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Julian Steward

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485:. Steward's interest in the evolution of society also caused him to examine processes of modernization. He was one of the first anthropologists to examine the way in which national and local levels of society were related to one another. He questioned the possibility of creating a social theory which encompassed the entire evolution of humanity; yet, he also argued that anthropologists are not limited to description of specific, existing cultures. Steward believed it is possible to create theories analyzing typical, common culture, representative of specific eras or regions. As the decisive factors determining the development of a given culture, he indicated technology and economics, while noting that there are secondary factors, such as political systems, ideologies, and religions. These factors cause a given society to evolve in several ways at the same time. 489:
contributions: "Cultural Causality and Law: A Trial Formulation of the Development of Early Civilizations (1949b), "Area Research: Theory and Practice" (1950), "Levels of Sociocultural Integration" (1951), "Evolution and Process (1953a), and "The Cultural Study of Contemporary Societies: Puerto Rico" (Steward and Manners 1953). Clemmer writes, "Altogether, the publications released between 1949 and 1953 represent nearly the entire gamut of Steward's broad range of interests: from cultural evolution, prehistory, and archaeology to the search for causality and cultural "laws" to area studies, the study of contemporary societies, and the relationship of local cultural systems to national ones (Clemmer 1999: xiv)."
133: 477:. During the first three decades of the twentieth century, American anthropologists were suspicious of generalizations and often unwilling to generalize conclusions from the meticulously detailed monographs that they produced. Steward is notable for developing a more nomothetic, social-scientific style. His theory of "multilinear" cultural evolution examined the way in which societies adapted to their environment. This method was more nuanced than 25: 367:
on the Great Basin Shoshone for Kroeber's Culture Element Distribution (CED) survey; in 1935 he received an appointment to the Smithsonian's Bureau of American Ethnography (BAE), which published some of his most influential works. Among them: Basin-Plateau Aboriginal Sociopolitical Groups (1938), which "fully explicated" the paradigm of cultural ecology, and helped decrease the diffusionist emphasis of American anthropology.
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in South America" (Clemmer 1999: xiv). Clemmer does mention two works that contradict his characteristic style and reveal a less familiar aspect to his work, which are "Aboriginal and Historic Groups of the Ute Indians of Utah: An Analysis and Native Components of the White River Ute Indians" (1963b) and "The Northern Paiute Indians" (Steward and Wheeler-Vogelin 1954; Clemmer 1999; xiv).
300:), high in the White Mountains had a significant influence on his academic and career interests. Steward's "direct engagement" with the land (specifically, subsistence through irrigation and ranching) and the Northern Paiute Amerindians that lived there became a "catalyst" for his theory and method of cultural ecology. (Kerns 1999; Murphy 1977) 492:
In regard to Steward's Great Basin work, Clemmer writes, " ... might be characterized as a perspective that people are in large part defined by what they do for a living, can be seen in his growing interest in studying the transformation of slash-and-burn horticulturists into national proletariats
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Steward's research interests mainly concerned "subsistence"—- the dynamic interaction of man, environment, technology, social structure, and the organization of work—- which Kroeber regarded as "eccentric", original, and innovative. (EthnoAdmin 2003) In 1931, Steward, needing money, began fieldwork
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Steward searched for cross-cultural regularities in an effort to discern principles of culture and culture change. His work explained variation in the complexity of social organization as being limited to within a range possibilities by the environment. In evolutionary terms, he described cultural
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Steward initially emphasized ecosystems and physical environments, but soon became interested in how these environments could influence cultures (Clemmer 1999: ix). It was during Steward's teaching years at Columbia, which lasted until 1952, that he wrote arguably his most important theoretical
461:, where he directed the Anthropology Department and continued to teach until his retirement in 1968. There he began yet another large-scale study, a comparative analysis of modernization in eleven third world societies. The results of this research were published in three volumes entitled 400:
ecology as "multi-linear", in contrast to the unilinear typological models popular during the 19th century, and Leslie White's "universal" model. Steward's most important theoretical contributions happened during his teaching years at Columbia (1946–53).
