Who defined culture as “super organic and super individual”?

Introduction
Culture is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been defined and interpreted in various ways by scholars across disciplines. One influential definition of culture as "super organic and super individual" was proposed by a prominent anthropologist. In this comprehensive solution, we will explore the author of this definition, their background, the significance of their work, and the implications of their definition of culture.
The Author
The anthropologist who defined culture as "super organic and super individual" is Alfred Kroeber. Kroeber was an American anthropologist known for his contributions to the study of culture, language, and Native American ethnography. He played a significant role in shaping the field of anthropology in the early 20th century and was a prominent figure in the Boasian tradition of cultural anthropology.
Background of Alfred Kroeber
Alfred Kroeber was born in 1876 in New Jersey, USA, and received his education at Columbia University under the mentorship of Franz Boas, often considered the father of American anthropology. Kroeber conducted extensive fieldwork among Native American tribes in California, producing detailed ethnographic studies that documented their cultures, languages, and lifeways. He served as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he mentored several influential anthropologists, including Margaret Mead.
Significance of Alfred Kroeber's Work
Alfred Kroeber made significant contributions to the study of culture and its role in shaping human societies. He played a key role in establishing anthropology as a rigorous academic discipline, emphasizing the importance of empirical research, ethnographic fieldwork, and comparative analysis. Kroeber's work laid the foundation for the cultural relativist approach in anthropology, challenging ethnocentric assumptions and promoting the understanding of cultural diversity.
Definition of Culture as "Super Organic and Super Individual"
Alfred Kroeber defined culture as "super organic and super individual" to convey its abstract and overarching nature. By describing culture as "super organic," Kroeber emphasized its existence beyond the individual and the biological realm, suggesting that culture is a collective and emergent phenomenon that transcends individual experience. This view aligns with the idea that culture is transmitted and shared among members of a society, shaping their beliefs, values, and behaviors.
At the same time, Kroeber's characterization of culture as "super individual" highlights its uniqueness and variability across different groups and historical contexts. While culture operates at a collective level, it is also influenced by individual agency and creativity, as individuals actively participate in the production, reproduction, and transformation of cultural practices and meanings.
Implications of Kroeber's Definition of Culture
Kroeber's definition of culture as "super organic and super individual" has several implications for the study of anthropology and our understanding of human societies:
1. Holistic Perspective: Kroeber's definition underscores the holistic nature of culture, encompassing various aspects of social life, including beliefs, values, norms, symbols, language, technology, and institutions. Culture is not confined to a single domain but permeates all aspects of human existence, shaping individuals' identities, interactions, and worldviews.
2. Dynamic and Adaptive: By characterizing culture as "super individual," Kroeber highlights its dynamic and adaptive nature. Cultures evolve and change over time in response to internal and external forces, including social, economic, political, and environmental factors. Cultural practices and meanings are not fixed but subject to innovation, negotiation, and contestation, reflecting ongoing processes of cultural creativity and adaptation.
3. Cultural Relativism: Kroeber's definition of culture emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural phenomena within their specific contexts, without imposing external judgments or value systems. Cultural relativism, the idea that cultures should be evaluated on their own terms, not compared against an external standard, is central to anthropological inquiry and fosters respect for cultural diversity and difference.
Conclusion
Alfred Kroeber's definition of culture as "super organic and super individual" provides a nuanced and encompassing understanding of culture as a collective yet dynamic phenomenon that shapes human societies and individual experiences. By highlighting culture's abstract and overarching nature, Kroeber contributed to the development of anthropology as a discipline and laid the groundwork for the study of cultural diversity, adaptation, and change. His definition continues to influence anthropological theory and research, shaping our understanding of culture's role in shaping human behavior, beliefs, and social structures.