Ideology, ‘History of Religions’ and Hunter-Gatherer Studies
Author(s)
Shapiro, Warren
Abstract
Hunter-gatherer studies – particularly the work of the Bushman ‘traditionalists’ – have sought the rhetorical high ground by emphasizing techno-economic factors in human life at the expense of ‘ideology.’ Yet this itself exemplifies an ideology. Indeed, much of hunter-gatherer theory conforms to mythical structures unearthed by students of comparative religion, most notably Eliade. These structures contrast markedly with the mostly demythologized approach of Boas and his first generation of students, particularly in their confrontation with the ‘social evolutionism’ of Morgan. The article argues that there are similarities among Victorian social theory, hunter-gatherer studies and the world’s religions, and that the first two have meta-empirical components usually attributed to the third.