388:. He was also active in archaeological pursuits, successfully lobbying Congress to create the Committee for the Recovery of Archaeological Remains (the beginning of what is known presently as 'salvage archaeology') and worked with 607: 435: 355:, with whose model of "universal" cultural evolution he disagreed, although it became popular and gained the department fame and notoriety. In 1930 Steward relocated to the 319:, from which he graduated in 1925 with a B.Sc. in zoology. Although Cornell, like most universities at the time, did not have an anthropology department, its president, 587: 233: 450:. Many of these students participated with the Puerto Rico Project, yet another large-scale group research study that concerned modernization in 617: 327:. Farrand advised Steward to continue pursuing his interest (or, in Steward's words, his already chosen "life work") in anthropology at 458: 418:. Steward quickly developed a coterie of students who would later have enormous influence in the history of anthropology, including 602: 89: 597: 582: 381: 61: 612: 592: 557: 534: 511: 372: 328: 304: 200: 380:, where he initiateded the Institute for Social Anthropology in 1943. He also served on a committee to reorganize the 68: 443: 108: 42: 473:
In addition to his role as a teacher and administrator, Steward is remembered most for his method and theory of
75: 46: 57: 385: 296:. Steward's experience at the newly established Deep Springs Preparatory School (which later became 377: 35: 337:
The Ceremonial Buffoon of the American Indian, a Study of Ritualized Clowning and Role Reversals
348: 363:, and nearby archaeological fieldwork opportunities in California, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon. 82: 577: 572: 520: 360: 297: 187: 8: 404: 331:(Kerns 2003:71–72). Steward studied as directed by Kroeber and Lowie—- and was taught by 324: 403:
Steward's most productive years theoretically were from 1946 to 1953, while teaching at
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For eleven years Steward was an administrator of considerable influence, editing the
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to establish the Viru Valley project, an ambitious research program involved with
481:'s theory of "universal evolution", which was influenced by philosophers such as 431: 332: 308: 282: 266: 219: 566: 447: 427: 389: 478: 439: 419: 408: 352: 312: 258: 132: 451: 293: 502:
Clemmer, Richard O., L. Daniel Myers, and Mary Elizbeth Rudden, eds.
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to attend boarding school in Deep Springs Valley, California, in the
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Julian Steward and the Great Basin: the Making of an Anthropologist.
24: 281:, where he lived on Monroe Street, NW, and later, Macomb Street in 261:
known best for his role in developing "the concept and method" of
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151 Scenes From The High Desert: Julian Steward's Life and Theory
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Steward later established an anthropology department at the
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in regional geography—- at Berkeley, where his dissertation
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Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
208: 351:, where he taught until 1930, when he was replaced by 257:(January 31, 1902 – February 6, 1972) was an American 323:, had previously been a professor of anthropology at 303:As an undergraduate, Steward studied for a year at 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 359:, which appealed to him for its proximity to the 564: 288:At age 16, Steward left an unhappy childhood in 588:Archaeologists of the Baja California peninsula 407:. During this time, Columbia had an influx of 463:Contemporary Change in Traditional Societies 272: 459:University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 131: 384:and played a role in the creation of the 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 446:, and influenced other scholars such as 565: 552:. University of Illinois Press, 1990. 618:20th-century American anthropologists 468: 414:who were attending school due to the 382:American Anthropological Association 265:, as well as a scientific theory of 47:adding citations to reliable sources 18: 307:, with two of his professors being 13: 373:Handbook of South American Indians 201:University of California, Berkeley 14: 629: 232:(1894–1998) (married 1930–1932); 506:University of Utah Press, 1999. 