Transcript Document

‘Provide a CD-Rom with information about a traveller, explorer
or theorist whom you consider to be an ‘”early anthropologist”
(i.e. predating British structural functionalism)’
History of anthropological theory
SSA 321
Candidate number: 167562
30th April 2003
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Candidate no 167562
Alfred Cort Haddon
1855-1940
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Colour-code:
Any text written in purple is my own interjection
Lilac and underlined is a hyperlink
Blue is for references of books, articles, and journals
Black is either headings or text quoted from elsewhere. In
these cases a reference shall be sited as to where it is from.
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Contents
Haddon’s Life and Work (Biographical details)
(5)
Haddon’s Methodology (and the influence of zoology)
(13)
Haddon’s work on art and artefacts, and the influence of
Evolutionism
(17)
Haddon’s usage of photography and film
(18)
Haddon’s written work
(20)
Bibliography
(21)
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Haddon’s life and work
This section details sources that are especially relevant to the
biography of Haddon’s life, including the major research
projects that he embarked upon. The implications and
perspectives of this work shall be dealt with in the sections on
‘methodology’, ‘Art and Artefacts’, Use of Photography’, and
‘written work’
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Sandra Rouse
Rouse Gives an interesting summary of much of Haddon’s work, and talks of his
advocatory interests, trying to promote anthropology as a good training for British
living and working in ‘primitive society’.
Haddon was a keen promoter of the merits of anthropological training for
missionaries and colonial officers. Although he had failed to organise a Bureau of
Ethnology twenty years earlier, his Conway Memorial Lecture of 1921, The
Practical Value of Ethnology, was in part an exposition on how the colonial
administrator ('the man of affairs'), could find anthropology useful.42 The
advantages to the colonial administration of an appreciation of local practices
would be a smoother, more efficient, less confrontational atmosphere. Though he
cautioned that anthropologists should not determine governmental policy, it was
inevitable that anthropological data would be used by the administration, he
naively hoped, in such a way as to lead to a more enlightened rule. For examples
Haddon drew on Richard Temple's 1914 work about his experiences in the Indian
Civil Service, Anthropology as a Practical Science.
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Haddon made various attempts to persuade the administrators of both
the colonial service and the mission societies that anthropology should be
made a formal part of university study for their candidates. In the Michaelmas
term of 1902 he gave a series of lectures 'designed to attract young men who
intended to become missionaries, giving them a preliminary training in that
branch of anthropology which deals with primitive social and religious ideas'.
He justified the value of anthropology to mission work by predicting greater
success for a missionary who had an understanding of 'the aboriginal ideas
which he proposed to modify or supplant.'44 Some valuable anthropological
research, he claimed, came from missionary sources but generally missionaries
had no scientific training. If the lectures could stimulate interest in ethnology
and its value, 'dealings with uncivilised races may be rendered more intelligent
and valuable material for study may be collected among them which would
otherwise have been lost.‘
His advocacy of the practical value of anthropology, particularly for
colonial administrators, was initially confined to arenas outside of the
university. Scientific societies and public lectures were more receptive
audiences.(Rouse, 1999: 22-23)
Rouse, Sandra, 1999, ‘Haddon, Missionaries and “men of Affairs”’, in
Cambridge Anthropology, Vol. 21, No. 1, pages 9-27
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Stocking’s account to Haddon
and the Torres Straits Expedition
Stocking, Jr. G. W. 1995, ‘Haddon and the Torres Straits’ in After Tylor: British
Social Anthropology 1888-1951, London: The Athlone Press
Stocking gives an interesting description of Haddon’s role in the Torres
Straits expedition. It also gives interesting details of how he came to
anthropology at Cambridge. I have selected the most useful parts of
this that can be found at the hyperlink below, however the whole article
may also be located in the above journal.
Haddon and the Torres Straits
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Rouse, S. 1998, ‘Expedition and institution: A. C. Haddon and anthropology at Cambridige’ in Rouse,
S. and Herle, A. (eds.), Cambridge and the Torres Strait, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
pages 50-76
This article gives an interesting interpretation on his
history as Biologist and anthropologist, especially
regarding to his fieldwork methodology. It also has a
very interesting letter that Haddon sent to his son,
showing his ideas of what were interesting to him in
the Torres Straits. Also contains an interesting and indepth biography of his life and work, including his
conversion to anthropology. For these see especially
pages 61-76.
Figure 3.1 Haddon during the first expedition
to the Torres Strait. Mabuiag 1888.
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Articles from Nature Journal.
These are interesting insofar as they give accounts from Haddon Before and
after the expedition.
