THE ROLE OF THE "BOASIANS" PHENOMENON IN US ANTHROPOLOGY: THE FORMATION OF A SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL AND ACADEMIC EXPANSION

This article analyzes the historical formation and strategic expansion of the “Boasian School,” a scientific community that established hegemony over American anthropology in the early 20th century. While Franz Boas provided the theoretical foundation, the transformation of anthropology into a recognized academic discipline was achieved through the institutional placement of his doctoral students—including Alfred Kroeber, Edward Sapir, and Fay-Cooper Cole—in key universities across the United States. Drawing on the historiography of Marvin Harris and George Stocking, this study demonstrates how the Boasians replaced the evolutionist paradigm with cultural relativism and established a unified professional standard through the control of university departments, journals, and funding. The research highlights this phenomenon as a model of successful scientific institutionalization