Franz Boas is the undisputed father of four-field U.S. anthropology. One of his most important and enduring contributions to anthropology was
A) the field's earliest example of multi-timed and multi-sited ethnography.
B) providing evidence that both biology and culture are susceptible to evolutionary forces, thus providing a framework for the comparative method.
C) stressing the relevance of independent invention in human cultural history.
D) showing that human biology was plastic, and that biology (including race) did not determine culture.
E) expanding the local ethnographic focus to include a regional perspective.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Franz Boas's rejection of race as a biological determinant of culture was a major contribution to anthropology. He emphasized the plasticity of human biology, suggesting that culture rather than race determines behavior and social organization.

Answer: B
 Boas's emphasis on the importance of both biology and culture in human social evolution provided a framework for the comparative method in anthropology, which remains a cornerstone of the discipline.

Franz Boas Is the Undisputed Father of Four-Field U