For before the expedition see: Haddon, 1898, ‘The Cambridge Expedition to
Torres Straits and Borneo’ in Nature, Vol. 57, No. 1473, page 276
For after the expedition see: Haddon, 1899, ‘The Cambridge Anthropological
Expedition to Torres Straits and Sarawak’, in Nature, Vol. 60, No. 1557, pages
413-416
Also: Haddon, A. C. 1898, ‘Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits’, in
Nature, Vol. 59, No. 1521, page 174
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Obituary of Haddon
Quiggin and Fegan give a comprehensive outline of Haddon’s
life and work. This can either be found on the web at:
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993606/99p2270p/0?confi
g=jstor&frame=noframe&[email protected]/0282
58cb3a00502afe68&dpi=3
Some useful extracts that I have taken from them are also on
the Hyperlink bellow:
Haddon's obituary
Or the original can be found in Man:
Quiggin, A. H. and Fegan, E. S. July 1940, ‘Alfred Cort
Haddon, 1855-1940’, in Man, Vol.40, No.123, pages 97-100
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For an overview of other members of the Torres Straits expedition, see:
A. C. Haddon, April 1939, ‘Obituary of Sidney Herbert Ray: 28th May, 1858 – 1st
January, 1939’ in Man, Vol. 39, Pages 58-60
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993591/99p2001v/0?config=jstor&frame=nof
rame&[email protected]/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
Fortes, M. February 1941, ‘Obituary of Charles Gabriel Seligman, 1873-1940’, in
Man, Vol. 41, Pages 1-6
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993612/99p2380x/0?config=jstor&frame=nof
rame&[email protected]/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
Haddon, Barlett and Fegman, ‘Obituary of William Halse Rivers Rivers, M. D.,
President of the Royal Anthropological Institute, born 1864, died June 4th, 1922’ in
Man, Vol. 22, Pages 97-61
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm995192/99p13344/0?config=jstor&frame=nof
rame&[email protected]/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
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Haddon’s Methodology
Several writer’s have talked about Haddon’s methodology, however his
evolutionist analysis and the use of his background in zoology is apparent
from his own writing. In this section there is a selection of examples of this
occurrence in Haddon’s work, and other writer’s interpretation of Haddon’s
methodology.
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Urry, J. 1993, ‘From Zoology to Ethnology: A. C. Haddon’s conversion to anthropology’ in Before Social Anthropology:
Essays on the History of British Anthropology, pages 61-82
This text argues that Haddon’s background in biology not only influenced his own approach to anthropology, but also that of
‘the vision of anthropology as a whole’ (Urry, 1993: 61)
One interesting subject explored is Haddon’s description of Art
into different classifications analogous to that of a zoologist’s
classification of the animal world. This illustration shows these
ideas
.
(Urry, 1993: 72)
Urry also makes an interesting statement comparing the life and
work of Haddon in Britain to that of Boas in the USA:
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Like Franz Boas in America, Haddon brought new methods and
ideas to anthropology, and an aura of respectability which
furthered the professionalization of the subject. Unlike Boas,
however, Haddon did not create an epistemological break with
earlier anthropological thought and establish a "new"
anthropology. Haddon's vision of anthropology belonged
essentially to the nineteenth century, and remained so until his
death. In contrast, Boas, although Haddon's almost exact
contemporary, made the transition from the nineteenth to the
twentieth century with ease, and remained an eclectic thinker
until his death. (Urry, 1993: 78)
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Haddon, A. C. 1895, Evolution in Art, London:
Walter Scott Ltd.
Haddon’s Book: Evolution in Art, is a prime example of
evolutionary and comparative concepts being used in his work.
Two extracts of this may be found on the Hyperlink below.
Evolution of Art
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This book gives insight into Haddon’s methodology, analyses,
and conversion to anthropology. Esspecially useful is Rouses
article ‘Expedition and institution: A. C. Haddon and
anthropology at Cambridige’, (pages 50-76) which also gives
biographical information:
A C Haddon and anthropology at Cambridge
Rouse, S. 1998, ‘Expedition and institution: A. C. Haddon and anthropology at
Cambridige’ in Rouse, S. and Herle, A. (eds.), 1998, Cambridge and the Torres
Strait, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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Art,Artifacts and Evolutionism
One of the best resources for seeing Haddon’s perspective on
art, is his book, Art is Evolution. Here are a few extracts that
give illustrate his interpretation:
extracts from evolution of art
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Use of Photography and Film
Haddon’s film is recorded in the location below:
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/isca/haddon/allfootage.html
The Haddon film archive is also useful for searching for any
other film in the ethnographic period between 1845-1945.
