On Social Structure Author(s): A. R.

Radcliffe-Brown Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 70, No. 1 (1940), pp. 1-12 Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2844197 . Accessed: 17/08/2011 20:51
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.

http://www.jstor.org

ON SOCIAL STRUCTURE
PresidentialAddress By A. R.
RADCLIFFE-BROWN,

M.A.

It has been suggested me by some of myfriends to that I shoulduse this occasionto offer some remarks about my own pointof view in social anthropology;and since in my teaching, beginning Cambridge at and at the London School of Economicsthirty yearsago, I have consistently emphasisedthe importance the study of social structure, suggestion of the madeto me was thatI shouldsay something thatsubject. on I hope you will pardon me if I begin with a note of personalexplanation. I have been described morethan one occasionas belonging something on to called the " FunctionalSchool " of Social Anthropology and even as beingits leader, or one of its leaders. This Functional Schooldoes not reallyexist; it is a myth Malinowski. He has explained invented Professor by how,to quote his own words," the magnificent of the FunctionalSchool of Anthropology title has been bestowed myself, a way on myself, to a largeextentout ofmy ownsenseof in and by irresponsibility." Professor Malinowski's irresponsibility had unfortunate has results,since it has spread over anthropology dense fog of discussionabout " functionalism."Professor a Lowie has announced that the leading,thoughnot the only,exponentof functionalism the in nineteenth century was Professor Franz Boas. I do not thiink that thereis any special sense, otherthan the purelychronological one, in whichI can be said to be eitherthe follower of Professor Boas or the predecessorof ProfessorMalinowski. The statementthat I am a " functionalist," equallythestatement or no that I am not,wouldseemto me to convey definite meaning. Thereis no place in naturalsciencefor" schools" in thissense,and I regard social anthroas pology a branchof naturalscience. Each scientist startsfrom workof his predecessors, the and whichhe believesto be significant, by observation reasoning and finds problems endeavours to make some contribution a growing to body of theory. Co-operation amongstscientists from factthattheyare working the same or relatedproblems. Such co-operation results the on in does not result the formation schools, the sensein whichthereare schoolsofphilosophy of in or ofpainting. Thereis no place fororthodoxies heterodoxies science. Nothing more in and is in sciencethan attempts establishadherence doctrines. All that a teachercan to to pernicious do is to assistthe student learning understand use the scientific in method. It is not his to and to make disciples. business
A

Address A. R. RADCLIFFE-BRowN-Presidential

society, as I conceiveof social anthropology the theoreticalnatural science of lhuman similarto those used in by of that is, the investigation social phenomena methodsessentially the physicaland biologicalsciences. I am quite willingto call the subject " comparative and not the name,that is important. if sociology," any one so wishes. It is the subjectitself, or who As you know,thereare some ethnologists anthropologists hold that it is not possible, to or at least not profitable, apply to socialphenomenathe theoreticalmethodsof natural that does not, it, as social anthropology, I have defined is something science. For thesepersons or will my and neverwill,exist. For them,ofcourse, remarks have no meaning, at leastnotthe I meaning intendthemto have. While I have defined as social anthropology the study of humansociety,thereare some of perhapsbe thought it thatthisdifference definiwhodefine as the studyofculture. It might which kinds of study,between tion is of minor importance. Actuallyit leads to two different of in it is hardly possibleto obtainagreement the formulation problems. clear it of For a preliminary definition social phenomena seems sufficiently that what we individualorganisms. In a hive of bees of have to deal withare relations associationbetween and the drones. Thereis the thereare the relationsof associationof the queen, the workers and of association animalsin a herd,of a mother-cat herkittens. These are social phenomena; of I do not supposethat any one will call themculturalphenomena. In anthropology, course, as it, withhumanbeings,and in social anthropology, I define what we we are onlyconcerned of are beings. humaxn have to investigate the forms associationto be foundamongst observable factswithwhichthe social anthropologist Let us consider whatare the concrete, is concerned. If we set out to study,for example, the aboriginalinhabitantsof a part of of humanbeingsin a certain naturalenvironment. a number individual we Australia, find certain acts ofspeech, of their of the including, course, We can observe acts ofbehaviour theseindividuals, and the materialproductsof past actions. We do not observea " culture,"since that word and as it is commonly used a vague denotes,not any concretereality,but an abstraction, does revealto us that these humanbeingsare connected abstraction. But directobservation " of by a complexnetwork social relations. I use the term " social structure to denotethis to it relations. It is thisthat I regard as mybusiness studyif I am of network actuallyexisting I but or not working, as an ethnologist psychologist, as a social anthropologist. do not mean it but ofsocial anthropology, I do regard as being is thatthe studyofsocialstructure the whole sensethe mostfundamental partofthe science. in a veryimportant of of investigation the structure the My view of naturalscienceis that it is the systematic our to as important separatebranches universe it is revealed us through senses. Thereare certain the classorkindofstructures, aim beingto discover deals witha certain each of which ofscience, of of the characteristics all structures that kind. So atomic physicsdeals withthe structure and of with the structure molecules, crystallography colloidalchemistry of atoms, chemistry of withthe structures and colloids,and anatomyand physiology of withthe structure crystals fora branchof naturalsciencewhichwill have I suggest, place organisms. Thereis, therefore, of of of forits task the discovery the generalcharacteristics thosesocial structures whichthe unitsare humanbeings. component

