The Manchester School, as an important school in the history of British anthropology, holds a significant influence and position. Its representative figures, such as Malinowski, Radcliffe-Brown, and Firth, have made outstanding contributions to the development of anthropology. Firstly, the Manchester School laid the theoretical foundation of structural-functionalism in anthropology, considering society as an organic whole with interconnected and interdependent parts, providing the ideological basis for later developments in systems theory within anthropology. Secondly, they emphasized long-term and immersive fieldwork, acquiring firsthand information through personal experiences and engagement in local social life. This methodological approach became the classic "participant observation" in anthropology. Furthermore, the Manchester School's research perspective was forward-looking, focusing on social change and conflict, exploring the relationship between social structure and cultural dynamics, laying the groundwork for later Marxist anthropology and cultural materialism. In conclusion, the significant position of the Manchester School in the development of anthropology is undeniable. Despite the passage of time, their theories and methods continue to have a broad impact and inspire modern anthropology and related social sciences. This highlights the necessity and value of revisiting and gaining a deeper understanding of the historical significance of this school.

Yukang Yan. The Manchester School and Its Contributions to Anthropological Theory. International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology (2024), Vol. 6, Issue 7: 33-39. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFS.2024.060706.

[1] Li Xudong. Manchester School and African Social Research: Reading Anthropology after Gluckman [J]. Ethnic Forum, 2021(02):109-120. DOI: 10.19683/j.cnki.mzlt.20210723.001.

[2] Zhang Limei, Hu Hongbao. Summary of Manchester School [J]. Journal of Northwest University for Nationalities (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2012(01):157-163.

[3] Guo Jilan. Manchester School and British Economic Liberalism [J]. Historical Monthly, 2010(06): 68-76.

[4] J. M. “Obituary: Max Gluckman 1911-1975”.Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 1976, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 2~3.

[5] Worsley, Peter. The Third World [M]. University of Chicago Press, 1970.

[6] Kempny, Marian. “History of the Manchester ‘School’ and the Extended-case Method” [J]. Social Analysis, Winter, 2005, Vol. 49 Issue 3.

[7] Cocks, Paul. “Max Gluckman and the Critique of Segregation in South African Anthropology, 1921–1940”[J]. Journal of Southern African Studies, 2001, Vol. 27, Issue4.

[8] Worsley, Peter. The Trumpet shall Sound [M]. London: McGibbon and Kee, 1968

[9] Willis, Roy. “Victor Witter Turner (1920-83): An Appreciation” [J]. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 1984, Vol. 54, No. 4, pp. 73~75.

[10] Turner, Victor. “Themes in the Symbolism of Ndembu Hunting Ritual”.Anthropological Quarterly, 1962, Vol. 35, No. 2, East and Central Africa (N. Rhodesia, Sudan Tanganyika) (Special Issue)(Apr.), pp. 37~57.

[11] Turner. Forest of Symbols: Essays on the Ritual of the Ndenbu People [M]. Translated by Zhao Yuyan et al. Beijing: Commercial Press, 2006.27

[12] Zhang Xiaohui, Wang Qiujun. On the Theoretical Contribution of Manchester School to Anthropology [J]. Thought Front, 2012, 38(06):101-104.

[13] Wang Jianmin. Victor Turner and the Study of Symbolic Symbols and Ritual Processes - Written on the occasion of the publication of the Chinese version of "Forest of Symbols" [J].Journal of South-Central Minzu University(Humanities and Social Sciences), 2007(02):5-9

[14] Douglas, Mary. “Review of Tribal Cohesion in a Money Economy” [J]. Man, Vol. 59, (Sep., 1959), p. 168.