Evolutionism: Evolution is used to denote the theory of evolution, with its

meaning evolving over time. In the 19th century, it described the belief in
progressive inherited change (orthogenesis). The term is often used by creationists
to equate adherence to the scientific consensus on evolution with a secular
religion. According to this theory, societies progress through stages such
as savagery, barbarism, and civilization, with each stage marked by specific
technological advancements and cultural change like the control of fire or the
invention of writing. Evolutionism assumes a unilinear path of development.

Relativism & Historical Particularism: These perspectives argue that cultural

variability leads to different social understandings and that there are no universal
standards to judge between cultures because each culture’s moral values are unique
to its developmental history. Ethical/Moral Relativism Suggests that ethical
judgments are incoherent and unfair when applied universally, as moral values are
unique to each culture’s history. Historical Particularism is Introduced by Franz
Boas, this idea emphasizes that histories are not comparable and that diverse paths
can lead to the same cultural result

Functionalism: It focuses on the role of sociocultural practices in social systems,

It posits that every custom is interconnected, each custom’s function is to satisfy
biological needs, and customs maintain the integrity of the social system.
Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown emphasized the present and believed in the
interrelation of customs and institutions, advocating for a synchronic study of
societies.

Configurationalism: Configurationalism is part of a broader discussion on

theories in anthropology, which includes various perspectives on cultural and
social change.This approach views culture as integrated and patterned. The
approach emphasizes the importance of culture and its powerful influence on
individuals, suggesting that cultural forces, based on the unique human capacity for
symbolic thought, override individual differences. This perspective is also
associated with the term “culturology,”
Neoevolutionism: Neoevolutionism focuses on long-term cultural change and the
patterns of development observed in unrelated, geographically separated cultures.
It emerged in the mid-20th century and seeks to understand the relationship
between the broad, long-term changes characteristic of human culture and the
short-term, localized social and ecological adjustments that lead to specific cultural
differences. Neoevolutionism also examines how different cultures adapt to similar
environments and the historical trajectories of these groups.

Cultural Ecology, and Cultural Materialism: cultural materialism posits that

cultural infrastructure determines structure and superstructure, with society’s
infrastructure consisting of technology, economics, and demography. Cultural
materialism also emphasizes the use of the scientific method in anthropological
research, prioritizing etic (observer-oriented) over emic (insider-oriented)
perspectives when analyzing cultures.

These theories renew interest in culture change and evolution, proposing that
cultures follow different evolutionary paths and emphasizing the relationship
between cultures and environmental variables, with cultural infrastructure
determining social structure and ideology.