materialism, respectively, both of which were efforts to understand cultural changes through adaptation to environmental factors and material conditions.