▁It ▁also ▁rejected ▁ideas ▁of ▁cultural ▁evolution ▁which ▁ranked ▁soci eties ▁and ▁cult ures ▁according ▁to ▁their ▁degree ▁of ▁" e volution ", ▁assuming ▁a ▁single ▁evolution ary ▁path ▁along ▁which ▁cult ures ▁can ▁be ▁ranked ▁hier arch ically , ▁rather ▁Bo as ▁considered ▁soci eties ▁varying ▁complex ities ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁particular ▁historical ▁processes ▁and ▁circumstances — a ▁perspective ▁described ▁as ▁historical ▁particular ism . ▁▁ ▁Another ▁important ▁aspect ▁of ▁Bo as ian ▁anth rop ology ▁was ▁its ▁perspective ▁of ▁cultural ▁relativ ism ▁which ▁assumes ▁that ▁a ▁culture ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁understood ▁by ▁first ▁understanding ▁its ▁own ▁standards ▁and ▁values , ▁rather ▁than ▁assuming ▁that ▁the ▁values ▁and ▁standards ▁of ▁the ▁anth rop ologist ' s ▁society , ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁judge ▁other ▁cult ures . ▁In ▁this ▁way ▁Bo as ian ▁anth rop olog ists ▁did ▁not ▁assume ▁as ▁a ▁given ▁that ▁non - West ern ▁soci eties ▁are ▁necessarily ▁inferior ▁to ▁Western ▁ones , ▁but ▁rather ▁attempt ▁to ▁understand ▁them ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁terms . ▁From ▁this ▁approach ▁also ▁stem med ▁an ▁invest ment ▁in ▁understanding ▁and ▁protect ing ▁cultural ▁minor ities , ▁and ▁in ▁crit iqu ing ▁and ▁relativ izing ▁American ▁and ▁Western ▁society ▁through ▁contrast ing ▁its ▁values ▁and ▁norm s ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁other ▁soci eties . ▁Bo as ian ▁anth rop ology ▁in ▁this ▁way ▁t ended ▁to ▁consider ▁ ▁political ▁activ ism , ▁through ▁scientific ▁education ▁about ▁society , ▁a ▁significant ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁scientific ▁project . ▁ ▁The ▁program ▁of ▁research