On Social Structure

a class ofnaturalphenomena. Theyare all, in one way Social phenomena constitute distinct or another, connected withthe existence social structures, of either beingimpliedin or resultinig are just as real as are individualorganisms. A complexorganism from them. Social structures fluids in is a collection livingcells and interstitial of arranged a certain structure; and a living of a cell is similarly structural and arrangement complexmolecules. The physiological psychoare logical phenomena that we observein the lives of organisms not simplythe resultof the or molecules atomsofwhich organism builtup, but are the result is the natureoftheconstituent whichwe observein of the structure whichtheyare united. So also the social phenomena in resultof the natureofindividualhumanbeings,but are not the immediate any humansociety are tlie resultof the social structure whichtheyare united. by social structures not exactlythe same It shouldbe noted that to say we are studying is which howsomesociologists is define their subject. thingas sayingthatwe studysocialrelations, two persons(unlesstheybe Adam and Eve in the Gardenof between A particular social relation of Eden) exists only as part of a wide network social relations, involving manyotherpersons, whichI regardas the object of ourinvestigations. and it is thisnetwork " I am aware, of course,that the term" social structure is used in a numberof different true senses,some of them veryvague. This is unfortunately of many othertermscommonly is used by anthropologists.The choice of termsand theirdefinitions a matterof scientific of but formative convenience, one ofthecharacteristics a scienceas soonas it has passed thefirst termswhichare used in the same precisemeaning all the of periodis the existence technical by to of revealsitselfas not students that science. By this test, I regret say, social anthropology to for science. One has therefore select for oneself, certainterms,definitions yet a formed for whichseemto be the mostconvenient thepurposesofscientific analysis. who to Thereare some anthropologists use the termsocial structure refer onlyto persistent theiridentity social groups,such as nations,tribesand clans, whichretaintheircontinuity, Dr. Evans-Pritchard, his in as individualgroups,in spite of changesin theirmemberlship. to use the term social structure this sense. in recentadmirablebook on the Nuer, prefers of social groupsis an exceedingly the Certainly existence such persistent important aspect of to a it But I find moreuseful includeunderthe termsocial structure good deal more structure. than this. all of In the first place, I regardas a part of the social structure social relations personto of For example,the kinshipstructure any societyconsistsof a number such dyadic of person. relations, betweena fatherand son, or a mother'sbrotherand his sister's son. In an as of is Australiantribethe wholesocial structure based on a network such relationsof person to person, established connections. through genealogical of the I Secondly, includeundersocial structure differentiation individualsand of classes of and of socialpositions menand women, chiefs commoners, socialrole. The differential bytheir are of as and employees, just as muchdeterminants social relations belonging of employers to nations. different clans or different
A2