315:, after which he transferred to 23: 236:(1908–1988) (married 1933–1972) 34:needs additional citations for 603:University of Michigan faculty 529:University of Illinois Press. 457:Steward quit Columbia for the 1: 496: 376:. He also had a job with the 7: 598:Columbia University faculty 583:Deep Springs College alumni 386:National Science Foundation 10: 634: 613:People from Cleveland Park 593:Cornell University alumni 342: 240: 225: 215: 183: 164: 142: 130: 123: 550:Theory of Culture Change 465:. Steward died in 1972. 273:Early life and education 525:Kerns, Virginia. 2003: 378:Smithsonian Institution 16:American anthropologist 349:University of Michigan 339:was accepted in 1929. 544:accessed Dec. 4, 2007 521:accessed Dec. 4, 2007 255:Julian Haynes Steward 125:Julian Haynes Steward 298:Deep Springs College 277:Steward was born in 188:Deep Springs College 43:improve this article 548:Steward, Julian H. 539:Manners, Robert A. 405:Columbia University 325:Columbia University 234:Jane Cannon Steward 483:Lewis Henry Morgan 469:Work and influence 357:University of Utah 321:Livingston Farrand 317:Cornell University 192:Cornell University 541:Julian H. Steward 252: 251: 248:two grandchildren 244:Garriott Steward 230:Dorothy Nyswander 119: 118: 111: 93: 625: 475:cultural ecology 444:Robert F. Murphy 290:Washington, D.C. 279:Washington, D.C. 263:cultural ecology 246:Michael Steward 176:Urbana, Illinois 171: 168:February 6, 1972 157:Washington, D.C. 153:January 31, 1902 152: 150: 135: 121: 120: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 58:"Julian Steward" 51: 27: 19: 633: 632: 628: 627: 626: 624: 623: 622: 563: 562: 518:Julian Steward. 516:DeCamp, Elise. 499: 471: 432:Stanley Diamond 345: 333:Oskar Schmieder 275: 199: 190: 179: 173: 169: 160: 154: 148: 146: 138: 137:Steward in 1940 126: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 631: 621: 620: 615: 610: 605: 600: 595: 590: 585: 580: 575: 561: 560: 558:978-0252002953 546: 537: 535:978-0252076350 523: 514: 512:978-0874809497 498: 495: 470: 467: 436:Robert Manners 344: 341: 309:Alfred Kroeber 283:Cleveland Park 274: 271: 267:culture change 259:anthropologist 250: 249: 242: 238: 237: 227: 223: 222: 220:Anthropologist 217: 213: 212: 185: 181: 180: 174: 172:(aged 70) 166: 162: 161: 155: 144: 140: 139: 136: 128: 127: 124: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 630: 619: 616: 614: 611: 609: 606: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 591: 589: 586: 584: 581: 579: 576: 574: 571: 570: 568: 559: 555: 551: 547: 545: 542: 538: 536: 532: 528: 524: 522: 519: 515: 513: 509: 505: 501: 500: 494: 490: 486: 484: 480: 476: 466: 464: 460: 455: 453: 449: 448:Marvin Harris 445: 441: 437: 433: 429: 428:Roy Rappaport 425: 421: 417: 413: 410: 406: 401: 397: 395: 391: 390:Gordon Willey 387: 383: 379: 375: 374: 368: 364: 362: 361:Sierra Nevada 358: 354: 350: 340: 338: 334: 330: 326: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 301: 299: 295: 291: 286: 284: 280: 270: 268: 264: 260: 256: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 228: 224: 221: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 197: 193: 189: 186: 182: 177: 167: 163: 158: 145: 141: 134: 129: 122: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 549: 540: 526: 517: 503: 491: 487: 479:Leslie White 472: 462: 456: 440:Morton Fried 420:Sidney Mintz 409:World War II 402: 398: 371: 369: 365: 353:Leslie White 346: 336: 313:Robert Lowie 302: 287: 276: 254: 253: 245: 170:(1972-02-06) 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 578:1972 deaths 573:1902 births 452:Puerto Rico 305:UC Berkeley 294:Great Basin 567:Categories 497:References 216:Occupation 149:1902-01-31 99:March 2023 69:newspapers 424:Eric Wolf 226:Spouse(s) 184:Education 412:veterans 329:Berkeley 241:Children 416:GI Bill 83:scholar 556:  533:  510:  343:Career 178:, U.S. 159:, U.S. 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  90:JSTOR 76:books 554:ISBN 531:ISBN 508:ISBN 394:Peru 311:and 165:Died 143:Born 62:news 209:PhD 45:by 569:: 454:. 442:, 438:, 434:, 430:, 426:, 422:, 396:. 285:. 269:. 207:, 205:MA 196:BS 211:) 203:( 198:) 194:( 151:) 147:( 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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Washington, D.C.
Urbana, Illinois
Deep Springs College
Cornell University
BS
University of California, Berkeley
MA
PhD
Anthropologist
Dorothy Nyswander
Jane Cannon Steward
anthropologist
cultural ecology
culture change
Washington, D.C.
Cleveland Park
Washington, D.C.
Great Basin

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