Ideationalism vs. materialism: contrasting goals, contrasting ends
Citation
Heinricher, Peter M. (1986). Ideationalism vs. Materialism: contrasting goals, contrasting ends. -- Lambda Alpha Journal of Man, v.17, no.1/2, p.68-75.
Abstract
Recent debates over the meaning and content of culture
have divided anthropology into two main camps:
ideationalists and materialists. On one aspect of the
controversy, food taboos and preferences, the ideationalist
viewpoint is ~epresented in the writings of the neostructuralists,
and that of the materialists in the works of
the cultural materialists. The explanations offered by the
respective schools are indicative not only of their
conceptions of culture, but also of the contributions of
each toward making anthropology a relevant area of study and
a useful tool in solving the problems facing humanity.