From Evolutionism to Postmodernism: A Critical Synthesis of Major Theoretical Traditions in Social Anthropology- article is authored by Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana, Indi

Title From Evolutionism to Postmodernism: A Critical Synthesis of Major Theoretical Traditions in Social Anthropology Description This scholarly article is authored by Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Post Gradulation Students, Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana, India, and Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. The study is situated within the disciplinary domains of Social Anthropology, Sociology, and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, with important intersections in legal studies, political sociology, and cultural theory. The paper critically examines the historical evolution and intellectual foundations of anthropological theory, tracing its development from early evolutionist frameworks to postmodern, poststructural, feminist, and postcolonial critiques. Through a comprehensive theoretical synthesis, the article highlights anthropology as a dynamic and dialogical discipline shaped by changing epistemologies, methodologies, and socio-political contexts. Keywords and Subjects (Paragraph Format) The key themes and subject areas of this research include social anthropology, classical evolutionism, diffusionism, historical particularism, functionalism, structural-functionalism, structuralism, culture and personality studies, psychological anthropology, cultural ecology, neo-evolutionism, cultural materialism, symbolic anthropology, cognitive anthropology, interpretive anthropology, postmodernism, poststructuralism, postcolonial theory, gender studies, ethnicity, identity, power relations, cultural relativism, ethnographic methods, and anthropological theory. Collectively, these keywords position the article within core debates of contemporary social science research and theoretical anthropology. Publishing Information Details Journal Name: International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research Publisher: Royal Publications Journal Type: Indexed | Refereed | Peer-Reviewed ISSN: 2455-2070 Volume: 11 Issue: 6 Year of Publication: 2025 Page Range: 182–186 Published Date: 31 December 2025 Impact Factor: RJIF – 8 Journal Website: www.socialsciencejournal.in Publisher Address: C-11, 169, Sector-3, Rohini, Delhi–110085, India