Contributions of Social Anthropology in the study of colonialism of the twentieth century
Once in our lives it has been heard about the theme of colonialism, but they knew that this theme inspired social anthropologists to conduct research, this essay will talk about the importance of studies of social anthropologists, especially focusedIn the analysis carried out by Radcliffe-Brown and Evans-Pritchard, the investigations carried out by the authors, are the basis for other studies with similar theme, and now we will find out why.
First to understand about the contributions given by social anthropology, we will have to talk about its history, through two well -recognized representatives of this European School.
I will begin talking about the world historical context, where the social anthropologist is located, as it is known that during the twentieth century Europe was at its best, in terms of colonialism referred to, because during that time the countries of that continent were focusedIn colonizing other countries, a clear example is the English colonies located in Africa, and for anthropological researchers it was an important moment since through this phenomenon investigations could be carried out to the communities that they considered primitive.
Now we will understand about the definition about social anthropology, there are different responses about the definition of this science, but three great ideas have been taken that can better help us understand about social anthropologist.
(Marzal, 2016) defines social anthropology as "part of the field of anthropology, which creates the conceptual field to describe social facts".
(Radcliffe-Brown, 1958) understands social anthropology as "human society research through a systematic comparison, the limit of your attention is not found in primitive societies", its purpose is to discover general laws that have governed history in the past andIt is uniform, so that the future can govern, it also tells us that there is a small dividing line between primitive and non -primitive societies, continues arguing about its object of study that is “use of knowledge that is being obtained in primitive societies to establishquality and significant comparisons of social phenomena ”.
According to Malinowski, he tells us that social anthropology is a branch of sociology, as applied in primitive tribes.
(Campo, 2008) defines social anthropology as “part of anthropology that investigates cultural variations, expressed through social organizations, are a great source of information for the comparative analysis used by ethnographers, their purpose is to establish universal laws, forbetter understand the reality of the individual ".
In other words, we can define social anthropology as a science that studies societies, based on social events, manifested through the customs and traditions that people possess, it has an inductive approach.
Now we will talk about people who are two of the pillars of social anthropology, and now we will talk a little about their bibliography.
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown was a British anthropologist who was born in Birmingham on January 17, 1881, had a complicated childhood, in 1906 I did enough field work in Andaman Islands, these investigations received influence from two sociologists;Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss, in 1910 he started in ethnological expedition, in northern Australia in order".
Edward Evans-Pritchard, an English anthropologist, his place of birth was in England, in 1902 he studied at the University of Oxford, was a student of Radcliffe-Brown, his writings also denote influence of the sociologist Emile Durkheim, one of his most important works was thework entitled "Los Nuer".
The aforementioned authors based their investigations on the study of private peoples, in the case of Radcliffe-Brown with the study of primitive Australian society through its social structures and in the case of Evans-Prince through its directed ethnographic researchTo the nuestra.
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown in his work "Method of Anthropology" gives a definition of social anthropology, also an object of study, as well as the visions of other authors also tell us about the precursors that this science has had (Tylor and Malinowski), its development since the fifteenth century, and identifies a definition of structures and is “permanent management of people in definitive relationships or controlled by institutions“ also the relationship that social structures and active relationships have.
In "structure and function in primitive society", he tries to explain that, in these societies, its social structure is based on social relationships, social relations also allow establishing camaraderie relations, there are several types of relationships, the first relationship,It is a marriage between crossed cousins, the spouses already know who their future political relatives are going to be, thanks to this type of relationship, the link between allied tribes is narrowed, these unions are blood or through rituals, there is also a linksocial between friendship and mockery that seems courtesy.
There is a distinction between distancing and courtesy to people, they have enough respect for parents, they even have a concept for friendship and it is "agreement of two people to get into conflict in a non -open way".
Edward Evans-Pritchard in “Los Nuer” is about the close relationship that the Nuer and the Dinkka possess, but focuses on the Nuer, it has ten interesting thematic axes, the first theme is about geographical location, then it continues about their organizationPolitics, it continues with the link that the Nue with the neighbors possess, then presents the family organization in which the society that revolves around one of the productive activities (livestock) is governed, it also exposes about one of its rituals (ritualfuneral), in the same way it presents the significant conception of society towards an animal (in this case cows), they also tell us about the war that the new and the Dinkka (main cause: cultivation grasslands), then exposes economic activities, economic activities,As a penultimate theme we have the climate of the area and ends with the trade they do with other peoples.
The contributions that these authors have given to social anthropology through their works are:
Radcliffe- Brown The contributions he could make to social anthropology through his works are: he gave us a new research perspective from a structural-functionalist approach, because through this research approach, he argues that the functions that members that membersThey have to fulfill as part of it is addressed through an organization, the next point is about the clear definition of social structures deducting it from the society that was investigating, it also explains of future research techniques, the rules of behavior thatThey have to be followed so as not to bother the investigated community and the explanation about ceremonial customs according to the investigated society, as the last point expresses the exact definition about the relationship between social affection and the role that plays in the life ofpeople.
The contribution that Evans-Pritchard gave through his work was, the importance of participating observation, since through it we can better visualize certain aspects that at first glance we cannot realize, it continues with the need to learn the language of The natives to have a better understanding of the themes that will be discussed during the stay in the place, also gave us a teaching about the creation of the ethnographic methodology, but from a structuralist point of view, because it tries to try argue that research may be that as successful as possible the object of study has to be exhaustively analyzed, but we should complement with historical research, to have a better contextualization in the historical aspect of the communities that are going to be studied, and From knowing the historical context you can go to field work, but you always have to be receptive to information, since all kinds of info rmation that people can give us, are of great help in research.
For the scientific academies, the studies carried out by the two anthropologists were important, since the basis of the methodology in ethnographic research and social anthropology laid, for which many researchers could apply these methodologies to reality, also thanks to analysts, the analysts, thepolitical and intellectual dome of their country, they better understood about the different lifestyles, ways of thinking and even social organization, that the investigated peoples had.
Thanks to these studies, they could have a better knowledge and preserve to some extent the customs and traditions of the peoples, without affecting their economic interests, although there were some social scientists who rejected the propositions that the authors were developing, and even refuted them.
In conclusion, it can be reached that the contributions that have been made by social anthropologists, especially focused on the work of the authors already mentioned to improve the understanding in cultural aspects of the people studied (lifestyles and other aspects in particular ) At present they are of the utmost importance, because they are the basis of future studies related to the subject but in different communities, but developing similar issues, the authors did not stay in their investigation work since their desk, but they could investigate in The field, in order to verify the hypotheses that had been made from their desk, and thanks to these small contributions, the ethnographic and ethnological methodologies that will be seen later, particularly I would love to thank the authors, because they are on some of the pillars so that social anthropology can be developed, since their research was Eron directed in different approaches, not only to a particular approach, also thanks to them career professionals, they can have a clearer notion about the exact definition of social anthropology as well as new research topics with different level approach Social.
Bibliography
- Field, l. (2008). Basic Anthropology Dictionary . Quito: Anagram.
- Evans- Pritchard, and. (1940). The Nuer. Oxford: Anagrama.
- Marzal, m. (2016). History of anthropology vol 3 . Quito: Abyo- Yala .
- Radcliffe- Brown, A. (1958). Social Anthropology Method. Chicago: Anagrama.
- Radcliffe- Brown, A. (1969). Structure and function n primitive society . London: Planet Agostini.
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