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The ways in which a society organises itself are often centred around one anthropological theory which forms a basis for all that is done within that society, e.g. rituals, ceremonies etc.. This essay will examine one anthropological theory; functionalism, and the way in which it has influenced and shaped the culture and society of the Trobrianders of Papa New Guinea, the people on whom the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski wrote an ethnography. The theory of functionalism is the idea that all features of a culture, such as roles, norms, institutions etc., have a positive and vital function, and are performed in order to fulfil all the needs of the individuals within that society. Malinowski lived with the Trobrianders for a total period of 26 months between 1914 and 1918, and by living in a tent among the people, learning to speak the language quickly, participating as much as possible with the different members of society, observing the activities that occurred around him and by learning about the beliefs and customs of the community (this process of long-term, intense interaction with society is known as Participant Observation), he came to the conclusion that the theory that formed the basis for all that was done within the society was functionalism.
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