Comparing Bronislaw Malinowski And Ruth Benedict

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Recommended: Anthropology schools of thought

The field of cultural anthropology studies civilization and humans as members of society. Therefore, anthropology is not an exact science. Research is constantly being conducted and analyzed to expand our knowledge and ideas. Anthropologists have different perspectives on culture and have various ideas about how research should be conducted as well. More importantly, anthropologists have different theoretical ideas based on their approach to research and their findings. Some anthropologists who formed their theories a century ago are still an important part of anthropological thought today. Two of these anthropologists, Bronislaw Malinowski and Ruth Benedict, are well-known and inspire modern anthropology. However, they have vastly different notions about how to conduct research and their theories are worlds apart. In 1915, Bronislaw Malinowski traveled to the Trobriand Islands …show more content…

Malinowski established the standard for effective ethnographic fieldwork as well as contributing important and inspirational theoretical concepts as a result of his work in the Trobriand Islands. He specifically focused on how cultural systems functioned to meet basic human psychological and biological needs. Consequently, he became known for being skilled at weaving his theoretical ideas into his ethnographic discussions, allowing him to support his ideas with evidence (McGee & Warms, 2008). On the other hand, Benedict did little fieldwork and preferred to utilize studies from other sources. While comparing the cultures of Southwestern Indian tribes, she concluded that each culture has a unique pattern, or cultural configuration, that determines the prominent personality traits of its members. However, she offers no explanation or evidence for her theory. Nevertheless, Benedict’s ideas, along with Malinowski’s, remain popular concepts and still influence modern anthropologists

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