Address A. R. RADCLIFFE-BROwN-Presidential

is withwhichwe are concerned the set reality the In the studyofsocial structure, concrete certainhuman at of actuallyexistingrelations, a givenmomentof time,whichlink together beings. It is on thisthat we can make directobservations. But it is not thisthat we attempt is fromhistoryor biography) not to describein its particularity. Science (as distinguished the withthe particular, unique,but only with the general,with kinds,with events concerned of whichrecur. The actual relations Tom, Dick and Harryor the behaviourof Jack and Jill for and may provideillustrations a generaldescription. may go down in our fieldnote-books is of purposes an accountoftheform thestructure.For example, But whatwe needforscientific of towardsone another tribeI observein a number instancesthe behaviour if in an Australian and that I may brother sister's of son,it is in order whostandin therelation mother's ofpersons be able to record as preciselyas possiblethe generalor normalformof this relationship, abstractedfrom the variations of particular instances, though taking account of those variations. to as reality, betweenstructure an actuallyexistingconcrete distinction, This important as may be made describes, form, what the field-worker be directlyobserved,and structural of time,a continuity of through clearer by perhaps a consideration thecontinuity socialstructure but a dynamiccontinuity, that of the organic like whichis not static like that of a building, is its the of structure a livingbody. Throughout lifeof an organism structure beingconstantly renewsthe social structure. Thus the actual the renewed; and similarly social lifeconstantly day to day. yearto year,or even from of relations personsand groupsof personschangefrom go comeintoa community birthor immigration;others out ofit by deathor by New members or and divorces. Friendsmay becomeenemies, enemiesmay emigration.Thereare marriages in changes thisway,the general makepeace and becomefriends. But whilethe actual structure overa longeror shorter constant periodoftime. Thus if form structural may remainrelatively an it of and that stablecommunity revisit after interval tenyears,I shallfind I visit a relatively have been born; the members others have died and who stillsurviveare manyofits members to may have changedin manyways. Yet now ten yearsolderand theirrelations one another from those that I can observeare verylittle different I may findthat the kinds of relations has changedlittle. form ten observed yearsbefore. The structural formmay change,sometimes sometimes gradually, But, on the otherhand, the structural and militaryconquests. But even in the most as with relativesuddenness, in revolutions is of some continuity structure maintained. changes revolutionary thatwe find I mustsay a fewwordsaboutthe spatialaspectofsocialstructure.It is rarely moment of no outsidecontact. At the present that isolated,having a community is absolutely of the network social relationsspreads over the whole world,withoutany absolute history, I which do not thinkthatsociosolutionof continuity anywhere.This givesrise to a difficulty whatis meantby the term" a society." They of logistshave reallyfaced,thedifficulty defining discreteentities, forexample, as talk as, do commonly ofsocieties if theyweredistinguishable, or is whenwe are told that a society an organism. Is the BritishEmpirea society, a collection of a or a society, is it merely fragment the RepublicofChina? ? ofsocieties Is a Chinese village

