Get a 40% discount when you use the code AUTHOR40 at checkout.
Get a 40% discount when you use the code AUTHOR40 at checkout.
The Political Activism of Anthropologist Franz Boas, Citizen Scientist
We are thrilled to announce the release of the paperback edition of The Political Activism of Anthropologist Franz Boas, Citizen Scientist. Secure your copy today and enjoy a 40% discount with the code AUTHOR40 at checkout.
About the Author
Alan H. McGowan
In 2019, Alan H. McGowan was selected Top Science and Technical Expert by the International Association of Top Professionals. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who that same year.
As a lecturer at The New School, he served first as chair of the Science, Technology, and Society Program (now called the Interdisciplinary Science Program) and then as chair of the Environmental Studies Program, where he developed several new initiatives, including a newsletter going to four hundred leaders in global environmental studies, and an internal “Friday Letter” going to interested staff and faculty.
Boas’ Quote of the Month
“The disease of mutual distrust among nations is the bane of modern civilization.“
The Story of the Book
Alan H. McGowan first learned about “Papa Franz,” as Boas’ women students affectionately called him, from Margaret Mead, who chaired the board of the Scientists’ Institute for Public Information, an organization he managed. His interest in the pernicious idea of racial superiority led him back to Boas, uncovering the profound influence Boas had on this critical issue. Alan realized that when it comes to race, all roads lead to Boas.
Driven by curiosity, Alan wrote several articles about Boas in both peer-reviewed journals and popular media. Through this process, he discovered what a fascinating figure Boas was, impacting not only racial issues but also the politics of his time.
While many books have been written about Franz Boas, none seemed to fully integrate his fervent political activism with his groundbreaking work in anthropology. Alan decided to bridge this gap by writing a book that interlaces these two dimensions of Boas’ life. After fifteen years of dedicated research and writing, the book has finally come to fruition.
What People Are Saying
“This book chronicles the life and political action of Franz Boas, a ground-breaking anthropologist whose work denied the notion of racial superiority and introduced the notion of cultural relativity. In addition, he was a fierce pacifist who opposed the entry of the United States into World War I, and organized a powerful organization protecting the free speech of those accused of left-wing sympathies. He was among the first to recognize the strength of a scientist speaking out on political issues. The book will appeal to those interested in issues of race relations and free speech, and those interested in the role of science and scientists in the larger society.”
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
“Boas, a German-American anthropologist dubbed the “father of American anthropology,” comes to life from 15 years of research by McGowan, who looks at Boas’s tenure at the Museum of Natural History and Columbia University, among other places. One of Boas’ students was Margret Mead. While not a household name, Boas was part of a February 7 Jeopardy clue about starting the Anthropology Department at Columbia in 1902 – the country’s first. McGowan examines the ground-breaking anthropologist’s denial of racial superiority in favor of cultural relativity. Boas opposed U.S. entry into WWI, organized a group protecting free speech, and was among the first proponents of scientists discussing political issues.”
PR Newswire
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