Question

Who among the following used the comparative method as a method for the first time in 1889?

• A. E.B. Tylor
• B. Franz Boas
• C. Margaret Mead
• D. Ruth Benedict

Hint:

Associate the 19th-century "armchair anthropologists" like Tylor with the grand comparative method and cultural evolutionism. Associate Boas and his students (Mead, Benedict) with the 20th-century critique of this method and the focus on fieldwork and cultural relativism.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the anthropologist who presented a formal, systematic application of the comparative method in a specific year, 1889. The comparative method in 19th-century anthropology involved comparing cultural phenomena across a wide range of societies to discover supposed universal evolutionary sequences.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- E.B. Tylor: A leading figure of 19th-century cultural evolutionism and a pioneer of anthropology. He was a major proponent of the comparative method. In 1889, he delivered a seminal paper to the Royal Anthropological Institute titled "On a Method of Investigating the Development of Institutions; applied to Laws of Marriage and Descent." This paper is famous for being one of the first attempts to use statistical analysis (cross-cultural correlations) to make the comparative method more rigorous and scientific. This specific event marks a key moment in the history of the method.
- Franz Boas: He was a staunch critic of the grand, evolutionary comparative method used by Tylor and others. He advocated for historical particularism, studying cultures in their own contexts. His major work and influence came after 1889.
- Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict: Both were students of Franz Boas and prominent figures in the 20th century. Their work was much later than 1889.
Step 3: Final Answer:
E.B. Tylor is the correct answer due to his landmark 1889 paper that systematically applied a statistical approach to the comparative method.