On Social Structure

If we say that our subjectis the studyand comparison humansocieties, oughtto be able of we withwhichwe are concerned. to say whatare the unitentities If we take any convenient as localityof a suitablesize, we can studythe structural system of the it appears in and.fromthat region,i.e., the network relationsconnecting inhabitants and and amongstthemselves withthe people of otherregions. We can thus observe, describe, of of compare systems social structure as manylocalitiesas we wish. To illustrate the what I of to mean, I may refer two recentstudiesfromthe University Chicago,one of a Japanese village, Suye Mura,by Dr. JohnEmbree, and the other of a French Canadian community, St. Denis, by Dr. Horace Miner. is Closely connectedwith this conceptionof social structure the conceptionof " social " the personality as theposition occupiedby a humanbeingin a socialstructure, complex formed by all his social relations withothers. Every humanbeinglivingin societyis two things: he a is an individualand also a person. As an individual,he is a biologicalorganism, collection of a vast numberof moleculesorganised a complexstructure, withinwhich,as long as it in persists,there occur physiologicaland psychologicalactions and reactions,processes and and changes. Human beingsas individuals objectsofstudyforphysiologists psychologists. are The humanbeingas a personis a complexof social relationships.He is a citizenof England,a a a of husbandand a father, brick-layer, member a particular Methodist a congregation, voter a of in a certain of constituency,member his tradeunion,an adherent the Labour Party,and so or on. Note that each of thesedescriptions refers a social relationship, to a place in a social to structure.Note also that a social personality something thatchangesduring courseofthe is the lifeof the person. As a person,the humanbeingis the object of studyforthe social anthropologist. We cannotstudypersonsexceptin termsof social structure, can we studysocial nor of structure who are the unitsofwhichit is composed. exceptin terms the persons If you tell me that an individualand a personare afterall reallythe same thing,I would remind oftheChristian you creed. God is threepersons, to say that He is threeindividuals but is to be guilty a heresy whichmenhave been put to death. Yet the failure distinguish of for to a individualand personis not merely heresy religion; it is worsethanthat; it is a sourceof in in confusion science. I have nowsufficiently I of defined, hope,the subjectmatter whatI regard an extremely as branchof social anthropology.The methodto be adoptedfollows important immediately from It withtheintensive thisdefinition. mustcombine studyofsinglesocieties(i.e., ofthestructural the systemsobservablein particularcommunities) systematiccomparison many societies of of (or structural is systems different types). The use of comparison indispensable. The study of a singlesocietymay providematerials comparative for occasionfor study,or it may afford which then need to be tested by reference other societies; it cannot give to hypotheses, demonstrated results. Our first is task,of course, to learnas muchas we can about the varieties, diversities, or of structural of systems. This requiresfieldresearch. Many writers ethnographical descriptions account of the social structure. But a few social do not attemptto give us any systematic

Address A. R. RADCLIFFE-BROWN-Presidential

the of -do here anthropologists, and in America, recognise importance such data and theirwork their researches for bodyofmaterial ourstudy. Moreover, growing is providing witha steadily us " in but extendto communities to are no longerconfined what are called " primitive societies, as suchregions Sicily,Ireland,Japan,Canada and the UnitedStates. of we morphology societies,however, must aim at If we are to have a real comparative of systems. That is a complexand buildingup some sortof classification typesof structural for difficult task,to whichI have myselfdevoted attention thirtyyears. It is the kind of of and I thinkI can number myfingers of on taskthatneedsthe co-operation a number students I time. Nevertheless, believesomeprogress in interested it at thepresent thosewhoare actively does not producespectacularresultsand a book on the is beingmade. Such work,however, best-seller. not subjectwouldcertainly be an anthropological did formed and that sciencesuntil We shouldremember chemistry biology not becomefully of classification the thingstheywere had been made withthe systematic considerable progress in dealingwith,substances the one instanceand plantsand animalsin the other. in and comparison classification study,consisting the definition, Besidesthismorphological The problemhere is: how do is a physiological there study. of diversestructural systems, which maintaina networkof social ? structural systemspersist What are the mechanisms work? In usingthe terms and how do they and morphology physiology, in relations existence, whichwas so popular to I mayseem to be returning the analogybetweensocietyand organism misusedby nineteenth was century sociologists, with mediaeval philosophers, takenoverand often writers. But analogies, used, are important properly and is completely rejected manymodern by and thereis a real and significant analogybetweenorganicstructure thinking aids to scientific and social structure. we not In whatI am thuscallingsocialphysiology, are concerned onlywithsocialstructure, and government, but with everykind of social phenomenon. Morals,law, etiquette, religion, mechanism whicha socialstructure existsand persists. are all partsofthe complex by education not or If we take up the structural pointofview,we studythesethings, in abstraction isolation, relationsto social structure, with reference the way in to but in theirdirectand indirect i.e., betweenpersonsand groupsof persons. the whichtheydependupon, or affect, social relations a of illustrations whatthismeans. cannotdo moreherethan offer fewbrief I the set consider studyoflanguage. A languageis a connected ofspeechusages Let us first The of and observedwithina defined speech-community. 'existence speech-communities their a relation of between sizesarefeatures social structure.Thereis, therefore, certainverygeneral of and language. But if we considerthe special characteristics a particular social structure its and is language-its phonology, morphology, even to a greatextentits vocabulary-there no betweenthese and the special of connection eitherone-sidedor mutual determination direct withinwhichthe languageis spoken. of of characteristics the social structure the community that two societiesmighthave verysimilarforms social structure of and can easilyconceive We of form social kinds of language,or vice versa. The coincidence a particular of verydifferent and a particularlanguagein a given community always the resultof historical is structure

