Course:MDIA300/Franz Boas

Franz Boas

Franz Boas (1858–1942) was a German-born American anthropologist, considered by many to be one of the most influential social scientists of the early 20th century and often referred to as the “Father of American anthropology.”^[1] His key contributions include developing the modern concept of cultural relativism and opposing scientific racism.^[2] In media studies, Boas’s theories support the understanding that media representations and communication practices should be analyzed within their cultural and social contexts, rather than according to a unified standard.

Background

Boas was born on July 9, 1858, in Minden, in the German province of Westphalia. From a young age, Boas was interested in the natural sciences, including botany, geology, and astronomy. While attending a gymnasium (a type of German secondary school), he became deeply interested in history and culture as well. Later, he pursued studies related to his interests at the Universities of Heidelberg, Bonn, and Kiel. In 1881, he earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kiel. After completing his Ph.D., Boas developed an interest in geography and anthropology, which led him to conduct fieldwork among the Inuit of Baffin Island in 1883–1884.^[1]

After immigrating to the United States in 1887, Boas worked at the American Museum of Natural History and later became a professor at Columbia University, where he founded the first Ph.D. program in anthropology in the U.S. He remained active in his research and teaching until his death in 1942.^[1]

Major Contributions

Cultural Relativism

Franz Boas’s approach to ethnography can be traced back to one of his earliest essays, “The Study of Geography,” ^[7] in which he argued that every phenomenon was worthy of study, as its existence entitles a share of our attention. Within this, he also argues that cultures should be understood on their own terms, rather than ranked in a hierarchy of “more” or “less evolved.” His approach, now commonly known as cultural relativism, proposed that variations in human behaviour are best explained by their cultural history and context, rather than fixed biological traits. The term became commonly used among anthropologists after Boas’s passing.

Contributions to Linguistics

Boas greatly contributed to the foundation of linguistic anthropology and establishing linguistics as a science in the United States. He did so by publishing a series of descriptive studies and documentation of Indigenous languages and the development of methods for studying language within its cultural context. In his 1889 article “On Alternating Sounds,” ^[5] he made a pivotal contribution to the methodology of both linguistics and cultural anthropology, as Boas questioned the assumption that differences in pronunciation reflected “primitive” language forms. He argued instead that such differences often arose from the observer’s linguistic biases. His research helped establish the study of the relationship between language, culture, and cognition as a central concern of anthropology.

Fieldwork, Context, and Museums

While working as a museum curator and building exhibitions, Boas had decided to challenge the traditional principles of museum display. He wanted to take a more evolutionary approach to material culture, having museum curators organize artifacts or objects on display according to evolutionary stages of human development. He argued that similar objects could arise from entirely different historical circumstances, stating that “though like causes have like effects, like effects have not like causes.”^[6] Boas promoted museum exhibits organized by cultural groups and historical context rather than linear schemes of progress. This was because he believed that even artifacts that may be similar in form could have developed in very different contexts, for different reasons.

Influence on Media Theory

Franz Boas’s work in anthropology is a foundation for various contemporary media theories, particularly for critical, context-aware approaches to media representation. His most central ideas, especially that cultural practices must be understood within their own historical and social contexts, have had a lasting influence on how media scholars think about representation, power, and communication. Boas encourages us to consider how audiences from different cultural backgrounds will produce different meanings, contributing to modern discussions about reception. As one overview notes, Boas argued that “all cultures were essentially equal but simply had to be understood in their own terms.” ^[2] This idea directly influences media studies in two prominent ways. First, the idea of cultural relativism prompts media theorists to examine how media messages are interpreted differently across cultures, aligning with critiques of stereotype formation, identity construction, and the racialization of media content. ^[3] Moreover, Boas’s insistence on detailed fieldwork and his rejection of linear evolution schemes draw parallels to media scholarship that emphasizes ethnography and the social contexts in which media are produced and consumed. Boas’s influence appears in widely taught media theory texts, such as Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, which is reminiscent of Boas’s belief that meaning depends on context rather than an objective, fixed interpretation. Contemporary work continues to hold roots to Boas’s work; the text Anthropology of Media, developed by scholars such as John Postill and Mark Allen Peterson, draws on Boas’s fieldwork and cultural relativism.¹ From bell hooks’s Cultural Criticism and Transformation to Richard Dyer’s writing on stereotypes, current media theories still build on Boas’s rejection of biological determinism. Boas’s ideas have shaped how media scholars and participants understand culture and interpretation, and at this rate, they will continue to do so.

Legacy

Franz Boas is widely regarded as the “father of American anthropology” for establishing the discipline’s modern scientific and ethical foundations. He championed cultural relativism, which is the idea that cultures should be understood on their own terms rather than judged by external standards. Additionally, he rejected biological determinism, emphasizing the role of environment and history in shaping human behaviour ^[11]. Boas’s fieldwork-based approach and his insistence on rigorous data collection influenced generations of anthropologists, including Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, and Zora Neale Hurston ^[10]. His advocacy for anti-racism and cultural understanding also extended beyond academia, shaping early 20th-century debates on immigration and eugenics. Today, Boas’s work continues to inform anthropological theory, human rights discourse, and critical studies of both race and culture.

Sources

1. ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Biography.com Editors (2022). “Franz Boas Biography.” Biography. (accessed November 12, 2025).
2. Lewis, Elizabeth (2024). "Franz Boas, Father of American Anthropology." ThoughtCo. (accessed November 12, 2025).
3. Dyer, Richard. “The Role of Stereotypes,” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/thowe.pbworks.com/f/dyer.on.sterotypes.pdf.

Hooks, Bell. Cultural Criticism and Transformation. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mediaed.org/transcripts/Bell-Hooks-Transcript.pdf.

1. Postill, John, and Mark Allen Peterson. ANTHROPOLOGY OF MEDIA, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/C04/E6-20D-68-26.pdf.
2. Hall, Stuart. “Encoding, Decoding."
3. Lewis, Jack David Eller. “Franz Boas: Biography and Contributions.” ThoughtCo, 2020.
4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Boas
5. Boas, Franz. “On Alternating Sounds.” American Anthropologist 2, no. 1 (1889): 47–54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/658803.
6. Wm. H. Dall, and Franz Boas. “Museums of Ethnology and Their Classification.” Science 9, no. 228 (1887): 587–89. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1762958.
7. Boas, Franz. “The Study of Geography.” Science 9, no. 210 (1887): 137–41. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1762738.
8. Beginnings: The Boasian Legacy at Columbia | Department of Anthropology, anthropology.columbia.edu/content/beginnings-boasian-legacy-columbia. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
9. Dyer, Richard. “The Role of Stereotypes,” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/thowe.pbworks.com/f/dyer.on.sterotypes.pdf.
10. Franz Boas | Theories, Contributions to Anthropology & Legacy - Lesson | Study.Com, study.com/academy/lesson/franz-boas-biography-theory-contributions.html. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
11. Hahn, Hans Peter. “On the Changeful History of Franz Boas’s Concept of Cultural Relativism.” EAZ, www.eaz-journal.org/index.php/eaz/article/view/945. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.