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: Concept Overview:
The question requires identifying the anthropologist who formally and systematically applied the comparative method in 1889. This method, common in 19th-century anthropology, compared cultural elements across diverse societies to identify universal evolutionary patterns.
Step 2: Detailed Analysis:
- E.B. Tylor: A key figure in 19th-century cultural evolutionism and a pioneer in anthropology, Tylor strongly advocated for the comparative method. In 1889, he presented a significant paper to the Royal Anthropological Institute, "On a Method of Investigating the Development of Institutions; applied to Laws of Marriage and Descent." This paper is renowned for its early use of statistical analysis (cross-cultural correlations) to enhance the rigor and scientific validity of the comparative method. This event is historically significant for the method's development.
- Franz Boas: Boas critically opposed Tylor's broad evolutionary comparative method. He championed historical particularism, emphasizing the study of cultures within their specific contexts. His major contributions occurred after 1889.
- Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict: Both students of Franz Boas, they were prominent 20th-century figures whose work postdates 1889.
Step 3: Conclusion:
E.B. Tylor is the correct answer because of his groundbreaking 1889 paper, which systematically incorporated a statistical approach into the comparative method.