On Social Structure

accident. Theremay,ofcourse, certain be indirect, remote interactions between socialstructure and language,but thesewouldseemto be ofminor importance. Thus the general comparative carriedout as a relatively studyof languagescan be profitably independent branchof science, in whichthe languageis considered abstraction in from social structure the community the of in whichit is spoken. But, on the otherhand,thereare certain features linguistic of history whichare specifically with social structure. As structural connected phenomenamay be instancedthe processby whichLatin, from beingthelanguageof the small regionof Latium, becamethe languageof a considerable part of Europe, displacingthe otherItalic languages,Etruscan,and manyCeltic languages; and the subsequent reverse processby whichLatin splitup intoa number diverse of of becamethe variousRomancelanguagesofto-day. local forms speech,whichultimately of Thus the spread of language,the unification a numberof separate communities into a and single speech-community, the reverseprocess of subdivisioninto different speech-comare of munities, phenomena social structure. So also are thoseinstancesin which,in societies of havinga class structure, thereare differences speechusage in different classes. I have considered becauselinguistics I think, branch socialanthropoof languagefirst, is, the studied withoutreference social structure.There is a to logy whichcan be most profitably a a reason forthis. The set of speechusages whichconstitute languagedoes form system and in theircommon or systemsof this kind can be compared orderto discover general, abstract, of the laws Qf characters, determination which can give us laws, which will be specifically linguistics. otherbranches social anthropology theirrelation of certain and Let us consider verybriefly to the studyof social structure. If we take the social lifeof a local community over a period, sumtotal ofactivities let us say a year,we can observea certain carriedout by thepersons who of one persondoing composeit. We can also observea certainapportionment theseactivities, of anotherdoing others. This apportionment activities,equivalent to what certain things, of feature the social structure. is sometimes called the social divisionoflabour,is an important " gratification," I propose Now activitiesare carriedout because theyprovidesome sort of as feature social lifeis that activitiesofcertain of to call it, and the characteristic persons provide a simple instance,when an Australianblackfellow for gratifications otherpersons. In goes but and also forother he hunting, providesmeat,not onlyforhimself, forhis wifeand children it is relatives whom is his dutyto givemeatwhenhe has it. Thusin any society to there not only of but of an apportionment activities, also an apportionment thegratifications resulting therefrom, the and some sortofsocialmachinery, relatively simpleor,sometimes, highly complex, which by systemworks. or the stuidied It is thismachinery, certain aspectsofit,thatconstitutes specialsubject-matter withwhatkindsand quantities goods are prothemselves of by the economists. Theyconcern from or to duced,howtheyare distributed (i.e., theirflow personto person, region region) and institutions extenare the way in whichtheyare disposedof. Thus what are called economic fromthe rest of the social system. This in moreor less completeabstraction sivelystudied

