Born on July 9, 1858 in Minden, Westphalia, Germany

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS3wqv96VcM

Born on July 9, 1858 in Minden, Westphalia, Germany

• Born on July 9, 1858 in Minden, Westphalia, Germany

• Parents: Meier Boas & Sophie Meyer Boas

• Married to Marie Krackowizer

Studied geography & physics at Universities of Heidelberg, Bonn, and Kiel

• Studied geography & physics at Universities of Heidelberg, Bonn, and Kiel

• Earned Bachelors degree at University of Heidelberg (1881)

• Same year, earned Ph.D. from University of Kiel

Expedition to Baffin Land, Canada in 1883-1884

• Expedition to Baffin Land, Canada in 1883-1884

• Fieldwork among the Eskimo
• Became interested in anthropology

• Immigrated to United States in 1885

Worked for journal Science

• Worked for journal Science

• Editorial position

• Fieldwork along North Pacific Coast of North America for several museums 1885-1896

Project for World's Fair in Chicago 1892-1893

• Project for World's Fair in Chicago 1892-1893

• Brought Native American cultures to general public at the fair

• Pioneered concept of life group displays

• Dioramas

Moved to New York in 1896

• Moved to New York in 1896

• Became Assistant Curator of Ethnology & Somatology
• American Museum of Natural History

• Lectured at Columbia University

• Professor of Anthropology,1899

Best known for work with Kwakiutl Indians from Northern Vancouver & adjacent mainland of British Columbia, Canada

• Best known for work with Kwakiutl Indians from Northern Vancouver & adjacent mainland of British Columbia, Canada

• Established new concept of culture & race

Everything was important to the study of culture

• Everything was important to the study of culture

• Collecting data on all facets of a culture was necessary to understand that culture

Boas curator at the American Museum 1896-1905

• Boas curator at the American Museum 1896-1905

• Over 90% of visitors “do not want anything beyond entertainment”

• Visitor groups - children, school teachers, researchers

• Researchers justify large museums “for the advancement of science”

Differences in peoples the result of:

• Differences in peoples the result of:

• Historical

• Social

• Geographic conditions

• All populations have complete and equally developed culture

Countered early evolutionist view of developed stages that each culture went through during development

• Countered early evolutionist view of developed stages that each culture went through during development

• The views of Franz Boas and those of his students changed American anthropology forever

• Each culture has a unique history

• Should not assume universal laws govern how cultures operate

Rejects general laws, ranking on a scale, concept of “progress”

• Rejects general laws, ranking on a scale, concept of “progress”

• No simple or complex societies, only different societies

• The idea of “Unilineal evolution” based on speculation is ethnocentric

6. Not Culture, but cultures

• 6. Not Culture, but cultures

• 7. Culture, not race, determines behavior

• 8. Methodological rigor

1937--Professor Emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University

• 1937--Professor Emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University

• Made anthropology into a distinguished and recognized science

Author of many books, some of which are:

• Author of many books, some of which are:

• Growth of Children (1896 – 1904)

• The Mind of Primitive Man, 1938

• Primitive Art, 1927

• Anthropology and Modern Life, 1938

• Race, Language, and Culture, 1940

• Dakota Grammar, 1941

• Boas, professor emeritus of anthropology at Columbia University, was entertaining Professor Paul Rivet and other colleagues at a luncheon in the Faculty Club.

• He collapsed into the arms of another well-known anthropologist, Claude Levi-Strauss,  and died on December 21, 1942.