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te a c h in g S o c io lo g y in th e D e p a r tm e n t o f S o c ia l a n d E d u c a tio n a l S tu d ie s ,

d o m in a n t a n th ro p o lo g ic a l p e rsp e c tiv e in B rita in , a ll a g re e th a t it h a p p e n e d d u rin g th e in te rw a r p e rio d . K u p e r' se ttle s o n 1924 w hen

th e a p p o in tm e n t a s R e a d e r in S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y a t th e L o n d o n S c h o o l o f E c o n o m ic s (L S E ). B eatti? locates th e trium ph around 1 9 3 0 , w h ile B o is s e v a id p re fe rs t h e m id -1 9 3 0 s . K u k lic lt' flu c tu a te s

M a lin o w s k i a n d A .R . R a d c liffe -B ro w n . F u rth e r, th e p ro g re ss o f th e se tw o m e n a n d

s y n c h ro n ic fu n c tio n a lis t a n d s tru c tu ra l fu n c tio n a lis t fra m e w o rk s tie d to le n g th y p e rio d s o f in te n s e p a rtic ip a n t o b s e rv a tio n in th e fie ld h a d b e c o m e th e d o m a in a s s u m p tio n s o f th e discipline. B ritish

Yet we d o not have an adequate understanding of w hat can only be described as a drastic and im portant shift. H isto rian s,

perspective w as regarded a s in te lle c tu a llys u p e rio d M o re o fte n th a n n o t, th e fo c u s o f e x p la n a tio n

p ra c tic e to g e th e r; th e in tra d is c ip lin e c o n flic ts b e tw e e n aspiring leaders in the discipline; an d not least, thes o c io - h is to ric a l

a n d e c o n o m ic u n c e rta in tie s a s w ell a s th e c h a n g in g p o litic a l a n d e c o n o m ic re la tio n s b e tw e e n th e c o lo n is ts a n d th e c o lo n iz e d .'

S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y . T h e in te n t h e re is to h e lp fill in th e s e g a p s . T he

th e in te rw a r p e rio d . R o c k e fe lle r fu n d in g c e rta in ly d id m o re than any other funding source to facilitate the new Social A n th ro p o lo g y . T h e d e c is io n s t o p ro v id e th is s u p p o r t

R o c k e fe lle r Foundation (R F), had clearly defined policy objectives? A s representatives of the ruling class, the trustees and officers of these foundations subscribed to a n ideology of 'sophisticated conservatism ' w hose w atchw ords w ere 'e ffic ie n c y ',

sciences, the central thrust of these policies during the interw ar period w as th at these subjects ought to becom e m ore 'scientific'

in the natural science m ode. For the foundations, this m eant that the social sciences ought t o

p ra c tic a l. T h e s e policies translated into program m es th at w ere designed to establish the 'proper'

attitude in the practices and structures of both individuals and the academ y. T he aim was im proved social control.

T h e w o rld w a s d iv id e d in to a re a s o f in flu e n c e . T h e m ost im portant area outside the U nited States w as G reat Britain and her Em pire. It follow ed that universities, research institutes,and individuals received grants and fellow ships as part of an overall fram ew ork that was d e s ig n e d

sp e c ific a lly , to th e e m e rg e n c e o f S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y . The latter approach w as seen to be the m ost scientific precisely because it offered the know ledge that w ould m a k e th e p ra c tic e o f c o lo n ia l a d m in is tra tio n b o th m o re e ffic ie n t a n d m o re h u m a n e . S o c ia l c o n tro l w o u ld b e in c re a s e d . T h e p ro b le m s a s s o c ia te d w ith 'c u ltu re c o n ta c t', w hich w ere very m uch part of th e A m erican scene, could be resolved.

c o o rd in a te d schem e involving operating expenses, research grants, fe llo w s h ip s , a n d

School of O rie n ta l S tu d ie s , th e R o y a l A n th ro p o lo g ic a l In s titu te , O xford University, the London School of Econom ics (L S E ),

in s titu tio n s . M a lin o w s k i w a s th e e s s e n tia l lin k b e tw e e n R o c k e fe lle r m o n e y , th e C o lo n ia l O ffic e , a n d th e b e n e fic ia rie s o f th e se resources. M alinow ski coordinated resources, training, and research. T hrough his sem inars at the L SE and his

s tu d e n ts ' w o rk in A fric a , M a lin o w s k i tra in e d v irtu a lly every m em ber of the new schoolof SocialA nthropology except R adcliffe-B row n him self. T h e research w as m ad e possible because of RockefellerIIA LC fellowships.For

fello w sh ip (1934-1939) fo r his w ork in the G old C oast. In 1939, he becam e a m em ber of the D epartm ent of A nthropology a t