A. R. RADCLIFFE-BRowN-Presidential Address

in particularly the studyof complexmodem provideusefulresults, methoddoes undoubtedly becomeapparentas soon as we attemptto applyit to the exchangeof societies. Its weaknesses societies. goodsin whatare called primitive of machinery a societyappearsin quite a newlightifit is studiedin relation The economic upon,is the resultof, is to the social structure.The exchangeof goods and services dependent of a a and at the same time is a means of maintaining certainstructure, network relations and politiciansof Canada the of between personsand collections persons. For the economists and wasteful foolishness it was of potlatchof the Indians ofthe north-west Americawas simply a for it forbidden. For the anthropologist was the machinery maintaining social therefore of an was combined arrangement rankdefined withwhich clansand moieties, of structure lineages, by privileges. that they institutions humansocietiesrequires of of Any fullunderstanding the economic two angles. From one of these the economicsystemis viewed as the should be studiedfrom transported are by mechanism whichgoodsofvariouskindsand in variousquantities produced, between is system a set ofrelations and and transferred, utilised. Fromthe otherthe economic ofgoods or by, and and groupswhichmaintains, is maintained thisexchange circulation persons life and services. Fromthe latterpointof view,the studyofthe economic of societiestakes its place as part of the generalstudyof social structure. and can onlybe described, reference the reciprocal to are by Social relations onlyobserved, has to behaviourof the personsrelated. The formof a social structure therefore be described in and groupsconform theirdealingswithone to of by thepatterns behaviour whichindividuals in another. These patternsare partiallyformulated rules which,in our own society,we disof as tinguish rulesofetiquette, moralsand oflaw. Rules, ofcourse,onlyexistin theirrecogniwhentheyare stated as of tion by the members thesociety; eitherin theirverbalrecognition, field-worker as in rules,or in theirobservance behaviour. Thesetwomodesofrecognition, every same thingand bothhave to be takenintoaccount. knows, not the are moralsand law are partofthemechanism the If I say that in any society rulesof etiquette, this in is will,I suppose, a certain ofsocialrelations maintained existence, statement set by which on whichmanywriters humansociety be greetedas a truism. But it is one of thosetruisms or analyses. The discussions, in theirdescriptive verballyaccept and yet ignorein theoretical but that whatwe need to knowfora scientific point is not that rules exist in every society, instances. and in particular workin general is understanding just howthesethings on for Let us consider, example,the study of law. If you examinethe literature jurisare willfind thatlegalinstitutions studiedforthemostpartinmoreorlesscomplete you prudence from restof the social systemof whichtheyare a part. This is doubtlessthe the abstraction studies. But for in method lawyers their for investigaanyscientific mostconvenient professional mustdeal are events The tionofthe natureoflaw it is insufficient. data withwhicha scientist can occurand can be observed. In the fieldof law, the eventswhichthe social scientist which thattake place in courtsofjustice. These observeand thustake as his data are the proceedings or and forthe social anthropologist the reality, theyare the mechanism processby which are

On Social Structure

certaindefinable social-relations between persons groups restored, and are maintained modified. or Law is a partofthemachinery whicha certain by social structure maintained. The system is of laws of a particular societycan onlybe fullyunderstood it is studiedin relationto the social if and ,structure, inversely understanding thesocial structure the of requires, amongst otherthings, a systematic studyofthe legal institutions. I have talkedabout social relations, I have not so faroffered a precisedefinition. but you A socialrelation twoormoreindividualorganisms whenthere someadjustment existsbetween is of theirrespective interests, convergence interest, by limitation conflicts by of or of that might " arise from divergence interests. I use the term" interest herein the widestpossiblesense, of to refer all behaviour to that we regardas purposive. To speak of an interest impliesa subject and an object and a relationbetweenthem. Wheneverwe say that a subject has a certain interest an objectwe can state thesame thing sayingthatthe objecthas a certain in by value for the subject. Interest and value are correlative terms, whichrefer the two sides of an asymto metricalrelation. to leads immediately the studyof interests values as Thus the studyof social structure or thedeterminants socialrelations. A social relation does not resultfrom of similarity interests, of of but restseitheron the mutualinterest personsin one another,or on one or morecommon of form social solidarity where of interests, on a combination both of these. The simplest or is in about a certainresultand co-operate that end. two personsare both interested bringing to in Whentwo or morepersons have a common interest an object,that objectcan be said to have a social valueforthe personsthus associated. If, then,practically the members a society all of of in have-aninterest the observance the laws,we can say that the law has a social value. The a studyofsocial values in thissenseis therefore partofthe studyofsocialstructure. in an earlyworkI approachedthe studyof what can It was from this point of view that in be conveniently called ritualvalues,i.e., the values expressed ritesand myths.It is perhaps is to whichholdssociety again a truism say thatreligion thecement together.But fora'scientific understanding need to knowjust how it does this,and thatis a subjectforlengthy we investigaofsociety. forms tionsin manydifferent the As a last examplelet me mention studyof magicand witchcraft, whichthereis an on wouldpointto Dr. Evans-Pritchard's literature. I extensive workon the Zande anthropological are as an illuminating exampleofwhatcan be donewhenthesethings systematically investigated in the social relations the members a community. of of in termsof the part theyplay to Fromthe pointof viewthat I have attempted in social institutions, the briefly describe, modesofbehaviour, constitute machinery whicha social structure, the senseofstandardised by maintainsits existenceand its continuity.I hesitateto use the of a network social relations, whichin recentyearshas been so muchused and misusedin a multitude term" function," of termsoughtto be, to meanings, manyof themveryvague. Instead of beingused, as scientific it assist in makingdistinctions, is now used to confusethingsthat oughtto be distinguished. in words" use," " purpose" and " meaning." For it is often employed place ofthemoreordinary and sensible, wellas morescholarly, speak ofthe use or uses as to It seemsto be moreconvenient

