ired ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁soci ologist ▁É mile ▁Dur k heim , ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁anth rop ological ▁research ▁was ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁collect ive ▁function , ▁such ▁as ▁what ▁a ▁religious ▁cre ed ▁or ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁rules ▁about ▁marriage ▁did ▁for ▁the ▁social ▁order ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁Be hind ▁this ▁approach ▁was ▁an ▁old ▁idea , ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁civil ization ▁developed ▁through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁phases ▁from ▁the ▁primitive ▁to ▁the ▁modern , ▁everywhere ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁activities ▁in ▁a ▁given ▁kind ▁of ▁society ▁would ▁part ake ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁character ; ▁some ▁sort ▁of ▁internal ▁logic ▁would ▁cause ▁one ▁level ▁of ▁culture ▁to ▁evol ve ▁into ▁the ▁next . ▁On ▁this ▁view , ▁a ▁society ▁can ▁easily ▁be ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁an ▁organ ism , ▁the ▁parts ▁function ing ▁together ▁as ▁do ▁the ▁parts ▁of ▁a ▁body . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁more ▁influ ential ▁functional ism ▁of ▁Bron is ław ▁Mal in owski ▁described ▁the ▁satisfaction ▁of ▁individual ▁needs , ▁what ▁a ▁person ▁derived ▁by ▁particip ating ▁in ▁a ▁custom . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁anth rop ology ▁was ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁German - ed uc ated ▁Franz ▁Bo as , ▁the ▁preference ▁was ▁for ▁historical ▁accounts . ▁This ▁approach ▁had ▁obvious ▁problems , ▁which ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁pra ises ▁Bo as ▁for ▁facing ▁square ly . ▁Historical ▁information ▁s eld om ▁is ▁available ▁for ▁non - liter ate