Ruth Benedict

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Ruth Benedict was a pioneering figure in American anthropology, whose work profoundly influenced the field's direction in the mid-20th century. She advocated for a comprehensive understanding of culture as an integrated pattern of selected traits, challenging prevalent notions of biological determinism and static cultural roles. Her studies not only reshaped anthropological theory but also addressed broader societal issues such as racism and cultural relativism.

Early Life

Ruth Fulton, later known as Ruth Benedict, experienced a tumultuous childhood marked by psychological and physical challenges. Born in 1887, she faced the tragic loss of her father, Frederick Fulton, a talented homeopathic surgeon, when she was just twenty-one months old. Her mother, Beatrice Shattuck Fulton, was devastated by the loss and required young Ruth to view her father in his coffin, an event that left a lasting impression. The grief-stricken household often witnessed Ruth's violent tantrums and depressive bouts, born from emotional trauma and partially due to significant hearing loss from a childhood illness that went undiagnosed for several years. This hearing impairment further isolated her, contributing to her surliness and preference for solitude.

Beatrice Fulton moved her family several times in search of stability before ultimately securing employment as head librarian at the Buffalo Public Library. Although this position provided some security, the family lived modestly in a prosperous area, making their relative poverty more conspicuous. Ruth and her sister Margery, both scholarship students at a private academy, were acutely aware of their financial situation compared to their peers.

Ruth's academic journey began at Vassar College, where she studied on a full scholarship. However, after graduation, her early career was marked by a search for fulfillment. She briefly worked as a social worker in Buffalo and later taught at a private girls’ academy in California, finding neither role fulfilling. Her 1914 marriage to Stanley Benedict and their subsequent move to New York City’s suburb of Bedford Hills did little to alleviate her dissatisfaction with domestic life. Seeking intellectual stimulation, she turned to writing poetry and feminist biographies, albeit with limited success. Eventually, her search for purpose led her back to academia. In 1919, she pursued graduate studies at the New School for Social Research in New York City, setting her on the path to anthropology.

Academic Pursuits and Life’s Work

Ruth Benedict’s entry into anthropology was facilitated by the prominent anthropologists Elsie Clews Parsons and Alexander Goldenweiser, who introduced her to Franz Boas of Columbia University. Boas, impressed by her dedication, allowed her to transfer her coursework, enabling her to earn a Ph.D. in a remarkably short period. At Columbia, she became a pivotal figure, advancing from Boas’ teaching assistant to lecturer, and eventually, a respected authority in her own right.

Her 1923 dissertation on "The Concept of the Guardian Spirit in North America" was primarily based on library research, reflecting the challenges posed by her partial deafness in conducting fieldwork. Despite these limitations, Benedict's scholarly contributions were immense. She excelled in synthesizing and interpreting the data collected by her peers, a talent that culminated in her seminal work, Patterns of Culture, published in 1934. This publication was a synthesis of her fieldwork among the Zuni, Boas' studies of the Kwakiutl, and Reo Fortune's research on the Melanesian Dobu.

In Patterns of Culture , Benedict proposed a new theoretical approach, moving away from biological determinism and functionalism. She introduced the idea of cultural configurations, positing that cultures selectively adopt traits from a wide spectrum of human behaviors to form a cohesive pattern or gestalt. This concept of "culture as personality writ large" suggested that cultures are not static but dynamic and...

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capable of change, influenced by individuals within them. Her work provided a framework for understanding cultural relativity and was pivotal in debunking racial superiority theories.

Benedict also explored the concept of deviance, reflecting her personal experiences of feeling out of place within her own culture, especially as her marriage dissolved and she found companionship with fellow anthropologist Margaret Mead. She argued that abnormality is culturally specific, as behaviors deemed normal in one society might be viewed as deviant in another. This understanding underscored her belief in the malleability of human behavior and the cultural construct of normalcy.

Advocacy and Applied Anthropology

Benedict was not merely an academic but also a passionate advocate for social change. Her work in applied anthropology was driven by her commitment to addressing social issues, particularly racism. In 1940, she authored Race Science and Politics, a pivotal book that challenged prevailing racist ideologies. Her efforts extended to developing educational resources on racism, including a collaborative project with high school teacher Mildred Ellis and a children’s book co-authored with Gene Weltfish in 1948.

During World War II, Benedict and her contemporaries were enlisted by governmental intelligence agencies. In 1943, she joined the Office of War Information (OWI), where she pioneered "culture at a distance" studies, a method of analyzing national character without direct fieldwork. Her analysis of Japanese culture in The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (1946) was particularly influential, providing insights into Japanese society that helped shape American public perceptions post-war.

Later Work and Legacy

In her final years, Benedict directed Columbia University’s Research in Contemporary Cultures (RCC) project, an ambitious interdisciplinary study of national character funded by the U.S. Navy. Although the project faced challenges due to shifting academic trends and skepticism towards cultural relativism, it underscored Benedict’s enduring belief in the importance of understanding cultural diversity.

Despite her untimely death in 1948 due to exhaustion and a heart attack, Benedict's impact on anthropology and her advocacy for social justice persisted. Her work, once criticized for being too impressionistic, continued to resonate, influencing generations of anthropologists and students.

Benedict’s Personal Struggles and Professional Recognition

Benedict’s journey was marked by both personal and professional challenges. Operating in an era when women were often constrained by societal norms, her quest for self-fulfillment and professional recognition was a testament to her resilience. Despite facing academic discrimination and holding only renewable lecturer positions for years, she persevered, eventually securing a tenure-track position at Columbia University in 1931. Her influence grew steadily, although gender biases persisted, evidenced by the decision to appoint a less experienced male colleague as department chair upon Boas’ retirement.

Her unwavering dedication to anthropology and social reform solidified her legacy as one of the field's most notable figures, inspiring future anthropologists, including Margaret Mead. Ruth Benedict's life and work remain a poignant reminder of the potential of cultural understanding to foster societal change.