10

A. R. RADCLIFFE-BROWN-Presidential Address

the of stick,the meaning a wordor symbol, purposeofan act oflegislation, ofan axe or digging for ratherthan to use the wordfunction these variousthings. " Function" has been a very and termin physiology by analogywithits use in thatscienceit wouldbe a very useful technical conceptin social science. As I have been accusan means of expressing important convenient of the I and others, would define social function a Durkheim tomedto use the word,following to as or mode of activity, mode ofthought, its relation the social structure sociallystandardised in of to the existence and continuity whichit makessome contribution.Analogously, a living of function thebeatingoftheheart,or thesecretion gastric of organism, physiological the juices, it of or structure theexistence continuity which makesitscontributo is itsrelation theorganic to of as in tion. It is in thissensethat I am interested such things the social function the punishritesof Australiantribes,or of the funeral of or mentofcrime, the socialfunction the totemic or Malinowski Professor Professor ritesof the AndamanIslanders. But thisis not what either anthropology. Lowie mean by functional which I have called social Besides these two divisionsof the study of social structure, by of the thereis a third, investigation the processes which and morphology social physiology, comeintoexistence. Ofthisimportant of change,ofhow newforms structures social structures the from fieldofcolonialsociology. branchofstudyI have timeforonlyone illustration, in what is happening a British or Let us suppose that we wish to studyand understand was inhabited the at time. Formerly region in Frenchcolonyor dependency Africa, thepresent has having their ownsocialstructure.Nowa newand morecomplexsocial structure byAfricans of been broughtinto existence. The populationnow includesa certainnumber Europeansand, in some instances,settlers. The new political missionaries officials, traders, government and play structure one in whichtheEuropeanshave a largemeasureofcontrol, theygenerally is of characteristic this kind an important part in the new economicstructure. The outstanding different constitute classes, with different of social structure that Europeans and Africans is sets customsand modesof life,and different of values and ideas. It is an languages,different elements. As such it has a certain of extreme exampleof a societycompounded heterogeneous interests. of due instability, to the lack ofadjustment divergent the In orderto understand social changesthat are takingplace in a societyofthiskind,it amongstthe personsinvolved. This seemsto me essentialto studythe wholeset of relations yearsago and is stillbeing kindof studywas undertaken some ofus in SouthAfrica twenty by social anthroI perhapsofre-defining profitably, think. A fewyearsago, as a result continued, we but not pologyas thestudy, ofsociety, ofculture, wereaskedtoabandonthiskindofinvestigacontact." In place ofthestudyofthe tionin favourofwhatis now calledthestudyof " culture we of formation new composite societies, are supposedto regardwhat is happeningin Africa called culturecomesinto contactwithan entity as a processin whichan entitycalled African whichis or is and a thirdnew entity produced, is to be produced, culture, European or Western of reification abstracculture.To methisseemsa fantastic African as to be described Westernized and so is the cultureof an African tribe. I findit tions. European cultureis an abstraction fantasticto imaginethese two abstractions cominginto contactand by an act of generation