S o c ia l S c ie n c e s program m e had been receiving R ockefeller supportsince 1 9 3 3 .

d u rin g th e in te rw a r y e a rs d id e s ta b lis h th a t in s titu tio n a s th e le a d in g c e n tre fo r s o c ia l sc ie n c e in th e B ritis h E m p ire . T h e im p a c t o n S ocialA nthropology w as as dram atic. B etw een 1924and 1938w hen M alinow skileft E ngland and the m ajor grants to the LSE expired, it is clear that R ockefeller m oney c re a te d a th riv in g D e p a rtm e n t o f A n th ro p o lo g y a ro u n d M a lin o w s k i a n d h is d is tin c tiv e v ie w o f th e d is c ip lin e . A s p a rt o f th e first g ra n t fro m th e L S R M , M a lin o w sk i w a s a p p o in te d t o a R e a d e rs h ip in S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y in 1924.The m ajor grants to the LSE began in 1927. T h e e m p h a s is w a s o n lin k in g th e n a tu ra l a n d th e s o c ia l s c ie n c e s

A n th ro p o lo g y , B io lo g y , P s y c h o lo g y , a n d P h y s io lo g y t o social problem s. T he proposal m ade it clear that Social A n th r o p o lo g y w o u ld u tiliz e th e m e th o d s o f s o c ia l s c ie n c e to s tu d y p rim itiv e life a n d c u s to m s in c o lo n ia l s e ttin g s and th at the problem of 'racial contact' w ould receive p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n J O M a lin o w sk i w as a p p o in te d to th e n e w ly c re a te d C h a ir o f S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y in 1 9 2 7 .

D e c e m b e r 1 9 2 6 , R o c k e fe lle r p h ila n th ro p y re c e iv e d tw o p ro p o sa ls fro m th e U n iv e rsity o f L o n d o n . In a d d itio n to th e p ro p o sa l fro m

the L SE , a second w as received fro m U n iv e rs ity C o lle g e . T h e C o lle g e w a s a s tro n g h o ld o f D iffu s io n is t A n th ro p o lo g y in B rita in a t a tim e w h e n th e w h o le s u b je c t w as v irtu a lly n o n -e x is te n t o u ts id e L o n d o n in te rm s o f u n iv e rs ity p o s ts . E llio t-S m ith a n d P e rry

C u ltu ra l A n th ro p o lo g y re sp e c tiv e ly . E llio t-S m ith s e n t in a proposal to the R F requesting \u00a3300,000,the am ount to be splitbetw een Psychology and A nthropology?'The p ro p o s a l w as d isc u sse d in te rn a lly w ith o th e r o ffic e rs a n d w ith B eardsley R um l, D irector of the LSR M . It w as d e c id e d to re je c t th e p ro p o sa l a n d th e re fo re to re je c t D iffu s io n is t S tu d ie s . In re s p o n s e , E llio t-S m ith w ro te a s c a th in g le tte r, w h ic h in c lu d e d th e c o m m e n t th a t h e fo u n d a m a z in g '...th e a c tio n o f th e L a u ra S p e lm a n T ru s t in s u b s id iz in g th o s e w h o a re w re c k in g a n th ro p o lo g ic a l study in this ~ o u n try ? ~

S o m e o n e w ro te in p e n c il a t th e s id e o f th e le tte r, 'T h is m e a n s M a lin o w s k i o f L o n d o n S c h o o l o f E ! R o c k e fe lle r p h ila n th ro p y m a d e a c o n s c io u s c h o ic e to

scientific approach. It is the case how ever that Elliot S m ith 's id io s y n c ra tic a n d e x tre m e fo rm o f d iffu s io n is m h a d v irtu a lly n o s u p p o r t a n y w h e re o u ts id e o f U n iv e rs ity C o lle g e , e s p e c ia lly a fte r R iv e rs ' d e a th in 1 9 2 2 , a n d th a t M a lin o w s k i, a h ig h ly s k ille d a c a d e m ic p o litic ia n , h a d b e e n c u ltiv a tin g th e R o c k e fe lle rs o u r c e b 3

A d m in is tra tio n w ere a d d e d to th e D e p a rtm e n t in 1 9 3 3 . L ucy M air, a form er research assistant to M alinow ski, b e c a m e th e le c tu re r in C o lo n ia l A d m in is tra tio n . F u rth e r,

a c c o u n ts o f th e w o rk th a t w as supported by these grants.T hree of the m ost fam ous m e m b e rs o f th e S c h o o l o f S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y (F irth , Schapera, and

th e tra d itio n w hen they becam e the first research assistants. Yet th e e s s e n tia l

