The work and impact of Franz Boas as reflected in his shorthand records

• Applicant: Dr. Rainer Hatoum
• Subject Area: Social and Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology ; African, American and Oceania Studies
• Term: from 2015 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 281544089

During a research stay in Philadelphia in 2011, I first came across the main body of material that is at the heart of the project proposed here: the shorthand notes of Franz Boas, the father of American Cultural Anthropology. Further study soon showed that this important source had not been mined before, as Boas employed an undocumented version of a shorthand writing system which had not been taught for over 100 years. After an intensive investigation into the topic beginning in August 2012, I finally succeeded in reaching a decisive breakthrough towards deciphering the system in February 2013. Now, the path had been cleared to transcribe and analyze the content specifics of this important body of material which has to be considered a milestone in the history of Anthropology as a discipline. The results of a preliminary survey funded by a Franklin Research Grant of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia in April 2014 seems to indicate that surviving shorthand materials of Boas basically consist of field notes which stem from his diverse research trips to different native communities in North America between 1883 and 1930. This suggests that he obviously only regarded these notes as historical documents worthy of preservation, in stark contrast, for example, to others taken during his manifold other private, academic and political activities. This preliminary study made two things clear: 1. The manuscripts reflect on a wide range of research interests of Boas which is a result of the scientific approach he pursued. 2. The records do document the different stages of his work. Thus, one can now selectively follow and comparatively analyze the work of Boas for almost the whole duration of his career. The central thesis of the project is, that both, the Boas publications and his shorthand field notes from which they sprang, principally are expressions of scientific views held by Boas, and that they, therefore, likely are a reflection of the changes of the theoretical stances taken by him in the course of his career. Therefore, research shall be guided by following central question: What influence did the theoretical stances of Franz Boas have on his field notes and their interrelation with his publications; do they support the general image of him being a radical empiricist? Against this backdrop two central goals are set: first, to get a detailed survey of the content specifics of the Boas shorthand materials; and second, to check the validity of the central thesis.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants