Ruth benedict 18871948 was one of the most eminent anthropologists of the twentieth century. Indeed it is surprising, in the light of fresh intuitions about society, literacy, the prehomeric world, and relations with the ancient near east, that mythone of the most pervasive aspects of greek culturehas been left in its old and rather cobwebby pigeonhole. I wrote this post in 20 to encapsulate ruth benedicts patterns of culture as a satiric counterpoint to jared diamond. Certainly the old and familiar ones are no longer adequate. This essay is widely reprinted as making a strong case for ethical relativism. A remarkable introduction to cultural studies, patterns of culture is an eloquent declaration of the role of culture in shaping human life.
Benedict quickly became prominent in the field of anthropology. One approach to the investigation of the nature of jealous is to explore its occurrence and manifestations in various cultures. May 16, 2019 patterns of culture by ruth benedict, 1934, houghton mifflin company edition, in english. I am going to discuss ruth benedicts essay the individual and the pattern of culture. It was wrong, she felt, to disparage the customs or values of a culture different from ones own. Request pdf benedict, ruth ruth benedict was a pioneer of cultural. Patterns of japanese culture were bestsellers when they were first published, and they have remained indispensable works for the study of culture in the many. For similar material without the satiric counterpoint see ruth benedict, franz boas, and the anthropological concept of culture. The emergence of a concept, by marc manganaro, is presented. Patterns of culture is a signpost on the road to a. Dobu is one of the dentrecasteaux islands, near the eastern end of new guinea. It explores the work of ruth benedict, patterns of culture, which focuses on three geographically and temperamentally disparate people including northwest coast american indians, the pueblo of the american southwest, and the dubo of melanesia. The mediterranean diet from ancel keys to the unesco.
On transcultural research into jealousy springerlink. Supernatural belief on dobu was magical rather than religious in character, and is described in detail in reo fortunes sorcerors of dobu. Her profoundly influential books patterns of culture and the chrysanthemum and the sword. Each culture she finds is so different and distinctive in relation to the norm of our society. Jun 02, 2017 i read her book few months ago so i cant remember everything, i was also reading about margaret mead, and american culturalism. Psychological anthropology mind, culture, and activity. This legacy still deserves attention as even today a certain dose of cultural relativism might be a good, if not the best, medicine against the universal disease of ethnocentrism. But it was his student ruth benedict who introduced the us brand of boasian anthropology to the world via the 1934 bestseller, patterns of culture. Moral relativism other bibliographies in harvard style. Ebook or pdf edited book email encyclopedia article govt. Ruth benedicts anthropological book, patterns of culture explores the dualism of culture and personality. Patterns of japanese culture were bestsellers when they were first published, and they have remained indispensable works for the study of culture in the many decades. This general anthropological rule also works for the md, which today i would define a cultural pattern benedict, 1934, to give the sense of a unity of institutions, ideas and traditions that, connected one another, create what we usually call a culture.
Ruth benedict 18871948, a foremost american anthropologist, taught at columbia university, and she is best known for her book pattern of culture 1935. Ruth fulton benedict june 5, 1887 september 17, 1948 was an american anthropologist. Patterns of culture by ruth benedict, paperback barnes. During her career in the social sciences she thought of cultures as total constructs of intellectual, religious, and aesthetic elements encyclopedia britannica 2009. Patterns of culture 1934, benedicts major contribution to anthropology, compares zuni, dobu, and kwakiutl cultures in order to demonstrate how small a portion of the possible range of human behaviour is incorporated into any one culture. Her patterns in culture 1934 is considered a classic. Cultural relativism sociology of culture iresearchnet. Patterns of culture, foreword by margaret mead, boston and new york. They perceive culture having an influence on behaviour of individuals although they hold different views on their theories. Her thesis is that each culture values and privileges certain behaviors and personality types. Benedict graduated from vassar college in 1909, lived in europe for a year, and then settled in california, where she taught in girls schools.
Benedicts patterns of culture 1934 was translated into fourteen languages and was. Patterns of culture 1934, benedicts major contribution to anthropology, compares zuni, dobu, and kwakiutl cultures in order to demonstrate how small a. She desired to show that each culture has its own moral imperatives that can be understood only if one studies that culture as a whole. Benedicts groundbreaking study shows that a unique configuration of traits defines each human culture and she examines the relationship between culture and. What do the terms apollonian and dionysian mean in ruth benedicts patters of culture. Benedict 18871948 was a leading anthropologist of the 20th century. Patterns of culture by ruth benedict, 1934, houghton mifflin company edition, in english. Cultural relativism came from the work of benedicts mentor franz boaz who believed that each culture had its own particular pattern of customs, values and beliefs based on its unique history. In this fascinating work, the renowned anthropologist ruth benedict compares three societies the zuni. Ruth benedict the individual and pattern of culture. Like many of her colleagues, benedict shared her teachers belie.
A central goal of crosscultural research, among others, is to distinguish the universal features of human nature from those determined by culture. Patterns of culture by ruth benedict 1934 wins jared. What do the terms apollonian and dionysian mean in ruth benedict s patters of culture. Ruth fulton benedict june 5, 1887 september 17, 1948 was an american anthropologist and folklorist she was born in new york city, attended vassar college and graduated in 1909. In this fascinating work, the renowned anthropologist ruth benedict compares three societies the zuni of the southwestern united states, the kwakiutl of western canada, and the dobuans of melanesia and demonstrates the diversity of behaviors in them. Benedict s ideas, drawn from nietzsche concept of opposites. Dont worry i am about to tell you a little more than just that. Benedict, in patterns of culture, expresses her belief in cultural relativism. A defense of ethical relativism one entry in a long series of ruth benedict from benedict, ruth anthropology and the abnormal, journal of general psychology, 10, 1934. Anthropology and the abnormal 1 anthropology and the. Benedicts ideas, drawn from nietzsche concept of opposites. Benedicts patterns of culture is a foundational text in teaching us the value of diversity. The patterns of culture into which benedict sorts unique cultures are intended to give an idea of their tendencies, as well as to explain how extreme differences can arise among human beings.
