Historical Particularism vs. Cultural Ecology

Paper Summary:

Franz Boaz defined the concept in anthropology, "Historical Particularism," which focuses directly on an event itself and accounts for this event by tying it in some way to environmental and historical factors that could explain the creation of the cultural variables. The paper compares this theory to Julian Steward's "Cultural Ecology", which is different in its temporal emphasis. Whereas Boaz tended to focus on one particular event, Steward seems to be more interested in viewing the process of interaction between environment and culture over time. Steward examined the process by which societies adapted to their environment and then considered how changes or developments in that environment then lead to cultural change. The paper also shows that while Boaz and Steward's views disagree on the the interaction between culture and environment, later theorists have attempted to resolve the differences between the theorists.

From the Paper:

"Thus, while Rappaport employs an overarching framework that would be in accordance with Steward's ideas about Cultural Ecology, his focus is not on the systematic development of the relationship between environment and culture, but on the particulars of any culture or historical event that is engrossed in the process of undergoing change. Indeed, Rappaport "stated that much is to be gained by regarding culture "as part of the means by which animals of the human species maintain themselves in their environment"" (Runk). Thus, his focus on the particularities of an event reflects the influence of Boaz on his work."

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