Melford Spiro

Melford Spiro's Academic­Influence.com Rankings

Melford Spiro

Anthropology

#65

World Rank

#112

Historical Rank

#37

USA Rank

Cultural Anthropology

#66

World Rank

#84

Historical Rank

#38

USA Rank

anthropology Degrees

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• Anthropology

Melford Spiro's Degrees

• PhD Anthropology University of Chicago
• Masters Anthropology University of Chicago
• Bachelors Anthropology University of Chicago

Similar Degrees You Can Earn

• Best Online Bachelor's in Anthropology 2025

Why Is Melford Spiro Influential?

According to Wikipedia, Melford Elliot Spiro was an American cultural anthropologist specializing in religion and psychological anthropology. He is known for his critiques of the pillars of contemporary anthropological theory—wholesale cultural determinism, radical cultural relativism, and virtually limitless cultural diversity—and for his emphasis on the theoretical importance of unconscious desires and beliefs in the study of stability and change in social and cultural systems, particularly in respect to the family, politics, and religion. Explicated in numerous theoretical publications, they are empirically exemplified in monographs based on his fieldwork in Ifaluk atoll in Micronesia, an Israeli kibbutz, and a village in Burma .

Other Resources About Melford Spiro

• en.wikipedia.org

What Schools Are Affiliated With Melford Spiro?

Melford Spiro is affiliated with the following schools:

• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Minnesota
• University of California, San Diego
• Northwestern University
• University of Chicago
• Harvard University
• University of Pennsylvania