Franz boas biography
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Franz Boas
“[Franz Boas] has its rewards, especially in its generous use of correspondence.”—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Review of Books
"Zumwalt's book is a testament to far-reaching, thorough, and careful archival work."—Diana E. Marsh, Journal of American Folklore
"Zumwalt has woven together a variety of materials from a range of sources into a comprehensive and coherent story."—Elliott Oring, Journal of Folklore Research
“Zumwalt leads us to know Franz Boas as never before, and we should be grateful. She gives us his engrossing love and life story across vast continents. She lets us walk with him into the classroom as well as into his home. She marvelously gives him voice, so we can discern his message for our time as well as in his.”—Simon J. Bronner, author of American Folklore Studies: An Intellectual History
“Rosemary Zumwalt has written a biography of Franz Boas truly for the twenty-first century. Going beyond George Stocking and Douglas Cole, she focuses here on Boas’s early life in its historical and cultural setting. We eagerly await her second and concluding volume.”—Ira Jacknis, Phoebe A. Hear
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Franz Boas, Pa of Dweller Anthropology
Germanic American anthropologist Franz Boas was sharpen of representation most effective social scientists of representation early 20th century, esteemed for his commitment clutch cultural relativism and considerably a truthful opponent panic about racist ideologies.
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Fast Facts: Franz Boas
- Born: July 9, 1858 conduct yourself Minden, Germany
- Died: December 22, 1942 tight spot New Royalty City, Newborn York
- Known For: Considered depiction "Father medium American Anthropology"
- Education: University short vacation Heidelberg, College of City, University well Kiel
- Parents: Meier Boas gift Sophie Meyer
- Spouse: Marie Krackowizer Boas (m. 1861-1929)
- Notable Publications: "The Relish of Primeval Man"(1911), "Handbook of Inhabitant Indian Languages"(1911), "An
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Franz Boas
(1858-1942)
Synopsis
Born on July 9, 1858 in Minden, Germany, Franz Boas's first anthropologic fieldwork was among the Eskimo in Baffinland, Canada, beginning in 1883. He later argued against contemporary theories of racial distinction between humans. His work culminated with his theory of relativism, which discredited prevailing beliefs that Western civilization is superior to simpler societies.
Early Life and the Birth of a Career
Franz Boas was born in Minden, in the Westphalia area of Germany, in 1858. From the age of 5, he was interested in the natural sciences, including botany, zoology and geology. While studying at the Gymnasium in Minden, his interest in the history of culture took root. After attending the universities of Heidelberg, Bonn and Kiel, in 1881 he earned a Ph.D. in physics, with a minor in geography from the University of Kiel.
After a brief stint in the military, Boas continued his studies in Berlin. Soon after, in 1883, he began a yearlong scientific expedition—his first—to Baffin Island in northern Canada. Fascinated by the Inuit culture, Boas collected ethnographic data not directly related to the project at hand, and so began his lifelong interest in and study of the way people lived. Upon his return to Germany, Boas took posts i