One of Franz Boas's principal criticisms of nineteenth-century anthropologists was that __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Franz Boas believed that anthropologists of the nineteenth century relied too heavily on "armchair anthropology," developing theories without conducting their own fieldwork or engaging with the people they were studying. He emphasized the importance of conducting rigorous fieldwork and studying cultures in their own contexts. While Boas did criticize cultural relativism in some ways, this was not one of his principal criticisms of nineteenth-century anthropology. Additionally, while he did argue that biological factors could affect culture, this was not his main critique of his predecessors.

One of Franz Boas's Principal Criticisms of Nineteenth-Century Anthropologists Was