Race: Science and Politics

Ruth Benedict was an American Anthropologist who focused much of her work on culture and personality. She entered the field of anthropology from a strong humanistic background and continued that throughout her work. During her career in the Social Sciences she thought of cultures as total constructs of intellectual, religious, and aesthic elements (Encyclopedia Britannica 2009). Ruth Benedict was known to be strongly connected with Franz Boas and Margaret Mead. Boasoa became the father figure that she never had, and Mead became the true companion that she had always longed for. Benedict was committed to finding her place in the world, and she worked towards that goal through her poetry, fieldwork and books, work with students, and her work with the Office of War Information.