Folklore

Ruth Benedict ( 1887-1948)

     Ruth Benedict is a an American folklorist born on June 5, 1887 in New York ( Yale, 2003). Benedict was born to Beatrice, a school teacher and Frederik Fulton, a doctor. Practically raised by her mother after the death of her father, Frederick, Ruth and her sister Margery were brought up in harsh economic conditions. Both of them went on to explore prose, and English literature at Vassar. Known for her contributions to Anthropology,  Benedict’s interest in the field was sparked at The New School for Social Research where she took social science classes. Benedict met Stanley Benedict, a biochemist in Los Angles, whom she married and travelled with to New York. However, her inability to bear a child, led to desperation and a failed marriage. Benedict later pursued her academic interest in Anthropology by enrolling in the doctoral program at Columbia under Franz Boas. Benedict’s work was influenced by a number of things including her father, the feeling of withdrawal as a child and desperation in an unfulfilling marriage.

     Benedict’s early writings include journal entries, chemical detective novels and poems which she later published under the pen name Anne Singleton. Some of her famous works include The vision in Plains Culture ( 1922), written under the guidance of Franz Boas.  Ruth Benedict’s prowess in cultural anthropology is prominent in her book, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture (1946).  The book was highly influential in shaping and determining the American understanding of Japanese culture during World War Two. Benedict also did significant fieldwork on native American culture in the form of her book Zuni Mythology ( 1935). Produced after considerable research on Blackfoot Pueblo, Serrano, Apache peoples in America. In 1947, Benedict coauthored The Races of Mankind ( 1947) , a pamphlet that sold more than a million copies meant to inspire American troops ( Britannica, 2013).

      Ruth benedict taught at Columbia’s anthropology department from 1923 to 1948 and was awarded the status of full professorship shortly before her death. Having served as the president of the American Anthropological Association, Ruth Benedict also served as the editor of the Journal of American folklore. As Franz Boas’ student, Benedict completed her dissertation and completed her dissertation on North American tribal culture, values and customs which resulted in The Concept of the Guardian Spirit in North America (1923). Ruth Benedict died at the age of 69 of coronary thrombosis after returning from a trip to Europe ( Yale, 2003 )