Franx Boas and the Culture Concept in Historical Perspective

It has been argued thal Frane Boas contribuled little to the mergence of the culture concept in anthropology and in jact hindered ils growth. In the context of &n earlier re-evahdwn of the role of E. B. Tylor, il is argued here that in the work of Boas the concept was in fact provided with much of the basis of its modern anthropological meaning. In devdoping his argument against ratial mental dijermces, Boas proceeded by showing that the behuoio* of all men, regardlessof race or cultural stage, was ddermined by a traddional body or habitual behavior patterns passed on through what we would now call emulturative processes and buttressed by
ethicdy tainted secondary ralionalieations.