W h ile M a lin o w s k i h a d b e e n in s tru m e n ta l in o b ta in in g m o re R F fe llo w sh ip s fo r a n th ro p o lo g is ts in th e e a rly 1930s,it w as his support of the IIA L C w hich w as m ost s ig n ific a n t.

o u tlin e d w h a t w as to b e c o m e th e fo c u s o f th e IIA L C proposal in 1929. T his description appeared under the h e a d in g , 'P ra c tic a l A n th ro p o lo g y : in th e J a n u a r y is s u e o f

should play in b rid g in g th e g a p b e tw e e n th e th e o re tic a l c o n c e rn s o f th e a n th ro p o lo g is t

th e a d m in is tra to r. T h e p ra c tic a l m a n s h o u ld s ta te h is n e e d a

d th e s c ie n tific a n th ro p o lo g is t s h o u ld p u rs u e th e m o s t fruitful line of research in light of these needs. F urther, th e

'...becom e m ore concerned in the anthropology of the c h a n g in g A fric a n a n d in th e a n th ro p o lo g y o f th e c o n ta c t o f w h ite a n d c o lo u re d o f E u ro p e a n c u ltu re a n d p rim itiv e trib a l

a n th ro p o lo g ic a l s tu d y o f p rim itiv e c u ltu re s , o f s u c h a s p e c ts a s e c o n o m ic s , la n d te n u re , la w w o u ld le a d to 's c ie n tific c o n tro l o f C o lo n ia l c o -o p e ra tio n ! M a lin o w s k i c o n c lu d e d th e p ie c e by o u tlin in g th e p ra c tic a l s te p s th a t th e

A n th ro p o lo g y , o rg a n iz in g th e fie ld w o rk , th e tra in in g o f c o lo n ia l a d m in is tra to rs in F u n c tio n a l A n th ro p o lo g y , a n d fin a lly , ta k in g th e ro le o f a c e n tra l e x c h a n g e fo r th e p ra c tic a l a n d th e o re tic a l in te re s ts in A n th ro p o lo g y .

A n th ro p o lo g ic a l R e se a rc h to th e R E ? 5 . R a d c l i f f e - B r o w n p o in te d t o th e u rg e n t n e e d fo r th e s y s te m a tic s tu d y o f c u ltu re s o f b a c k w a rd p e o p le s b e fo re th e y a re m o d ifie d o r d e s tro y e d th ro u g h c o n ta c t w ith E u ro p e a n c iv iliz a tio n . H e c o n tra s te d th e 'n e w e r s o c ia l a n th ro p o lo g y ' w ith th e o ld e r H is to ric a l S c h o o l, d e s c rib in g th e la tte r a s a m a tte r o f c o n je c tu re a b o u t th e re c o n s tru c tio n s o f h is to ry . In o u tlin in g

S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y , R a d c liffe -B ro w n lis te d fiv e c h ie f fe a tu re s o f th e S c h o o l. F irs t, S o c ia l A n th ro p o lo g y a im e d a t '...o b ta in in g m a te ria l fo r th e fo rm u la tio n o f g e n e ra l la w s o f s o c ia l life a n d s o c ia l d e v e lo p m e n t! T h e la w s w o u ld

have the sam e validity as the law s of general science. T he past w as to be left to the historian

a n d a rc h a e o lo g is t, w h ile th e a n th ro p o lo g is t d e a lt w ith th e p re s e n t a n d th e fu tu re . S e c o n d , th is a p p r o a c h w a s , in h is w o rd s , '...b a s e d o n th e view th at a culture is an integrated system in w hich each e le m e n t (in s titu tio n , c u s to m , b e lie f) p la y sas p e c ific p a r t in the relation to the w hole: It w as concerned prim arily w ith th e 'fu n c tio n a l s tu d y o f c u ltu re s l A ll a s p e c ts o f a c u ltu re h a d to b e s tu d ie d in re la tio n to o n e a n o th e r a n d in re la tio n to th e w h o le . S o c ia lA n th ro p o lo g y n e c e s s a rily in v o lv e d th e u n ita ry s tu d y o f c u ltu re . T h ird , in d o in g a fu n c tio n a l s tu d y , th e fie ld w o rk e r h a d to in te g ra te o b s e rv a tio n

F o u rth , th is a p p ro a c h re c o g n iz e d th e im p o rta n c e of s tu d y in g c u ltu re c o n ta c t fo r b o th s c ie n tific , th e o re tic a l re a s o n s a s w e ll a s th e p ra c tic a l o n e s . F in a lly , S o c ia l