The Evolution of Culture: The Development of Civilization to the Fall of Rome. While authors such as Robert Carneiro, Beth Dillingham, and Gertrude Dole carried on White's program in its orthodox form, other scholars such as Eric Wolf, Arthur Jelinek, Elman Service, and Marshall Sahlins and Napoleon Chagnon drew on their time with White to elaborate their own forms of anthropology. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Fifth, they harness nuclear energy. As a result, White frequently championed nineteenth century evolutionists in a search for intellectual predecessors unclaimed or denounced by Boasians. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. He was author of numerous books on theory and on his fieldwork in the American southwest. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Brown assess White’s historical importance and continuing influence in the discipline. Discover more! Elman Service. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. However, during the Second World War, Titiev took part in the war effort by studying Japan. White's views were formulated specifically against the Boasians, with whom he was institutionally and intellectually at odds. Leslie White (The United States, 1900-1975) Leslie White developed the theory of cultural evolution, which was ignored by most anthropologists at that time. In 1921, he transferred to Columbia University, where he studied psychology, taking a BA in 1923 and an MA in 1924. Brown assess White’s historical importance and continuing influence in the discipline. White, in full Leslie Alvin White, (born Jan. 19, 1900, Salida, Colo., U.S.—died March 31, 1975, Lone Pine, Calif.), American anthropologist best known for his theories of the evolution of culture and for the scientific study of culture that he called “ culturology.”. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. This stance can be clearly seen in his views of evolution, which are firmly rooted in the writings of Herbert Spencer, Charles Darwin, and Lewis H. Morgan. Richard Beardsley. The world is changing and our beliefs are being challenged. Further Reading on Leslie A. University of Nebraska Press, 2004 (the definitive biography of White). AltaMira, 1997. Leslie White was an American cultural anthropologist known for his neo-evolutionary viewpoint. A self-help manual, and a rigorous analysis of the psychology of motivation. The Evolution of Culture:... Brown assess White’s historical importance and continuing influence in the discipline. Each level rested on the previous one, and although they all interacted, ultimately the technological level was the determining one, what White calls "The hero of our piece" and "the leading character of our play". The object of study was not delineated by the researcher's viewpoint or interest, but the method by which he approached them could be. His book will provoke equally potent debates today, and is a key component of any course or reading list in anthropological or archaeological theory and cultural ecology. •Philosophies and arts express experience as it is White's father was a peripatetic civil engineer. White. Please try again. Jerry D. Moore. As a professor in Ann Arbor, White trained a generation of influential students. White was a prolific writer, and his best known works include The Science of Culture: A Study of Man & Civilization (1949), The Evolution of Culture (1959), The Concept of Culture (1973), and The Concept of Cultural Systems: A Key to Understanding Tribes & Nations (1976). Galaxies, stars, molecules, and atoms may be regarded as organizations of energy.’ Living organisms may be looked upon as engines which operate by means of … Although the university was home to a museum with a long history of involvement in matters anthropological, White was the only professor in the anthropology department itself. White is credited with reintroducing evolution in a way that had a profound impact on our understanding of the relationship between technology, ecology, and culture in the development of civilizations. Did you know that at the time the Punic Wars occurred, they were perhaps the biggest conflicts in history? Leslie Alvin White was born 19 January 1900 in Salida, Colorado. The most important factor in his theory is technology: "Social systems are determined by technological systems", wrote White in his book, echoing the earlier theory of Lewis Henry Morgan. Perhaps this upset the socialist White. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. University of Nebraska Press, 2004 (the definitive biography of White). Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014. Leslie White: Evolution Emergent. Although White studied at the same university where Franz Boas had lectured, White's understanding of anthropology was decidedly anti-Boasian. Do you want to learn about the Indus Valley Civilization? You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. His theory, published in 1959 in The Evolution of Culture: The Development of Civilization to the Fall of Rome, rekindled the interest in social evolutionism and is counted prominently among the neoevolutionists. WHITE. White's argument on the importance of technology goes as follows:[2]. A new, substantial introduction by Robert Carneiro and Burton J. But don't have the time or patience for a 400-page book? White's most famous books are The Science of Culture (1949), a collection of his most important essays, and The Evolution of Culture (1959). Think with clarity. Leslie Alvin White, 1900–1975. But don't have the time or patience for a 400-page book? One of the strongest deviations from Boasian orthodoxy was White's view of the nature of anthropology and its relation to other sciences. White) "* rightly reflected cultural anthropologists' attitude to him and to the broad evolutionary approach to culture that he represents. There was a problem loading your book clubs. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Leslie Alvin White (January 19, 1900, Salida, Colorado – March 31, 1975, Lone Pine, California) was an American anthropologist known for his advocacy of theories of cultural evolution, sociocultural evolution, and especially neoevolutionism, and for his role in creating the department of anthropology at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. This book follows the journey of the American Black from the dawn of civilization in Africa to where they are today in America. no professional following has fallen in behind him (Leslie A. One of the major works of twentieth-century anthropological theory, written by one of the discipline’s most important, complex, and controversial figures, has not been in print for several years. The late Leslie A. Leslie A. White's scholarly influence. Unable to add item to List. Please make this work available in Kindle. He argued that it was the technological component which plays a primary role or is the primary determining factor responsible for the cultural evolution. Societies that capture more energy and use it more efficiently have an advantage over other societies. White went to Michigan when he was hired to replace Julian Steward, who departed Ann Arbor in 1930. An appraisal of Leslie A. Therefore, these different societies are more advanced in an evolutionary sense. WHITE E VERYTHING in the universe may be described in terms of energy. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. It was then that he developed a worldview—anthropological, political, ethical—that he would hold to and advocate until his death. Technology is an attempt to solve the problems of survival. Fearlessly tackling the most fundamental questions of culture and society during the cold war, White was frequently a lightning rod both inside and outside the academy.