2lA.100 Prof. howe Problems with Culture 1. History and Anthropology a. Hutchinson emphasizes that her ethnography tries to encompass the history of the Nuer people b. Evans-Pritchard (Ep)on the other hand, tries only to capture the nuer at one moment in time c. Why doesnt EP historicize? i. Both EP and Boas are marked by older approaches they opposed ii. One thing that plagued Boas was trying to replace/fight racism ith culture. He struggled against a racist establishment But lso against evolutionism even when it wasnt racist iii. EP had to deal with historical anthropologists of an extreme natue 1. diffusionism: recognition that things move between cultures. This is basically common sensical 2. However, extreme diffusionists sought to explain the movement of all items of cultural value as having originated from one or two original sources( China and Mesopotamia) 3. Though most British anthropologists thought this theory was junk, the few who did buy into it were very well funded21A.100 Prof. Howe Problems With Culture 1. History and Anthropology a. Hutchinson emphasizes that her ethnography tries to encompass the history of the Nuer people b. Evans-Pritchard (EP) on the other hand, tries only to capture the Nuer at one moment in time c. Why doesn’t EP historicize? i. Both EP and Boas are marked by older approaches they opposed. ii. One thing that plagued Boas was trying to replace/fight racism with culture. He struggled against a racist establishment. But lso against evolutionism even when it wasn’t racist. iii. EP had to deal with historical anthropologists of an extreme natue 1. diffusionism: recognition that things move between cultures. This is basically common sensical 2. However, extreme diffusionists sought to explain the movement of all items of cultural value as having originated from one or two original sources (China and Mesopotamia) 3. Though most British anthropologists thought this theory was junk, the few who did buy into it were very well funded