Patterns of culture by ruth benedict with an intr oducti on by fran z boas and a n ew pref ace by a mentor mar. A defense of ethical relativism california lutheran university. In this fascinating work, the renowned anthropologist ruth benedict compares three societies the zuni of the southwestern. In it, the renowned anthropologist ruth benedict offers an indepth look at three societiesthe zuni of the southwestern united states, the kwakiutl of western canada, and the dobuans of melanesiaand. The essential idea in patterns of culture is, according to the foreword by margaret mead, her view of human cultures as personality writ large. A remarkable introduction to cultural studies, patterns of culture made history in exploring the role of culture in shaping our lives.
Benedict s patterns of culture 1934 was translated into fourteen languages and was published in many editions as standard reading for anthropology courses in american universities for years. Moral relativism other bibliographies cite this for me. In this fascinating work, the renowned anthropologist ruth benedict compares. Nuckolls published by university of wisconsin press nuckolls, charles w. Ruth benedict in her patterns of culture 1934 coined the term. First i will tell you just a little about her as i think it is a key component in analyzing her work. Childhood sociology bibliographies cite this for me. Create your citations, reference lists and bibliographies automatically using the apa, mla, chicago, or harvard referencing styles. It is actually more complex than just that but it will do for an extremely short analysis. In benedicts 1934 wellknown book patterns of culture, she argued that the cultures of the kwakiutl, zuni, and dobu people form three different personality types. Pdf patterns of culture download full pdf book download. Ruth benedict, american anthropologist whose theories had a profound influence on cultural anthropology, especially in the area of culture and personality.
Ruth benedict a study of the civilizations of the zuni indians, the natives of dobu, and the kwakiutl indians. That is, that culture imprints itself on individuals who become the character types provide by his or her culture. She argues that existing theories of cognitive development cannot easily accommodate the cultural perspective and that research should be the iduence of culture on cognitive processes 383 conducted to illustrate the role of culture in thinking. From the very first chapter, the science of custom and the first page, anthropology is the study of human beings as creatures of society, the. To conclude i will sum up all the important facts that the authors are trying to communicate. Benedict studies different cultures such as the zuni tribe and the dobu indians. Ruth benedict, in her patterns of culture 1934, coined the term cultural relativism, which means. Modern social anthropology has become more and more. Ruth benedict was a visionary american anthropologist and poet whose theories had a profound influence on cultural anthropology in the area of culture and personality. Patterns of culture is an ethnography by ruth benedict published in 1934. Patterns of culture is a signpost on the road to a freer and more tolerant life.
She entered the field of anthropology from a strong humanistic background and continued that throughout her work. A student of franz boaz, her mark on anthropology was rooted in a strong humanistic background that she. Patterns of culture 1934 wins jared diamond 2012 update. Benedict approached studying culture and society from the perspective of cultural relativism. What follows is an abridgment of an essay that first appeared in the journal of general psychology, 10. Patterns of culture exceeded my expectations, even after knowing the author was an anthropological pioneer and that this book was use as a university textbook in anthropology, and how all pioneers in their fields are the most creative thinkers which rubs off on their readers.
Ruth benedict the individual and pattern of culture free. Ruth benedict in her patterns of culture 1934 coined the. After studying anthropology at the new school of social research under elsie clews parsons, she entered graduate studies at columbia university in 1921, where she studied under franz boas. Ruth benedicts the individual and the pattern of culture. Anthropology and the abnormal 1 anthropology and the abnormal. Franz boas is commonly acknowledged as a founding figure in us academic anthropology. View benedict 1934 1960 patterns of culture preface. In contrast, gauvain notes that several sociocultural factors can influence the development of thinking. What is the core argument in ruth benedicts patterns of culture.
In her classic work patterns of culture, she articulated the connection. The influence of culture on cognitive processes sciencedirect. Larger than a local community, no larger than the largest political community in the culture benedict 1934, pp. Ruth benedicts patterns of culture in her book patterns of culture ruth benedict presents ethnographic accounts of three unique cultures, the pueblo zuni indians of the southwest, the dobu of eastern new guinea and the kwakiutl of the pacific northwest coast between washington and british columbia. I read her book few months ago so i cant remember everything, i was also reading about margaret mead, and american culturalism. Benedicts patterns of culture 1934 was translated into fourteen languages and was published in many editions as standard reading for anthropology courses in american universities for years. Her hope for the future still has resonance in the twentyfirst century. Ruth benedict especially understood our tendency to link agency and individuality as ethnocentricpeople made their cultural worlds even as. Ruth benedict, born in 1887, studied under franz boas and then. Patterns of culture ruth benedict with a new foreword by mary catherine bateson and a. Ruth benedict was an anthropologist whom focused much of her work on culture and personality.
Patterns of culture by r benedict abebooks passion for books. New york times a remarkable introduction to cultural studies, patterns of culture is an eloquent declaration of the role of culture in shaping human life. Mar 16, 2012 ruth benedicts essay the individual and the pattern of culture is about exactly as the title indicates. Anthropology and the abnormal 1 anthropology and the abnormal ruth benedict ruth f. What is the core argument in ruth benedicts patterns of. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.