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Alan Macfarlane

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description Alan Macfarlane Overview

Alan Macfarlane is a prominent British anthropologist and historian born in 1941, known for his interdisciplinary approach to studying English social history. He served as a Professor of Anthropological Science at the University of Cambridge for decades. His highly influential 1978 book, 'The Origins of English Individualism,' argued that a distinctively early English market-oriented culture existed long before the Industrial Revolution. Macfarlane's extensive body of work is aimed at historians, sociologists, and anthropologists researching the roots of modernity.

help Alan Macfarlane FAQ

What is Alan Macfarlane's most influential book about English society?

In The Origins of English Individualism, published in 1978, Macfarlane argued that individual ownership and market-oriented behavior existed in England well before industrialization. The book challenged the idea that England had recently evolved from a strongly communal peasant society.

Why did Alan Macfarlane compare England with Nepal and Japan?

Macfarlane used comparisons with Nepal and Japan to test broad theories about family organization, modernization, and social change. His fieldwork among the Gurung people of Nepal gave his historical arguments an ethnographic foundation.

What subjects did Alan Macfarlane teach at Cambridge?

Macfarlane taught social anthropology and historical anthropology at the University of Cambridge. He became Professor of Anthropological Science and was associated with King's College, Cambridge.

Where can people watch Alan Macfarlane's interviews with major scholars?

Macfarlane recorded an extensive series of filmed interviews with academics, writers, and public intellectuals at Cambridge. Many are available through his personal website and the University of Cambridge's streaming and archival platforms.

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