Comparative Functionalism

Comparative Functionalism: An Essay in Anthropological Theory offers a bold reexamination of anthropology’s theoretical foundation. This work challenges the discipline's overreliance on cultural relativism and institutional analysis, arguing for a shift toward understanding universal social functions as responses to human needs. Emphasizing the interplay between biological, environmental, and cultural factors, the essay critiques anthropological complacency in addressing larger questions about human nature and society. The author advocates for a comparative approach that seeks patterns of consistency beneath diverse cultural expressions, aiming to synthesize insights from varied human experiences into a cohesive model of social functions. This shift, the essay argues, is vital for anthropology to fulfill its broader responsibility to the behavioral sciences.

The book underscores the discipline's pivotal role in moving beyond structural-functional analysis to explore cross-cultural universals. It calls for an approach that considers the broader context of human behavior, integrating insights from psychology, sociology, and anthropology to achieve a more holistic understanding of man in society. With examples drawn from anthropological traditions and critiques of past methodologies, the essay seeks to provoke discourse and reorient the field toward its ultimate goal: a scientific comprehension of human social behavior and its diverse manifestations. Comparative Functionalism invites scholars to rethink their methodologies and engage with anthropology’s untapped potential in unraveling the complexities of human existence.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1966.