Final answer:
Anthropology is called the "handmaiden of colonialism" due to its role in reinforcing ethnocentric stereotypes and colonial ideologies in the past, which often disempowered and misrepresented the cultures it studied. Contemporary anthropologists work to revise this legacy, taking into account their own biases and integrating postcolonial theories to provide more equitable cultural representations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropology is often referred to as the "handmaiden of colonialism" because of its historical association with the ethnocentric ideologies and power dynamics that accompanied European colonial expansion. Ethnocentric stereotypes and theories of cultural evolution, such as those proposed by Edward Tylor, positioned European culture as superior and others as primitive or barbaric. This conceptual framework justified colonial intervention and governance.
During the establishment of colonial rule, anthropologists had unprecedented access to study societies under European domination, inadvertently reinforcing colonial agendas. Their findings often reflected their own cultural biases, with early anthropological works portraying Indigenous societies in ways that suited colonial narratives rather than representing their true complexities and capabilities.
Efforts to address this legacy include recognizing the biases introduced by an outsider's perspective, which is influenced by enculturation and an ethnocentric worldview. Postcolonial theories, such as Homi Bhabha's notions of mimicry and hybridity, challenge orientalist stereotyping and offer more balanced perspectives on power and culture. By acknowledging and countering their field's historical complicity in colonial oppression, contemporary anthropologists aim to study human cultures in more respectful and equitable ways.