RADCLIFFE-BROWN, Alfred Reginald (born A. R. Brown). Sparkbrook, Birmingham 17.1.1881 — London 24.10.1955. British Anthropologist. Son of Alfred Brown (d.1886), a manufacturer’s clerk, and Hannah Radcliffe. Educated in Birmingham, from 1901 studies at Cambridge (Trinity College: B.A. 1905, M.A. 1909, under W. H. R. Rivers, Fellow of College 1908-14). Anthropological field-work in the Andamans in 1906-08 and in Western Australia 1910-12. No further connection with India. In 1916-19 Director of Education in Tonga. Taught Anthropology at the universities of Cape Town (1921-25), Sydney (1925-31) and Chicago (1931-37), then the first Professor of Social Anthropology at Oxford. Retired in 1946, in last years seriously ill. In the early 50s visiting Professor at Manchester and at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Married 1910 Winifred Marie Lyon (divorce 1938), one daughter
As scholar Radcliffe-Brown was a structuralist and functionalist who introduced Durkheim’s ideas to British anthropology. He was popular teacher who established social anthropology in South Africa, Australia and Chicago.
Publications: The Andaman Islanders. A Study in Social Anthropology. 14+504 p. Cambridge 1922.
– The Social Organization of Australian Tribes. 124 p. Melbourne 1930; other books and articles on anthropology, several articles republished in Structure and Function in Primitive Society. L. 1952.
Sources: *M. Fortes (ed.), Social Structure: Studies Presented to A.R.R.-B. Oxford 1949 with bibliography; M. Fortes, Man 56, 1956, 149-153 with photo; I. Hogbin, Austr. Dict. of Biogr. 11, 1988 (online); *A. Kuper (ed.), The Social Anthropology of Radcliffe-Brown. L. 1977; *L. Warner & F. Egan, American Anthropologist 58, 1956, 544-546; Wikipedia with photo.
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