Discuss Malinowski's Scientific Theory of Culture
Malinowski Magic, Religion, and Science Assignment Introduction Bronisław Kasper Malinowski (1884–1942) was a Polish-born British anthropologist and one of the founding figures of modern social anthropology. He is best known for introducing intensive fieldwork and participant observation as the core method of anthropological research. Malinowski rejected speculative and armchair anthropology and emphasized understanding cultures from the viewpoint of the people living within them. His theoretical contributions, especially functionalism and the study of magic, religion, and science, reshaped sociological and anthropological thought. Malinowski and Functionalism Malinowski developed bio-psychological functionalism , which explains culture as an instrument created to satisfy human needs. According to him, cultural institutions are not random traditions but practical mechanisms that help individuals meet biological and psychological requirements such as ...