particularism

particularism
—particularist, n. —particularistic, adj. —particularistically, adv.
/peuhr tik"yeuh leuh riz'euhm, peuh tik"-/, n.
1. exclusive attention or devotion to one's own particular interests, party, etc.
2. the principle of leaving each state of a federation free to retain its laws and promote its interests.
3. Theol. the doctrine that divine grace is provided only for the elect.
[1815-25; < F particularisme. See PARTICULAR, -ISM]

* * *

also called  historical particularism 

      school of anthropological (cultural anthropology) thought associated with the work of Franz Boas (Boas, Franz) and his students (among them A.L. Kroeber (Kroeber, A.L.), Ruth Benedict (Benedict, Ruth), and Margaret Mead (Mead, Margaret)), whose studies of culture emphasized the integrated and distinctive way of life of a given people. Particularism stood in opposition to theories such as cultural evolution, Kulturkreis, and geographical or environmental determinism, all of which sought to discover for the social sciences a series of general laws analogous to those in the physical sciences (such as the laws of thermodynamics or gravity).

      Boas's own work emphasized studies of individual cultures, each based on its unique history. He held that the anthropologist's primary assignment was to describe the particular characteristics of a given culture with a view toward reconstructing the historical events that led to its present structure. Implicit in this approach was the notion that resolving hypotheses regarding evolutionary development and the influence of one culture on another should be secondary to the careful and exhaustive study of particular societies. Boas urged that the historical method, based on the description of particular culture traits and elements, supplant the comparative method of the evolutionists, who used their data to rank cultures in an artificial hierarchy of achievement. He rejected the assumption of a single standard of achievement to which all cultures could be compared, instead advocating cultural relativism, the position that all cultures are equally able to meet the needs of their members.

      Under Boas's influence, the particularist approach dominated American anthropology for the first half of the 20th century. From World War II through the 1970s, it was eclipsed by neoevolutionism and a variety of other theories. However, the particularist approach, if not the term itself, reemerged in the 1980s as scholars began to recognize that distinctive historical processes differentiate peoples even in the era of globalization (globalization, cultural).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Particularism — refers to a wide variety of different approaches in different fields only some of which are described here. It can refer to an exclusive devotion to the interests of one s own social group. A literary school, Particularism describes a style of… …   Wikipedia

  • Particularism — Par*tic u*lar*ism, n. [Cf. F. particularisme.] 1. A minute description; a detailed statement. [R.] [1913 Webster] 2. (Theol.) The doctrine of particular election. [1913 Webster] 3. (German Politics) Devotion to the interests of one s own kingdom… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • particularism — [pär tik′yə ləriz΄əm] n. 1. undivided adherence or devotion to one particular party, system, interest, theory, etc. 2. the policy of allowing each member or state in a federation to govern independently without regard to the interests of the… …   English World dictionary

  • particularism — PARTICULARÍSM1 s.n. Concepţie ideologică şi politică conform căreia se pretinde autonomia unei provincii, a unei părţi dintr un stat. – Din fr. particularisme. Trimis de valeriu, 03.02.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  PARTICULARÍSM2 s.n. (Rar) Caracter… …   Dicționar Român

  • Particularism — in the study of knowledge, particularism refers to the approach where one asks the question What do we know? before asking How do we know? The term appears in Roderick Chisholm s The Problem of the Criterion , and in the work of his student,… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • particularism — noun Date: 1824 1. exclusive or special devotion to a particular interest 2. a political theory that each political group has a right to promote its own interests and especially independence without regard to the interests of larger groups 3. a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • particularism — noun a) An excessive focus on a particular group b) The principle that each part of a federation etc. may act independently of a central authority …   Wiktionary

  • Particularism — A particular thing. In philosophy, particulars are concrete entities existing in space and time as opposed to abstractions. There are, however, theories of abstract particulars or tropes. For example, Socrates is a particular (there s only one… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • particularism — noun 1》 exclusive attachment to one s own group, nation, etc. 2》 the principle of leaving each state in an empire or federation free to govern itself and promote its own interests. 3》 Theology the doctrine that some but not all people are elected …   English new terms dictionary

  • particularism — n partisanship; denominationalism, cultism; nationalism …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”