RUTH BENEDICT
RUTH BENEDICT
June 5, 1887 –
September 17, 1948
ABOUT
- anthropologist and author
- high humanistic background
- Influenced by Elsie Clews Parson and Alexander Goldenweiser
at a university in Columbia
- She has a belief that every culture has there own imperatives
and one can know if they study the culture
- Her core point is that the activities within the society express
the theme of the society, they have there own definition of
success, misfits, and outcast by the persons personality.
ABOUT
- Ruth Benedict’s view point was influenced by the founder of
the school Boasian anthropology which is Boas combined with
her own insights.
-Boas has a concept of cultural relativism
IMPORTANCE
- Ruth Benedict’s work is very valuable towards understanding
cultural relativism, particularly the complexity and diversity of
human cultures.
Major Contribution
Patterns of Culture (1934)
- it compares the cultures of 3 different
societies(Zuni,Dobu,Kwakuitl) to know
the association of human behavior into
any culture.
Saying's about the self;
1. "Culture is not a biologically inherited complex, but a continually
changing product of human interaction.“
2. "We grow, become ourselves, and shape our destinies within the
framework of the culture in which we are born and raised."
3. "No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited
by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking."
4. "The 'anthropological point of view' is perhaps the most consistently
misunderstood aspect of anthropological studies. It does not refer
simply to the approach of the anthropologist, but also to the point of
view of the people studied."
5. "The individual's past, present, and future actions are determined by
the cultural environment in which he grows up and matures."
Understanding the Self
Ruth Benedict's understanding of the self revolved around the
concept of cultural relativism. She believed that individuals'
identities are not fixed but rather shaped by the cultural
context in which they live. In her influential work, Benedict
explored how different cultures have distinct beliefs, values,
and norms that influence how individuals perceive themselves
and their place in society.
According to Benedict, the self is not an innate or universal
entity but is constructed within the framework of one's culture.
This means that the way individuals understand themselves,
their roles, and their relationships with others is influenced by
the cultural norms and practices of their society.
Benedict's approach emphasized the diversity of human
experience and challenged the idea of cultural
superiority. She argued for a more open-minded and
empathetic understanding of other cultures, recognizing
that people's behaviors and beliefs should be
interpreted within their own cultural context rather
than through the lens of one's own cultural biases.
Overall, Ruth Benedict's understanding of the self
highlights the dynamic and culturally contingent
nature of individual identity, emphasizing the
importance of considering cultural context in our
understanding of human behavior and experiences.