Dear colleagues,

Anthropological sciences require the devise, development, and maintenance of fundamental and general theories. The range of theoretical foundations reaches from biological theories, manifest in human genetics or medical anthropology, over theories concerning the mind and worldview of ethnicities, manifest in social or cultural anthropology respectively ethnology, to theories relevant in linguistic anthropology. Especially social or cultural anthropology can resort to a long and venerable tradition of theory building destined to understand human behavior and thought in its dependence on various environmental and cultural conditions. The journal does not refuse to honor these vaunted traditions, tracing back to the 19th century mainly, but wants to cover also those theoretical approaches that are nowadays prevalent in cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, gender studies, or in the area of field studies.

The section “Anthropological Theory” comprises therefore the continuation of discussions institutionalized by social anthropology respectively ethnology, and linked to names such as J. Frazer, E. Tylor, L. Lévy-Bruhl, F. Boas, E. Evans-Pritchard, R. Horton, and others. It encompasses research such as those provided by authors who tried to base linguistic studies, the study of social evolution, intelligence research, family studies, studies concerning the situation of women and children, and other subjects. It also implies research concerning the biological evolution of humankind, its dissemination through the continents, and its prehistoric condition, including patterns of early migration, language, and survival techniques. 

This section selects those articles that have a clear and blatant theoretical perspective and ignores all those submissions lacking this crucial aspect. It is emphasized that there is no bias or preference concerning any tendency and that any research is welcomed from whichever theoretical milieu it may come, provided adherence to sophisticated and serious scientific standards is guaranteed. 

We look forward to receiving your respected contributions.

Section Editor

Dr. Georg W. Oesterdiekhoff

ethnological theory; theory of mind and cognition; culture and cognition; intelligence research; neurology and biology; social evolution from forage over peasantry to industrialism; life in different social settings; biological evolution in Pleistocene; patterns of life in Stone Ages