Final answer:
Franz Boas introduced the idea of cultural relativism into American anthropology, emphasizing the importance of understanding a culture by its own standards rather than through ethnocentric comparisons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Franz Boas introduced the idea of cultural relativism into American anthropology. Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. This perspective was a fundamental shift from the ethnocentric views prevalent during the 19th and early 20th centuries, which often ranked cultures based on a perceived evolution from 'primitive' to 'civilized'. Boas's commitment to cultural relativism influenced many aspects of anthropology, including the rejection of racial hierarchies and the acknowledgment that cultures develop through their unique histories rather than in isolation towards a common end.