Coupled with this, it is interesting to read his own description of
the film as the first anthropologist to produce an ethnographic
film, he was in the unique position of not being influenced by
other filmmakers in the genre of anthropological film. The
extract can be found below:
Haddon's description in Head Hunters
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There is much interesting information on the web about Haddon’s
film footage. One of the best articles can be found on the addres
below:
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/isca/haddon/article.html
Tomaselli, De Brigard, De Bromhead and Barnouw also have
interesting things to say about Haddon as a filmmaker:
Tomaselli, De Brigard, De Bromhead and Barnouw
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Haddon’s Written Work
Different theorists place Haddon’s work as more or less important in
relation to the corpus f anthropological writings. Some members of the
Cambridge school (such as Hart) hold that his work in the Torres Straits
was essential for the development of both Radcliffe-Brown and
Malinowski, whereas other theorists maintain that he is less important for
the development of and for contemporary anthropology.
Pleas refer to the links below:
Expedition's place in history
Sillitoe's description of Torres Straits
Torres Straits overview
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Bibliography
•Fortes, M. February 1941, ‘Obituary of Charles Gabriel Seligman, 1873-1940’, in Man, Vol. 41, Pages 1-6
•Haddon, A. C. 1895, Evolution in Art, London: Walter Scott Ltd.
•Haddon, 1898, ‘The Cambridge Expedition to Torres Straits and Borneo’ in Nature, Vol. 57, No. 1473, page 276
•Haddon, A. C. 1898, ‘Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits’, in Nature, Vol. 59, No. 1521, page 174
•Haddon, 1899, ‘The Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits and Sarawak’, in Nature, Vol. 60,
No. 1557, pages 413-416
•Haddon, A. C. 1932, Head-Hunters, London: C. A. Watts and Co. Limited
•Haddon, A. C. 1932, ‘The Malu Ceremonies’ in Head Hunters, London: C. A. Watts and Co.
•Haddon, Barlett and Fegman, 1922 ‘Obituary of William Halse Rivers Rivers, M. D., President of the Royal
Anthropological Institute, born 1864, died June 4 th, 1922’ in Man, Vol. 22, Pages 97-61
•Haddon, A. C. April 1939, ‘Obituary of Sidney Herbert Ray: 28 th May, 1858 – 1st January, 1939’ in Man, Vol. 39,
Pages 58-60
•Quiggin, A. H. and Fegan, E. S. July 1940, ‘Alfred Cort Haddon, 1855-1940’, in Man, Vol.40, No.123, pages 97-100
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•Rouse, S. 1998, ‘Expedition and institution: A. C. Haddon and anthropology at Cambridige’ in Rouse, S. and Herle, A.
(eds.),
Cambridge and the Torres Strait, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pages 50-76
•Rouse, Sandra, 1999, ‘Haddon, Missionaries and “men of Affairs”’, in Cambridge Anthropology, Vol. 21, No. 1, pages
9-27
•Sillitoe, P. 1977, ‘To Mer, Maibuiag, Moresby: The Torres Straits Expedition’ in Cambridge Anthropology,
Vol. 3, No.2, pages 1-19
•Stocking, Jr. G. W. 1995, ‘Haddon and the Torres Straits’ in After Tylor: British Social Anthropology 1888-1951,
London:
The Athlone Press
•Stocking, Jr. G. W. 1995, ‘Haddon and the Torres Straits’ in After Tylor: British Social Anthropology 1888-1951,
London:
The Athlone Press
•Tomaselli, K. G. 1999, Appropriating Images: The Semiotics of Visual Representation, Hojbjerg: Intervention Press
•Urry, J. 1993, ‘From Zoology to Ethnology: A. C. Haddon’s conversion to anthropology’ in Before Social Anthropology
Essays on the History of British Anthropology, pages 61-82
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Websites:
http://human-nature.com/science-as-culture/hart.html
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993606/99p2270p/0?config=jstor&frame=noframe&userID=892c01c8@sw
an.ac.uk/028258cb3a00502afe68&dpi=3
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993591/99p2001v/0?config=jstor&frame=noframe&userID=892c01c8@sw
an.ac.uk/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993612/99p2380x/0?config=jstor&frame=noframe&userID=892c01c8@sw
an.ac.uk/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
http://uk.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm995192/99p13344/0?config=jstor&frame=noframe&userID=892c01c8@sw
an.ac.uk/028258cb3a00502ad7d8&dpi=3
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/isca/haddon/allfootage.html
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/isca/haddon/article.html
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