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VOL. 11, ISSUE 6 (2025)
From evolutionism to postmodernism: A critical synthesis of major theoretical traditions in social anthropology
Authors
Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar
Abstract
Social anthropology has evolved through a rich and complex intellectual
history marked by diverse theoretical paradigms seeking to explain human
culture, society, and behavior. From early speculative frameworks to reflexive
and interpretive approaches, anthropological theory reflects changing
epistemological assumptions, methodological innovations, and political
contexts. This paper offers a comprehensive and critical synthesis of major
theoretical traditions in social anthropology, tracing their historical
development, core assumptions, methodological orientations, and enduring
contributions. Beginning with classical evolutionism, associated with thinkers
such as Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan, the paper examines how
unilinear models of social progress shaped early anthropological thought. It
then explores diffusionism and historical particularism as reactions against
evolutionary universalism, emphasizing cultural contact and historical
specificity. Functionalist and structural-functional paradigms, notably
advanced by Bronislaw Malinowski and A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, are analyzed for
their focus on social integration and institutional stability. Structuralism,
associated with Claude Lévi-Strauss, introduced a cognitive dimension by
uncovering universal structures of the human mind. Subsequent
developments—including culture and personality studies, cultural ecology,
neo-evolutionism, and cultural materialism—expanded anthropology’s engagement
with psychology, environment, and material conditions. The paper further
examines symbolic, cognitive, and interpretive anthropology, culminating in
postmodern, poststructural, and postcolonial critiques that challenged
objectivity, representation, and power in anthropological knowledge. Finally,
theories of gender and ethnicity are discussed as transformative interventions
that foreground identity, inequality, and agency. By integrating classical and
contemporary perspectives, this paper demonstrates that social anthropology is
not a linear progression of theories but a dynamic, dialogical field
continually redefining its intellectual and ethical foundations.
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Pages:182-186
How to cite this article:
Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar "From evolutionism to postmodernism: A critical synthesis of major theoretical traditions in social anthropology". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, Vol 11, Issue 6, 2025, Pages 182-186
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