The Twentieth Century Cannibals And Kings ( 1977 ) By...

Introduction This essay will discuss two major anthropological works of the twentieth century; Cannibals and Kings (1977) by Marvin Harris and Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) by Margaret Mead. Each of these works were pioneering in their contribution to anthropology, and both have also been widely criticized. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) is widely regarded as one of the most renowned, and controversial, anthropologists of her time, and helped popularize the discipline, especially in the USA where she was born and worked (Geertz 1989: 329). She was a student of Franz Boas and his teachings of cultural relativism, and was also one of the pioneers of ethnographic fieldwork in the anthropology (ibid: 331). Also an American anthropologist, Marvin Harris (1927-2001) is considered one of the most prominent and innovative theorists in twentieth century anthropology, and his work also stimulated much controversy and discussion in anthropological circles (Margolis and Kottak 2003: 685). Both books will be disc ussed in terms of what theoretical perspectives the author utilized and how this affected the conclusions drawn in each work. The two approaches will then be compared and the benefits and disadvantages of each perspective will be evaluated. Cannibals and Kings Cannibals and Kings, addresses a broad range of subject matter and data but ultimately seeks to offer, â€Å"a more realistic account of cultural evolution†, than, â€Å"the old onwards-and-upwards Victorian view of progress† (Harris