The utility and efficacy of human materialism as an anthropological research strategy for the analysis of sociocultural, economic, and political history

The purpose of this dissertation is to answer four principal questions: (1) are sociocultural systems a proper domain for research utilizing a research strategy founded in scientific principles?; (2) does the anthropological research strategy, Human Materialism, posses sufficient analytical power to address questions arising in the research of sociocultural systems?; (3) can Human Materialism be extended or enriched to improve its efficacy and power in the study of sociocultural systems? (4) The answer to all four of these questions is yes.;Human Materialism is an anthropological research strategy based in scientific principles and presenting a universal model of sociocultural systems. The universal model is comprised of an infrastructure, a structure, and a superstructure. The infrastructure is further divided into material, human, and social infrastructural components. The material infrastructure contains the modes of production, technology, tools among other elements. The human infrastructure contains demographic factors such as population, fertility and so on. The social infrastructure contains effective ownership and control of the forces of production as well as persons in positions of political and economic power and their positions. The social structure includes all social organization: family and kinship, as well as political and economic organization and so on. The social infrastructure overlaps and extends into the social structure. This is the location where those persons with political and economic power direct and control cultural transactions. The superstructure contains all ideological components including religion, philosophy, symbols, and rituals among other elements.;The author has extended the concept of faction in Human Materialist analysis to include three types of factions and two statuses. Faction types are simple, bridging, or shifting according to their sociocultural role. I classify factions that have been coerced into compliance with the persons of political and economic power as having the status of annexed. I classify all other factions as having voluntary status. Simple factions are voluntary and may be tightly organized or loosely organized. Bridging factions are the most powerful type faction and possess enough political power to bridge over other factions and bind them to the persons of political and economic power who control the bridging faction. Shifting factions are those that shift their loyalty or political influence from one interest to another. Factions take on greater or lesser power and influence in sociocultural systems depending on their manipulation by political and economic leaders or by the mitigation of such manipulation by other participants in the system.;The above methodological elements are demonstrated by numerous case studies. These case studies begin with the Ikhwan Movement in Arabia and the case of Nicaragua's 1984 suit against the United States in the International Court of Justice. The cases then proceed to Jacob Housman and Indian Key to 19th century Sioux law and finally to terrorism.;Regarding terrorism the author recounts his 40 year journey in his quest to understand terrorism. This journey proceeds from the narrow thinking of the young deputy to the more mature thinking of the older anthropologist. The author presents the first ever Human Materialist theory of terrorism. This theory posits that the collision between a state and a terrorist group is really about the struggle over entry into control over the social infrastructure. This is because it is the social infrastructure where the persons of political and economic power reside and where their control of the sociocultural system is directed. This dissertation contributes to anthropological theory, social analysis, terrorism research, and to Florida's historical record with the study of Indian Key.