Bronisław Malinowski: biography of a pioneer of social anthropology

Bronisław Malinowski is one of the most relevant anthropologists in history. His contributions gave it a new look and opened new perspectives for traditional anthropology. The methodology known as “the participant observer” is due to him. which has served as a pillar for many subsequent investigations.

Bronisław Malinowski is considered a pioneer of social anthropology. He was a social scientist in the full extent of the term. In addition to being a disciplined and rigorous theorist, he was also a field researcher who turned field work into one of the axes of anthropology.

He also stood out for his absolute respect for all cultures. He knew how to approach different peoples with an open mind and without prejudices. He defended the idea that a primitive society is not an inferior society, but that cultural developments and patterns have different futures.

The training of Bronisław Malinowski

Bronisław Malinowski was born in Krakow (Poland) in 1884. However, he is spoken of as an Englishman of origin. Polish. He was the son of a wealthy family and his father was also a distinguished intellectual. Malinowski had various health problems during his childhood, so his mother took him on a long journey through Europe, looking for a cure.

He studied philosophy and specialized in physics and mathematics. Shortly afterward he traveled to Leipzig (Germany) and there he became interested in the study of psychology and economics. The book fell into his hands The golden branchby James Frazer, and it had a profound impact on him. Since then he became decidedly interested in anthropology, a science that he went to study in London, in the London School of Economics.

His teacher was CG Seligman, an anthropologist. outstanding of that time. Seligman was convinced that the best way to develop anthropological theories was by approaching people directly and learning first-hand about their customs and way of thinking. This approach made a strong impression on Bronisław Malinowski.

Field work

Thanks to the good offices of Seligman, Malinowski obtained the position of secretary on an expedition to Australia. He then traveled to Mailu and then to the Tobriand Islands. There he had the opportunity to live directly with the natives. He learned the language from him and put all his effort into understanding his customs and way of life. There he began to incubate what would be a work of universal scope.

Between 1921 and 1929 he began to organize his notes and shape his books. The works that made him famous throughout the world date from that time. These are: The Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922), Sex and repression in savage society (1927) and Sexual life of savages (1929). He soon began teaching social anthropology at universities in England and the United States. His seminars became very famous.

He also lived for a time in Cuba, where he carried out new studies and observations.. His death surprised him shortly before starting an expedition to Oaxaca (Mexico) in 1942. He was only 58 years old at the time of his death.

Participant observation (OP)

OP is a data production technique in which the researcher observes the practices that social agents deploy in the “natural settings” in which they occur (Jociles, 2018).. Furthermore, the researcher not only observes, but also participates in the development of these practices, that is, he is immersed in the day-to-day activities of the participants.

Participant observation has several characteristics that can lead to ethical problems if not properly understood. These include the following:

The nature of the relationship between the researcher and the participants. The wide range of interaction dynamics, such as status differences between the two parties, power differences, and educational differences. The variety of contexts, from close interpersonal interactions to observation of public gatherings and actual participation in social events. On many occasions, the research will be conducted in environments that are unfamiliar to the researcher, which makes his or her presentation of self and interaction with others especially sensitive. Ethical codes of the groups under study may well be different from those of the researcher’s home country/institution. The changing nature of the researcher’s roles and relationships over time. The use of technology to document observations, including maps , photographs, video and audio recordings.

Ethical conduct

To avoid ethical problems when implementing the OP, the researcher must take into account the following:

Methodology: Explain in detail the setting in which the OP will take place, what potential interactions will be involved, how data will be collected, and the types of topics that could be discussed.Participants: describe to people the possible ethical problems that may arise in the context of the research. You should also explain how you plan to enter the field and familiarize people with your presence and the project.Potential damages: expand as much as possible the scope and range of potential harms to participants, recognizing that these will primarily involve social, legal, or psychological harms.Privacy and confidentiality: provide information on how to safeguard data once collected.Informed consent: prepare an informed consent where the voluntary participation of the participants is recorded.

Malinowski’s contributions

Bronisław Malinowski proposed a theory of needs. According to this, Each society must satisfy its own needs and to do so it creates a network of customs, beliefs and relationships.. It is the specific need of each society, which ends up shaping its civilization and its culture. Therefore, cultures are different from each other, since their needs are not the same.

Some of the societies studied by Malinowski were matrilineal in nature. This led him to formulate objections to Sigmund Freud’s concept of the Oedipus complex.. He stated that what existed was a basic and fundamental complex in the human being, but that this did not necessarily correspond to Oedipus. The latter would be typical of Western societies, but not of all groups on the planet. His intention was to complement psychoanalysis, not refute it, since he was always very adept at it.

In conclusion, Bronisław Malinowski’s main contribution was to have proven that different peoples must be studied on site and not through books. Likewise, researchers must go into these communities unprepared and with a basic question in mind: why does this human group act this way? The objective is to thoroughly understand these societies and not to make an inventory of curious or anecdotal details.

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