Processualism

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Processualism
Post-Processualism

• Scientific
• Systematic
• Materialistic
• Behavioral
• Objective
• Explanatory
• ETIC perspective

• Humanistic
• Symbolic
• Ideational
• Mental
• Subjective
• Interpretive
• EMIC perspective

Hermeneutic Spiral
Produce Predictive Models hypothesis testing
inference to the best hypothesis (NOT hypothesis
testing)
Influenced by Thomas, 199934
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Theories within the Processual Paradigm
1. Functionalism cultural traits have adaptive
function social institutions/cultures FUNCTION
to maintain the stability of the system
(Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown).
2. Systems Theory because culture is defined
as a means of adaptation, material culture within
those systems reveals how humans adapt to
environment. THEREFORE patterns of artifacts
identify site inhabitants, implying that humans
are/were predictable this betrays the theorys
absence of INDIVIDUAL human agency (Stanley
South).
3. Cultural Evolution Culture Adaptation
great regularity in human behavior that can be
determined from relationships between human
cultures and their ecosystem (ecological,
demographic, technological determinism)
THEREFORE archaeologists should be trying to see
cultural similarities not differences
ethnographic study will reveal much that we
cannot observe from the archaeology alone
(Marshall Sahlins, Elman Service, Binford).
4. Cultural Ecology while culture history had
the environment setting boundaries on culture
change, this theory assumes that a cultures
adaptation to specific environmental
circumstances can be a signpost of
variation/change in that culture in other words,
adaptive functions are part of a culture (Julian
Steward, Leslie White, Marvin Harris).
5. Historical Materialism to understand
humans, it is necessary to examine the way they
sustain life such interpretations can be had by
examining technological, economic, and
ecological processes (THAT IS, the objective,
practical, material world not the world of the
mind) how people think is determined by the
economic circumstances in which they live THIS is
a MARXIST view of social change! (Marvin Harris
and Karl Marx).
6. Cognitive Archaeology study of past ways of
thought, inferred from MATERIAL remains how do
cognitive processes operate in certain contexts?
(Colin Renfrew)
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Post-Processual Paradigm Structuralism, et al.
1. Structuralism underlying structure makes up
culture people use contrasting (binary)
categories to think about REALITY
structuralism seeks hidden themes in a culture
rather than explain HOW a culture works (Emile
Durkheim, Claude Levi-Strauss).
1a. Symbolic Archaeology Study of material
cultures past symbolic meanings using
structural, contextual, and cognitive analyses
(usually supplemented by ethnoarchaeology,
ethnographic analogy, or direct historic
approach) Studies of art, ritual, symbolism,
religion, ideology in the pastall about the
meaning.
1b. post-Structuralism While Structuralism was
critiqued for giving precedence to an underlying
structure (binary categories) over individual
human agency, post-structuralism attempted to
address the tension between STRUCTURE and agency
(that is, it tried to aid an understanding of the
manner in which people carry out social action in
structured context) post-Structuralists argue
that various meanings of artifacts and buildings
are negated by different people in different
contexts through time such ambiguous material
culture prohibits formulations of symbolic
laws.
1c. CONTEXTUALISM calls attention to
individual human agency operating within a
structure of domination. Agency refers to a
persons intentional power and action (human
practice), within and despite that structure.
Such agency is, however, unavoidably situated,
which means it is part of a larger structure, or
context. Context refers to those temporal and
spatial settings that contain human practice.
Contextual approaches emphasize why people in a
specific time and place produce a particular
culture (Pierre Bordieu 1977 Ian Hodder et al.
1993234Alexandri 199361 see also Praetzellis
and Praetzellis 2001).
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Post-Processual Paradigm Marxism, et al.
2. Marxism political, economic, social
principles advocated by Karl Marx (late 19th c.)
Marxs theory about socialism centered upon the
fact that our history is driven by conflicts
between social classes his major concept,
MATERIALISM, centered on the notion that material
conditions (physical matter) determine how humans
perceive themselves and their world.
2a. Structural Marxism reaction to the
simplified economic determinism of Marxism
proponents argued that it was impossible to tell
everything about a culture MERELY from the
economy rather economic, ideological,
political factors made up a STRUCTURE of
dominance.
2b. Neo-Marxism still interprets the ECONOMY
as a major player in shaping all aspects of a
society (e.g., religious, social, political
aspects) BUT attempts also to get at human
agency, resistance within that overarching
economic structure.
2b. Agency Theory Agency refers to a
persons intentional power and action, human
practice, within and despite the inevitable
structure of domination individuals are seen as
agents who reinforce or resist the larger
structures that encompass them, and sociocultural
life is thus a product of both societal structure
and human agency.
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2c. CRITICAL THEORY there is no such thing as
scientific objectivity knowledge is never
neutralrather knowledge reflects a scholars
class interests and background because
scientific knowledge is socially constructed and
has been a manipulative tool of elite
establishment, archaeologists should be
self-critical by reflecting upon and describing
their identity and recognizing their own
prejudices.