On Social Structure

11

Europeanand humanbeings, producing thirdabstraction. Thereis contact,but it is between a arrangement. a structural African, it takesplace within definite and anthropocirclesthe term " evolutionary You are aware that in certainanthropological Thus without muchdiscrimination. logist" is almosta termof abuse. It is applied,however, evolution and he of although rejectedthe theory organic Lewis Morganis called an evolutionist, as but whichhe conceived the steady in relation society not to believed, in evolution, in progress, and crudestoneimplements sexual promismaterialand moralimprovement mankindfrom of of N.Y. But even such antiand monogamous marriage Rochester, cuityto the steam engines evolutionists Boas believein progress. as " by It is convenient, think, use theterm" progress fortheprocess whichhumanbeings to I of and through increase knowledge the attain to greatercontrolover the physicalenvironment by and improvement technique inventions discoveries. The way in whichwe are now able to of results progress. of of the destroy considerable portions citiesfrom air is one ofthelateststriking but it is, I believe,verycloselyconnected Progressis not the same thingas social evolution, withit. of specifically a processof emergence new to the Evolution, as I understand term,refers of features: (1) in the courseof it a forms structure. Organicevolutionhas two important have given rise to a verymuch largernumberof kinds; small numberof kinds of organisms out of have come into existenceby development of (2) morecomplexforms organicstructure as meaning suchphrases theevolution to simpler forms.WhileI am unableto attachany definite I whichthe social thatsocialevolution a reality is of cultureor the evolutionoflanguage, think and study. Like organicevolution, can be definedby two it shouldrecognise anthropologist of a of features. Therehas been a processby which,from smallnumber forms socialstructure, of forms have arisenin the courseof history; that is, therehas beena process manydifferent this of have differentiation. Secondly, throughout processmorecomplexforms socialstructures forms. developedout of,or replaced,simpler or withreference theirgreater less comto systems to be classified are Justhow structural close correlation investigation.But thereis evidenceof a fairly plexityis a problemrequiring of and feature structural the systems, namely, extentofthe fieldof betweencomplexity another systemwitha narrowtotal social field,an average or typical social relations. In a structural social relationswith only a small numberof other personis broughtinto directand indirect community-thebody of persons. In systemsof this type we may findthat the linguistic from to 500,whilethepolitical is 250 who speak one language-numbers community even persons extendonlyovera very and economicrelationsby the exchangeof goods and services smaller, the narrow by range. Apartfrom differentiation sex and age, thereis verylittledifferentiation of withthisthe systems social strucof social rolebetween personsor classes. We can contrast ture that we observeto-day in England or the United States. Thus the process of human applied mightbe historyto which I thinkthe term social evolutionmay be appropriately have grownout of, or as defined the processby whichwide-range systemsof social structure

12

Address: On Social Structure A. R. RADCLIFFE-BRoWN-Presidential

that the conthisview is acceptableor not,I suggest replaced,narrow-range systems.Whether in to cept of social evolution one whichrequires be defined termsof social structure. is to Thereis no timeon this occasionto discussthe relationof the studyof social structure I attemptto bringthe two kinds of studytogether the study of culture. For an interesting would refer you to Mr. Gregory Bateson's book Naven. I have made no attemptto deal with social anthropology a whole and with all its various branches and divisions. I have as endeavoured only to give you a verygeneralidea of the kind of studyto whichI have found of proportion mytime it scientifically and profitable devotea considerable steadilyincreasing to and energy. The onlyrewardthat I have soughtI thinkI have in somemeasurefound-somethingof the kind of insightinto the natureof the worldof whichwe are part that only the patientpursuitof the methodof naturalsciencecan afford.