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

弗朗茨·博阿斯的速记记录反映了他的工作和影响

• 批准号: 281544089
• 负责人: Dr. Rainer Hatoum
• 金额: --
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-31 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/281544089?language=en
• 关键词: work; impact; Franz; Boas; reflected

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 This suggests that he obviously only regarded these notes as historical documents worthy of preservation, in stark contrast, for example, to others taken during his manifold other private, academic and political activities.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.

2011年，我在费城做研究时，第一次接触到了作为本项目核心的主要材料：美国文化人类学之父弗朗茨·博厄斯的速记笔记。进一步的研究很快表明，这个重要的来源以前没有被挖掘过，因为鲍亚士使用了一种没有记录的速记书写系统，这种系统已经有100多年没有被教授过了。在2012年8月开始对该主题进行深入调查后，我终于在2013年2月成功地在破译该系统方面取得了决定性的突破。现在，已经清理了转录和分析这一重要材料的具体内容的道路，这一材料被认为是人类学作为一门学科的历史上的里程碑。2014年4月，由费城美国哲学学会富兰克林研究基金资助的一项初步调查结果似乎表明，博阿斯幸存的速记材料基本上由1883年至1930年期间他对北美不同土著社区进行的各种研究旅行的实地笔记组成。这表明，他显然只把这些笔记视为值得保存的历史文献，与他在其他私人、学术和政治活动中所作的笔记形成鲜明对比。这项初步研究明确了两件事：1。手稿反映了广泛的研究兴趣的博阿斯这是一个结果的科学方法，他追求。2.这些记录确实记录了他工作的不同阶段。因此，人们现在可以有选择地跟踪和比较分析鲍亚士的工作，几乎在他的整个职业生涯。该项目的中心论点是，鲍亚士的出版物和他的速记现场笔记，他们从中跳出来，主要是表达科学观点的鲍亚士，他们，因此，很可能是一个变化的反映理论立场的过程中，他的职业生涯。因此，研究应遵循以下中心问题：博厄斯的理论立场对他的田野笔记及其与他的出版物的相互关系有什么影响？它们是否支持他是一个激进的非军事主义者的一般形象？在此背景下，两个中心目标的设置：第一，得到一个详细的调查内容具体的鲍亚士速记材料;第二，检查的有效性的中心论点。