Concept and Methods of Julian Steward and Marvin Harris

Since the 1960s, the cultural ecological approach is known in Anthropology as a theoretical perspective that focuses on the study of human culture in relation to their surroundings. This perspective has laid down a stone in the development human ecology. The ecological anthropology, another perspective that deals with ecosystem of an area, appeared as an effective methodology to study human-nature relationship in anthropology, has also been developed on the ground of cultural ecology in anthropology criticizing the methodology as well as the arguments the earlier approach. Julian Steward was the founder of cultural ecology in anthropology who analyzed Sho-Shoni culture of Western America. He came to the filed as cultural ecologist through a book named Theory of Cultural Change: The Methodology of Multilinear Evolution-1955. Later, Marvin Harris, Robert Netting and some of the other anthropologists have involved in the development of this approach. Steward’s cultural ecology is evolved from his argument of multilinear revolution.

What is Multilinear Evolution?

Multilinear evolutionists argue that we cannot trace the development/evolution of culture in a unilinear way. Culture can be developed through numerous ways or lines. In the process of development, we can see various cultures that are evolved in different places taking different direction or combined again and forward in the same direction in the specific circumstance.

The term “multilinear evolution” was not coined by Julian Steward only it is associated with his name because of his contribution. For Steward, multilinear evolution means methodology based on the assumption that significant regularities in cultural change occur. According to Steward, we can see parallel developments among historically unrelated cultures. As a multilinear evolutionist anthropologist, Steward focuses on the following points.

• Multiple development sequences (lines or events)
• Empirical methods rather that deductive
• Emphasized on particular cultures
• Concreteness of specifically
• Determination of cultural law.

Methodology of Multilinear Evolution

• Parallelism and Causality: Classify cultural phenomenon/taxonomy as plain culture, African culture, and Chinese civilization and so on.
• Consider each culure independently as a unique pattern of element.

How did the Multilinear Approach come?

1. Determinism: At first, it was believed that environmental factor played prime roles in the formation of human culture and society.
2. Possibilism: