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GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Introduction:
In the previous lecture we have discussed the emergence of
Anthropology, let us now discuss the growth of Anthropology i.e. the
development of Anthropology as an organized and systematic discipline. In
today’s lecture let me tell you a brief review of the growth of anthropology in
general.
Growth of Anthropology:
Let us review in brief the works of eminent
scholars to assess the growth of the world
anthropology. During this period many divergent
views about the origin of biological and social
aspects of human beings by scholars of different
countries were expressed which ultimately
shaped the theories of culture. Among these
scholars special mention may be made of Marx
(1818-1883), Charles Lyell (1797-1895), William
Smith (1769-1839) etc. While Marx accepted the
dialectical process as the moving power of
history and believed that this process was marked by conflict. Perthes (1783-
1863), a French archaeologist came across some stone hand axes deposited in
a river bed. He gave an archaeological origin of culture. This archaeological site
was also visited by the famous British archaeologist Charles Lyell, who
confirmed it and brought some of the findings to England and presented to the
Royal society and British Academy.
When various convergent views like economic origin of society, the
psychological origin of culture or the archaeological explanation of the origin of
man and his culture etc. were being talked about. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
was working on his monumental theory of evolution, which he announced in
1858 just one year after the death of Auguste Comte. However, Darwin’s
theory of evolution came out in printed form in 1859, which brought out with
concrete evidences the physical evolution of man. Darwin’s scheme of
evolution also tested his two major hypotheses viz. “the struggle for existence
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by natural selection” and “survival of the fittest”, which were demonstrated by

Darwin throwing light on Man’s position in animal kingdom ranging from
vertebrate and mammals to Homo-sapiens.
After the publication of Origin of Species in 1859, physical evolution of
man based on scientific investigation was established. Although missionaries
and clergymen abused Darwin for neglecting the supreme power, which they
had preached till then as the only creator of the universe, man and culture.
In this way the convergent period of the world anthropology, when diversities
of arguments and views were expressed about the origin of man and society,
came to an end with the publication of Origin of Species in 1859 by Charles
Darwin, who was called as the father of world anthropology.
After the end of the convergent period, which virtually disappeared with
the publications of Darwin’s Origin of Species, the constructive phase of world
anthropology started. During this period,
anthropology not only as an independent
discipline of teaching and research was
started in many British Universities like
Oxford (in 1884), Cambridge (in 1900) etc.,
but scientific researches and publications
thereon were also accelerated by E.B. Tylor,
James Frazer, Henry Maeni, J.F. Mc Lennan, Adolf Bastian, L.H. Morgan and
other, which ultimately strengthened the subject for wider recognition all over
the world. During this period various types of anthropological researches led to
the formation of different branches of anthropology like ethnology, prehistory,
social anthropology, physical anthropology etc.
During the constructive period of world anthropology not only
significant anthropological researches were done in England, Germany, U.S.A
etc., but even in France where anthropology as a distinct subject of teaching
and research had not been recognized till then. Emile Durkheim (1856-1917)
and associates like Paul Rivet, Marcel Mauss, Levy Bruhl etc., recognized the
importance of studying the primitive societies for knowing the social systems
of the world as a whole their researches finally established a Sociological
school of thought in France, which ultimately helped anthropology to flourish
rapidly. It was in France where Durkheim started in 1898 a famous scientific
journal in Sociology name L. Annee Sociologique in which large number of
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papers of anthropological interest were published. Again, during this

constructive phase some important journals like American Journal of Folk-lore,
Bulletin of the Royal Anthropological Society of Great Britain and Ireland (now
known as Man) etc. were also started which not only covered large number of
anthropological papers but also encouraged the colonial administrators to
contribute reports and papers for publications, reviews and comments etc.
These colonial administrators posted in different British dominions made
tremendous contributions for strengthening the anthropological researches.
For instance, the researches done in India by these British officers during
this period such as William Crooke (in North India), E. Thurston(in South India)
O’Malley (in North-Eastern India), Russel (in Central India) etc., ultimately led
to the opening of anthropology in many Indian Universities at the later stage.
During this period many developments have been encountered and special
mention may be made of the first chair of Social anthropology in 1908 in the
University of Liverpool in London, chaired by Sir James Frazer; teaching of
anthropology was started for the first time in India at the University of Calcutta
in 1920; the teaching of social anthropology was started in the department of
sociology at the University of Bombay in 1919; the first anthropological journal
in India known as Man-in-India was started in 1921 by Late Sir S.C. Roy, the
Father of India Ethnography, and many other significant developments
promoting the cause of anthropology took place during this period.
Many anthropologists have pointed
out that during this period various
anthropological concepts were propounded
which led to the foundation of different
schools of thought in anthropology. Most of
the schools of thought, viz. functional school
of thought structural school of thought,
school of diffusion, culture and personality
etc. were developed during this period. The
authors of this period specialized in
theorizing the concepts, definitions,
classification of the different aspects of
culture, which are still unparalleled in the
history of anthropology. For instance,
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Malinowski flourished in the field of anthropology during this period, most of

his publication were published during this period as well as his historical field
expedition among the Trobrian Islanders was done during the same period,
Radcliffe Brown, a matchless theoretician of the British school of anthropology,
got his training in social anthropology under W.H. R. Rivers and A.C. Haddon in
Cambridge during this period. Finally, at the world level and specially in U.S.A.
anthropologists like A.L. Kroeber, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, Robert
Redfield, Clark Wissler etc. who have shaped the destiny of the world
anthropological thought, flourished as anthropologists and then as
theoreticians during Penniman’s critical period of world anthropology. Thus, to
a great extent Penniman was correct when he says that critical period in world
anthropology began after 1900 A.D. and probably the significant and very
critical developments which took place in this discipline all over the world,
were the main criterions which Penniman took into considerations for
explaining the development of anthropological concepts during this period.

Conclusion:
These are the phases and developments of the world anthropology as
discussed above. As the book Hundred years of Anthropology by Penniman
was published in 1935, it has virtually concluded the progress and growth of
the world anthropology only up to that period. However, sufficient progress
and development have taken place in the different branches of anthropology,
which also reveal the trends in anthropological thought and theories as
reflected through the various world anthropological and Ethnological sciences.

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