J.P.B. de Josselin de Jong
Encyclopedia
Jan Petrus Benjamin de Josselin de Jong (13 March 1886 – 15 November 1964) was a founding father of modern Dutch anthropology
and of structural anthropology
at Leiden University
. In his early career, he was a museum curator. His area of specialty was America
n and Indonesia
n ethnography
. He held two anthropology chairs at Leiden University, the first a chair in general ethnology (1922-1935); the second a chair in general ethnology and Indonesian ethnography (1935-1956). His nephew, Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong
succeeded him on the second chair in 1957.
In 1928, he held an important lecture on "The Natchez Social System' in New York
and his students founded the Ethnological Society W.D.O. (Dispuut).
In 1952, he gave a commentary on Claude Lévi-Strauss
's theory of kinship and highlighted the significance of double descent or bilinealism in explaining some of the features of affinal arrangements which Dutch ethnologists had previously researched in Indonesian related subjects.
Jan Petrus Benjamin de Josselin de Jong, after an industrious career as Professor of Cultural Anthropology in the Leiden University, retired in 1956. He died in 1964.
. His work at the university covered the second phase of the study in the Leiden University from 1920 onwards; the first phase involved P.J. Veth, G.A. Wilken, J.J.M. de Groot, and A.W. Nieuwenhuis. While the first phase was influenced by cultural geography and social evolutionism, the second phase was influenced by the work of Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss, as well as of Franz Boas and R.H. Lowie.
The Leiden tradition was set by J.P.B. in his second inaugural lecture (1935) with the concept of Ethnological Field of Study; its focus being the structural core of Indonesian societies. According to him, four elements constitute this structural core: circulating connubium, double unilineality, dual symbolic classification, and resilience from foreign cultural influences.
A new chair in general ethnology was established in J.P.B.'s name in the university in 1922 and a newly set up doctorate was awarded to his friend and former colleague W.H. Rassers, with whom he co-operated as Curator in the 1920s at the National Museum of Ethnology.
In 1929, he had proposed establishment of two chairs in the University, one regional and one general chair in view of his experience on the subject of general ethnology in Indonesia which was partially implemented.
In 1949, he started a seminar on the subject of "the structural analysis systems of kinship and marriage", under urging by his nephew Patrick who found the book "Les Structures elementaries de la parente" by Claude Lévi-Strauss (1949). This influence was strongly reflected in a booklet he published titled "Lévi-Strauss' Theory on Kinship and Marriage", which was both an appreciation and a critique of Lévi-Strauss' approach to the subject. Lévi-Strauss thanked J.P.B for his "thorough and honest review."
During his long career span, he supervised 21 doctoral theses. One of these was the doctoral thesis of his nephew, Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong
, on the subject ofMinangkabau and Negi Sembilan: Socio-Political Structure in Indonesia which was defended by the author on December 19, 1951. Another was the thesis of Jan Pouwer
, Some aspects of Mimika Culture, Netherlands South-West New Guinea (1955, in Dutch), based on fieldwork in Southwest Papua, which led to a career as professor at the universities of Amsterdam, Wellington, and Nijmegen.
J.P.B. retired in March 1956 at the age of 70 and on this occasion his brother's son, Patrick de Josselin de Jong, published an article on "De visie der participanten op hun cultuur (1956)" in his uncle's Festschrift (English translation titled The Participants View on their Culture was also published later in 1967). Following this, P.E. de Josselin de Jong
was appointed as professor to succeed his uncle.
In 1965, four In memoriams were published, including one by P.E. de Josselin de Jong
, highlighting J.P.B.'s contributions to linguistics.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and of structural anthropology
Structural anthropology
Structural anthropology is based on Claude Lévi-Strauss' idea that people think about the world in terms of binary opposites—such as high and low, inside and outside, person and animal, life and death—and that every culture can be understood in terms of these opposites...
at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
. In his early career, he was a museum curator. His area of specialty was America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
. He held two anthropology chairs at Leiden University, the first a chair in general ethnology (1922-1935); the second a chair in general ethnology and Indonesian ethnography (1935-1956). His nephew, Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong
P.E. de Josselin de Jong
Professor Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong was a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Leiden for over 30 years, and department chair from 1957 through 1987...
succeeded him on the second chair in 1957.
