 | |
| Author | Robert B. Edgerton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Anthropology, Cultural relativism, Social science |
| Publisher | New York University Free Press, Simon and Schuster |
Publication date | 1992, 2010 |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 978-0-029-089255 |
Sick Societies is a 1992 scholarly work by Professor Emeritus of the department of anthropology at the University of California, Robert B. Edgerton. [1] [2] [3]
The book challenges the cultural relativism position of some earlier anthropologists. Edgerton enumerates examples of primitive cultures and practices, showing that they have neither been completely happy nor environmentally sustainable. He argues that the vision of primal, naturally adaptive, perfect societies, is a myth. [1] Praising how relativists were instrumental to the development of respect for other peoples and values, he also points out where this can conflict with science. [1] [lower-alpha 1] According to Edgerton, the "interpretivist" view that science or Western society cannot, or should not, critically evaluate other societies would be a type of "intellectual onanism". [1]
Examples of imperfect pre-colonial indigenous societies are presented, which include instances of superstitious flawed causation that can result in conflict and violence, suboptimal medicine, poor diet, environmental destruction, the subjugation of women, exploitation, slavery, dysfunctional relationships and an atmosphere of fear. [1] [4] Edgerton reports on how members of small societies have themselves criticized them, that all societies have their malfunctions and can be evaluated for health. [4] [5]
Anthropology professor Philip Kilbride, [6] writing for American Anthropologist , praised the book as "momentous, if not dialectically unevitable", and "a compelling case for his call for an 'anthropology of evaluation'", recommending it to students as a companion to Richard Shweder's 1991 Thinking Through Cultures book that by contrast is a defense of postmodernist relativism discouraging cross-cultural comparison. He enumerated a few societal problems described in the book, like widow burning, foot binding, malnutrition, female genital mutilation, tribal warfare and alcoholism. His review concluded by describing Edgerton as a skillful writer committed to scientific empiricism. [5]
Anthropology professor David Kertzer, writing for The Washington Post , sympathized with the effort, considering how other societies were classically romanticized by anthropologists, but criticized the book for often selecting examples that were not necessarily representative of small primitive societies. He also argued that Edgerton's account of native American alcoholism did not convincingly support his main thesis. [3]
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavior, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meaning, including norms and values. The term sociocultural anthropology is commonly used today. Linguistic anthropology studies how language influences social life. Biological or physical anthropology studies the biological development of humans.
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The term sociocultural anthropology includes both cultural and social anthropology traditions.
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Moral relativism or ethical relativism is used to describe several philosophical positions concerned with the differences in moral judgments across different peoples and cultures. An advocate of such ideas is often referred to as a relativist.
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Cultural relativism is the position that there is no universal standard to measure cultures by, and that all cultural values and beliefs must be understood relative to their cultural context, and not judged based on outside norms and values. Proponents of cultural relativism also tend to argue that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another.
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Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social Anthropology at the Collège de France between 1959 and 1982, was elected a member of the Académie française in 1973 and was a member of the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris. He received numerous honors from universities and institutions throughout the world.
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