description Melville Herskovits Overview
Melville Herskovits (1895–1963) was an American anthropologist who founded the first major academic program in African studies in the United States at Northwestern University in 1948. His fieldwork in West Africa, Suriname, Haiti, Trinidad, and Brazil sought to document continuities between African cultural practices and those of African-descended populations in the Americas, most notably in *The Myth of the Negro Past* (1941). He also formulated an influential articulation of cultural relativism, arguing that cultures must be understood on their own terms rather than judged against external standards.
insights Ranking position
Melville Herskovits ranks #51 of 304 in the Anthropologist ranking, behind Philippe Bourgois, ahead of Jean Comaroff.
help Melville Herskovits FAQ
Where did Melville Herskovits establish the first major academic program in African studies?
Herskovits founded the first major academic program in African studies in the United States at Northwestern University in 1948. This program helped establish African studies as a formal academic discipline.
What regions did Melville Herskovits focus his fieldwork on?
His fieldwork extensively covered West Africa, Suriname, Haiti, Trinidad, and Brazil. He specifically sought to document cultural continuities between African populations and the African diaspora.
When did Melville Herskovits live and conduct his anthropological research?
Melville Herskovits lived from 1895 to 1963. During this period, he became a foundational figure in American anthropology and Afro-American studies.
What was the primary theoretical goal of Melville Herskovits's research in the Americas?
His primary goal was to document the cultural continuities between Africa and the Americas. By studying communities in places like Suriname and Haiti, he demonstrated how African cultural traditions survived the transatlantic slave trade.
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