In 1928, he held an important lecture on "The Natchez Social System' in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and his students founded the Ethnological Society W.D.O. (Dispuut).
In 1952, he gave a commentary on Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
's theory of kinship and highlighted the significance of double descent or bilinealism in explaining some of the features of affinal arrangements which Dutch ethnologists had previously researched in Indonesian related subjects.
Jan Petrus Benjamin de Josselin de Jong, after an industrious career as Professor of Cultural Anthropology in the Leiden University, retired in 1956. He died in 1964.
Career
Jan Petrus Benjamin de Josselin de Jong (also known as "J.P.B.") was Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the Leiden UniversityLeiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
. His work at the university covered the second phase of the study in the Leiden University from 1920 onwards; the first phase involved P.J. Veth, G.A. Wilken, J.J.M. de Groot, and A.W. Nieuwenhuis. While the first phase was influenced by cultural geography and social evolutionism, the second phase was influenced by the work of Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss, as well as of Franz Boas and R.H. Lowie.
The Leiden tradition was set by J.P.B. in his second inaugural lecture (1935) with the concept of Ethnological Field of Study; its focus being the structural core of Indonesian societies. According to him, four elements constitute this structural core: circulating connubium, double unilineality, dual symbolic classification, and resilience from foreign cultural influences.
A new chair in general ethnology was established in J.P.B.'s name in the university in 1922 and a newly set up doctorate was awarded to his friend and former colleague W.H. Rassers, with whom he co-operated as Curator in the 1920s at the National Museum of Ethnology.
In 1929, he had proposed establishment of two chairs in the University, one regional and one general chair in view of his experience on the subject of general ethnology in Indonesia which was partially implemented.
In 1949, he started a seminar on the subject of "the structural analysis systems of kinship and marriage", under urging by his nephew Patrick who found the book "Les Structures elementaries de la parente" by Claude Lévi-Strauss (1949). This influence was strongly reflected in a booklet he published titled "Lévi-Strauss' Theory on Kinship and Marriage", which was both an appreciation and a critique of Lévi-Strauss' approach to the subject. Lévi-Strauss thanked J.P.B for his "thorough and honest review."
During his long career span, he supervised 21 doctoral theses. One of these was the doctoral thesis of his nephew, Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong
P.E. de Josselin de Jong
Professor Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong was a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Leiden for over 30 years, and department chair from 1957 through 1987...
, on the subject ofMinangkabau and Negi Sembilan: Socio-Political Structure in Indonesia which was defended by the author on December 19, 1951. Another was the thesis of Jan Pouwer
Jan Pouwer
Jan Pouwer was a Dutch anthropologist with a thorough grounding in his profession in terms of fieldwork and theory. He studied Indology and Ethnology at Leiden University under the renowned Jan Petrus Benjamin de Josselin de Jong...
, Some aspects of Mimika Culture, Netherlands South-West New Guinea (1955, in Dutch), based on fieldwork in Southwest Papua, which led to a career as professor at the universities of Amsterdam, Wellington, and Nijmegen.
J.P.B. retired in March 1956 at the age of 70 and on this occasion his brother's son, Patrick de Josselin de Jong, published an article on "De visie der participanten op hun cultuur (1956)" in his uncle's Festschrift (English translation titled The Participants View on their Culture was also published later in 1967). Following this, P.E. de Josselin de Jong
P.E. de Josselin de Jong
Professor Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong was a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Leiden for over 30 years, and department chair from 1957 through 1987...
was appointed as professor to succeed his uncle.
In 1965, four In memoriams were published, including one by P.E. de Josselin de Jong
P.E. de Josselin de Jong
Professor Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong was a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Leiden for over 30 years, and department chair from 1957 through 1987...
, highlighting J.P.B.'s contributions to linguistics.