Introduction
The concepts of race, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity have always been significant to human society. Individuals gave them much attention because they were the fundamental elements that describe human beings. Attempts to determine the nature of differences between people, their appearance, and cultures led to the emergence of various racial theories.
For instance, the idea of scientific racism appeared to justify the supremacy of specific races and their right to control others. It implied that race was a biological concept, while genetics and other biological factors might explain some behaviors and customs. From this perspective, some races were viewed as initially inferior to others.
However, the development of science and the emergence of humanistic values, along with the ideas of tolerance, stimulated the further evolution of the concept of race. Society made significant strides towards a better understanding at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. For instance, Franz Boas and Margaret Mead were among the scientists who promoted reconsidering outdated paradigms and introducing new ones.
Boas, Mead, and New Vision
Boas and Mead were both outstanding scientists equipped with classical knowledge. However, against the dominant paradigm, which focuses mainly on theoretical knowledge, they realized the need to generate new ideas by collecting fresh data and utilizing relevant information. Like many investigators of that era, they believed that real, evidence-driven analysis would help replace the principles that dominated the science of that period (King, 2019). For this reason, being interested in the social category of race, Boas developed a new approach to racial theory, which involved collaboration with individuals from diverse groups to study their customs, traditions, and mentalities. Margaret Mead employed a similar approach to studying customs in various locations, aiming to acquire firsthand knowledge and contribute to the advancement of the field of anthropology.
Speaking about Boas, it is essential to admit his approach to analyzing and thinking about the ideas of race. He believed that all societies might perceive their achievements and traits as the shortcomings of others (King, 2019). However, it leads to establishing the wrong and discriminatory ideas about the dominance of some races and the inferiority of others.
For this reason, Boas stated that the lives of others should be viewed through an empathetic lens (King, 2019). It means that the judgment of others cannot be made until individuals understand them and see social reality in the correct ways (King, 2019). Mead also rejected the old approaches, trying to enter into the mental attitudes of various groups within primitive societies (King, 2019). As a result, her vision helped her better understand the concept of culture and its evolution.
Research Methods
The ideas formulated by Boas required specific research methods to collect information and prove them. For this reason, the investigator employed multiple methods to conduct research and draw relevant conclusions. First, he investigated already existing sources to create the theoretical framework and vision of the theme. However, it served as the basis for future work and research, as Boas was unsatisfied with the discovered evidence (King, 2019). Instead, it inspired him to start traveling to areas where other people live and collect information about them. In this way, field study, as an ethnographic research method, was one of Boas’s most essential tools for data collection.
The first trip to Baffin Island proved fundamental to Boas’ future work and understanding of the concepts of race and culture. The initial plans to collect local representations were unsuccessful due to the complexities of the local climate, and the researcher had to live with the Inuit for a specific period (King, 2019). As a result, attitudes towards local people and the concept of culture in general underwent a significant shift.
The opportunity to analyze the worldview and people’s representations helped to understand how culture is linked to the environment. He also formulated the first hypotheses about the relationships between food availability, migration patterns, and climate peculiarities (King, 2019). This trip became a pivotal factor in the further development of Boas’s vision of anthropology and the evolution of culture.
Mead had similar approaches to investigating various cultures and supporting her assumptions with credible evidence. Thus, her ethnographic research focused on American Samoa, where the ideas of gender, sex, and relations differed from those traditionally accepted in Western societies (King, 2019). As a result, Mead acquired the opportunity to work with local people in their natural environment, contributing to an enhanced understanding of how they evolve and how their worldview is shaped by the factors surrounding them. As a result of this approach, Mead could report and prove that the local people were not primitive and that their culture was worthy of investigation and consideration as a unique entity.
Methods’ Impact
At the same time, the way Boas conducted his research influenced his vision of people and the insights he gained. For instance, while living with the Inuit, he witnessed the outbreak of diphtheria, which had previously been unseen on these lands (King, 2019). It caused Boas much suffering, as he considered himself guilty for it, although he could not help these people. Thus, the close interaction with locals during expeditions, as well as the intense feelings and emotions experienced, impacted the researcher’s vision of other cultures and the concept of race in general.
sFor Mead, the impact of her methods was similar. She spent a great deal of time investigating particular groups and individuals, allowing her to experience strong emotions and appreciate their importance and unique value. In this way, due to their approaches, the investigators rejected the outdated concept of the superiority of some cultures while introducing a new one, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive analysis of all cultures and their comparative examination. It could be considered a result of his close interaction with the people whom they studied and the enhanced understanding of the unique value of their lives and traditions.
Conclusion
Altogether, Franz Boas and Margaret Mead were the researchers who challenged the traditional scientific racism and assumptions associated with it. Dissatisfied with the classic approach and the lack of data collected directly from representatives of various cultures, they decided to travel to different areas to collect information that would prove their assumptions and theories. The idea of using empathetic lenses as a means of analyzing other cultures was one of the most significant contributions to anthropology made by Boas.
At the same time, Mead’s activity altered the view of primitive cultures and people. The desire to move beyond classic and outdated approaches and create new ones has stimulated the evolution of the entire field of science, contributing to progress in establishing the ideas of tolerance and humanism. Nowadays, Boas and Mead’s ideas remain relevant, and the understanding of other cultures is formed using credible data about them.
Reference
King, C. (2019). Gods of the upper air. Doubleday.