McKim Marriott explained

McKim Marriott (February 1, 1924 – July 3, 2024) was an American anthropologist who specialized in Indian society.

Background

Marriott was born on February 1, 1924. He received a PhD from the University of Chicago in 1955. Marriott turned 100 in February 2024, and died five months later on July 3.^[1]

India Experience

His initial exposure to India came during World War II when he worked as a signals analyst. This experience sparked his interest in the country's unique social structures.Despite training as an Indologist, Marriott felt existing Western academic disciplines were inadequate for capturing the essence of Indian culture.^[2]

Marriott studied villagers and urbanites of Asia and professionals of Asia, including Japan. He criticized Western categories which often present obstacles to understanding peoples, and he elaborated alternative models for studying differing cultural realities.^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

Impact and recognition

Marriott's work influenced generations of anthropologists, including his students who went on to become prominent scholars themselves.He was celebrated for his dedication to cultural sensitivity and his ability to bridge the gap between Western and Indian perspectives.A felicitation ceremony at the University of Chicago Smart Museum marked his 90th birthday, where colleagues and former students acknowledged his lasting influence.^[9]

Selected publications

• 1998 The female family core explored ethnosociologically. Contributions to Indian Sociology. 32: 279-304
• 1997 A Description of SAMSARA, A Realization of Rural Hindu Life. Chicago: McKim Marriott.
• 1992 Alternative social sciences. In J. MacAloon, ed., General Education in the Social Sciences. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 262–278.
• 1991 On ‘Constructing an Indian ethnosociology’ Contributions to Indian Sociology. 25:295-308.
• 1990 (Editor) India through Hindu Categories. New Delhi/Newbury Park/London: Sage Publications.

Further reading

• Review: India as a Philosophical Problem: Mckim Marriott and the Comparative Enterprise: India through Hindu Categories by McKim Marriott Review by: Edwin Gerow Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 120, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 2000), pp. 410–429

External links

• Marriott at Worldcat
• Tori Lee: McKim Marriott, world-renowned scholar of India and caste, 1924-2024. news.uchicago.edu, Jul 25, 2024

Notes and References

1. https://anthropology.uchicago.edu/department/department-anthropology/remembering-professor-mckim-marriott Remembering Professor McKim Marriott
2. McKim Marriott Insists on Understanding India on its Own Terms . 5 April 2020 .
3. Web site: McKim Marriott - Department of Anthropology - Division of Social Sciences - University of Chicago. anthropology.uchicago.edu. 6 October 2017.
4. Web site: McKim Marriott : Biography and Contribution to World Sociology. 12 April 2014. 6 October 2017.
5. Marriott McKim (ed.): Village India: studies in the little community. (Comparative Studies of Cultures and Civilizations, [No, 6]) xix, 269 pp. 61 illus., plates, map. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1955. $4.50. (English agents: C.U.P. 34s.]. C. Von. Fürer-Haimendorf. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 19. 2. 394–395. 6 October 2017. Cambridge Core. 10.1017/S0041977X00133282. 1957. 163037210 .
6. Web site: McKim Marriott - American anthropologist. 6 October 2017.
7. 10.1177/006996690024002005. Deconstructing Mc Kim Marriott's Ethnosociology: An Outcaste's Critique. Contributions to Indian Sociology. 24. 2. 215–236. 1990. Moffatt. Michael. 146425676 .
8. 606012. India as a Philosophical Problem: Mckim Marriott and the Comparative Enterprise. Edwin. Gerow. McKim. Marriott. 6 October 2017. Journal of the American Oriental Society. 120. 3. 410–429. 10.2307/606012.
9. Web site: McKim Marriott Insists on Understanding India on its Own Terms . 5 April 2020 .