Advantages of the Comparative Method of Anthropology

Abstract

Reflecting anthropology's deep idiographic disposition, approximately 80 percent of anthropological research falls on the idiographic node of the idiographic-nomothetic continuum. Increasing numbers of anthropolo gists, however, are beginning to recognize the importance of cross-cultural, comparative, nomothetic research. Comparativists use five principal meth odologies in their research. These research designs vary in their relative power, i.e. in their ability to eliminate false hypotheses about worldwide relationships. The power as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology are discussed.

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