Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski: Bio-bibliography Essay

A British anthropologist born in Krakow, Po flat coat, Bronislaw Kasper Malinowsky left his mark in anthropological studies well-nigh the world. end-to-end his c arer, Bronislaw dedicated his eon to developing methods that dominated preceding anthropological field draw. Malinowski is most famously cognize for founding Social Anthropology and the root of functionalism. (See celebrated name c alling entropy Base, The) Bronislaw Malinowski was born April 7, 1884 to m some other, Jozefa, and father, Lucjan Malinowski. Lucian was a professor of Slavic linguistics at Jagellonian University in Southern Poland. Bronislaws mother, born Jozefa Kacka, married Lucjan at the age of 35 in 1883. Although she did not hold any pose in the academic world, like her husband, she was part of a family that owned land and held a certain high-ranking status in society. (See Notable call Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski and Wayne, Helena pg.529) When Bronislaw was 14 years old his father died of a heart attack at the age of 58 leaving him nether his mothers care. .The family had been living on Cracow University grounds, but widow and word of honor had to leave this home and thereafter lived in various flats in interchange Cracow. They were always rather hard up. A professors tribute was not very generous there was, however, some family money. (See Wayne, Helena pg. 530) As a child, Malinowski attended Krakows King John Sobieski public school. He went by the nickname, Bronio. His mothers side of the family being much matriarchal than his fathers side, Malinowski spent a lot of time with the Kacka cousins. Throughout his years at the public school, and later on during his college career, Malinowski always had a very gangly body structure and often was sickly looking. receivable to poor health, Malinowski frequently had to take time off from school to fall down and not get worse.Malinowski had incredibly bad eyesight and it more and more got worse to the point where h e was threatened with blindness. (See Wayne, Helena pg. 530 and Notable name Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski) While attending Jagellonian University, during one of his health breaks, Bronislaw Malinowski came across the work of a British Anthropologist, Sir James Frazer (2). Frazers work, The Golden Bough, sparked Malinowskis please in primitive states and about human cultures and society (1). Malinowskis passkey focus at the college was mathematics and physics. He later decided to draw out his education by studying philosophy and psychology. After receiving his PhD in Philosophy, Physics, and maths in 1908, Malinowski went on to study physical chemistry at Leipzig University in Ger many another(prenominal). Then finally, ended his academic studies at the London School of Economics. This is where he received his DSc in 1913 and also earned his PhD in Science in 1913. (See Notable Names Data Base, The Sir James Frazer, Bronislaw Malinowski) After college, Malinowsky trave led to revolutionary Guinea, Australia, and Melanesia.Where he began his early field expeditions and began his well- cognize work on the Trobriand Islanders. Malinowsky canvas their marriages, trade, and their religious practices. Malinowski found it just as important to observe the people he was studying during their everyday lives as opposed to simply intercommunicate the dissimilar cultures questions. Malinowski had the idea that people, while under a study, have the drift to lie in order to give the examiner what they want to hear. It was by observing cultures going about their lives as usual that Malinowski disc everyplaceed that many previous discoveries made by other anthropologists, such as Lewis henry Morgan and Sir James Frazer, were very incorrect.These other anthropologists committed a proverbial crime, known today sweeping generalizations. Malinowski discovered that in order to obtain genuine and accurate data on other cultures, an anthropologists couldnt rightfu lly assign that because one or two cultures have the said(prenominal) characteristic consequently a similar culture will also hold that resembling characteristic. This finding also disproved Sigmund Freuds Oedipal Complex theory. Malinowskis practice with extended fieldwork changed the game of anthropology forever. (See Notable Names Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski)With Malinowskis new come to fieldwork study, he discovered that these savage cultures were actually more civilized than they had been disposed credit for in the past. For example, tribal marriage and religious practices, no social occasion how strange or exotic, revealed themselves to be an integral part of the healthy performance of the community, playing vital roles in trade, community cohesion, and social stability. (See Notable Names Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski)Along with his groundbreaking discoveries in fieldwork methods, Malinowski better known for his ledger entry to the idea of functional ism. Functionalism is a theory stressing the importance of interdependence among all doings patterns and institutions within a social system to its long-term survival. In other words, people in a society require the social structure in order to function as an one-on-one. (See Free Dictionary Functionalism) Malinowskis idea of functionalism was branched from Radcliffe Browns, another British anthropologist, similar idea called structural functionalism. Malinowski meanwhile placed greater emphasis on the actions of the individual how the individuals needs were served by societys institutions, accustomed practices and beliefs, and how the psychology of those individuals might lead them to generate change. (See Notable Names Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski) Malinowski married twice.His first marriage was to Elsie Rosaline Masson in 1919. Together they had three children, all girls. Eslie passed away in 1935 after a long illness . flipper year later, he married for a second and final time to Anna Valetta Hayman-Joyce, a painter, in 1940. Malinowski did not have any more children. Despite being in ill health in 1940, Malinowski go on to do field work. He had begun a new study a study of marketing among the Zapotec of Oaxaca. Mid-study, Malinowsky died of a heart attack, just as his father had, on May 16 1942 leaving behind his roaring contribution to anthropology. (See Encyclopedia Bronislaw Malinowski)In todays American society, we are taught that every race and culture is equal. Bronislaw Malinowski taught us this by pointing out cultures same differences. For example, one culture may turn to magic or sacrificial practices to overcome evil while an American culture might require to a higher, unknown power. These may bet like two different extremes but they are equally a practice of religion to tending cope with uncontrollable forces of the universe.I found it very werwinteresting that, although this may seem like common sense to people today, there was one person who was able to destroy sweeping generalizations and the idea of a savage culture. With over fifty successful pieces of work, and seventeen published books, Malinowski had four books that were his best known Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922), Crime and Custom in Savage caller (1926), The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia (1929), and finally, published after his death, Magic, Science, and Religion and separate Essays (1948). (See Notable Names Data Base, The Bronislaw Malinowski)