Claude Levi-Strauss, 100, considered the father of modern anthropology
Nov. 28, 1908—Nov. 1, 2009
PARIS (AP)— Claude Levi-Strauss, widely considered the father of modern anthropology for work that included theories about commonalities between tribal and industrial societies, has died. He was 100.
The French intellectual was regarded as having reshaped the field of anthropology, introducing structuralism—
concepts about common patterns of behavior and thought, especially myths, in a wide range of human societies.
During his six-decade career, Mr. Levi-Strauss authored literary and anthropological classics including “Tristes Tropiques” (1955), “The Savage Mind” (1963) and “The Raw and the Cooked” (1964).
France reacted emotionally to Mr. Levi- Strauss’ death Friday at his home in Paris, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy joining government officials, politicians and ordinary citizens populating blogs with heartfelt tributes.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner praised his emphasis on a dialogue between cultures and said that France had lost a “visionary.” Sarkozy honored the “indefatigable humanist.”
Born on Nov. 28, 1908, in Brussels, Belgium, Mr. Levi-Strauss was the son of French parents of Jewish origin. He studied in Paris and taught in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he conducted much of the research that led to his breakthrough books.
Mr. Levi-Strauss left France as a result of the anti-Jewish laws of the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime and during World War II joined the Free French Forces.
He also won worldwide acclaim and was awarded honorary doctorates at universities, including Harvard, Yale and Oxford, as well as universities in Sweden, Mexico and Canada.
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