What is the role of marxism in anthropology?

Question

What is the role of marxism in anthropology?

Answer 1

The answer to your question lies in your course text books

Answer 2

I also don't want to do your homework for you, but here are some brief thoughts.

-In the UK, structural functionalist thought was challenged by the reemergence of neo-Marxist philosophy by scholars like Althusser. It led to a greater consideration of historical change (some structural functionalism deals poorly with).

- there are entire schools of marxist anthropology, you should find out what that means

Answer 3

it doesn't have 'role' in Anthropology, it makes a contribution to it.

Answer 4

I won't do your homework for you but I'll give you a few hints that aren't any good for points without some understanding on your part:

- commodity fetishism

- class strife - for what that's worth

- use value vs. exchange value - and related concepts

Answer 5

Many of the professors of liberal arts are Marxists but other than that, there should be no role.  If they pretend there is, then  it is likely your professor is one.

Answer 6

Marxism is essentially an economic interpretation of history based primarily on the works of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels. Marx was a revolutionary who focused his efforts on understanding capitalism to overthrow it. As far an anthropology is concerned, however, the seminal work is Engels' The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State (1884).

Answer 7

Its the shoaling fish syndrome

Answer 8

Marx had more of a role in Sociology..however, Sociocultural Anthropology does make use of his ideas (i.e. Religion).

Cheers!

Answer 9

Trying to keep it simple - Marxist thought based on the dialectic between the mode of production (proletariat or worker) and the means of production (owner/ factory, capitalist).  If you understand how Marxism applies to economics (capitalist vs worker) and the dynamics of that relationship you can apply the same concepts to human actions in other arenas.  Marxist anthropology works from this basis - that there is constant dialectic between the mode and mean of production in all aspects of culture.

Answer 10

Politics and Science shouldn't have anything to do with each other. Unfortunately that's not the case.