Critical Analysis of the Concept of “Human Adaptations” to Discuss Its Adequacy with Socio-cultural Dynamics in Light with Ethnographic Observations and Archaeological Evidence

Abstract

The idea of defending the thesis of the ruin of purposes comes from an observation. It is that of recurrence to adaptation to infer cultural dynamics. The idea of “human adaptations” often serves as an alibi to explain the entire activity of human organizations. Thus, the formation of social institutions, the material equipment of human groups and their transformations are generally thought of as finalized processes. The object of this contribution then lies in the finalist character of the functionalist conception of the group. The problem therefore consists of establishing proof of the latent conflictuality in the notions of function and adaptation inseparable from the group. This is to operationalize, in the demonstration of the ruin of finalities, the conflictual character congenital to each of the two concepts. All operate paradoxically thanks to the uninterrupted cohesion of the group, however questionable. Conceptual tools such as dysfunction, perverse effect, due to functionalism, will serve as a theoretical foundation for this work. They are reinforced with theoretical references acquired from the idea of the contradiction of the social as well as concepts borrowed from human ecology. These tools will help highlight contradictions between intentional ends and their necessary conditions. The existence of such resistance would therefore be sufficient to explain the ruin of the purposes to which the idea of “human adaptations” subscribes. An analysis of ethnographic observations in northern Pakistan and southern Cameroon, compared with the results of archaeological excavations in the Near East and forested Central Africa, allows us to discuss the accomplishment of the purposes assumed in the explanation. functionalist of cultural dynamics.