TheScienceofCustom[1]Anthropologyisthestudyofhumanbeingsascreaturesofsociety.Itfastensitsattentionuponthosephysicalcharacteristicsandindustrialtechniques,thoseconventionsandvalues,whichdistinguishonecommunityfromallothersthatbelongtoadifferenttradition.[2]Thedistinguishingmarkofanthropologyamongthesocialsciencesisthatitincludesforseriousstudyothersocieitesthanourown.Foritspurposesanysocialregulationofmatingandreproductionisassignificantasourown,thoughitmaybethatoftheSeaDyaks,andhavenopossiblehistoricalrelationtothatofourcivilization.Totheanthropologist,ourcustomsandthoseofaNewGuineatribearetwopossiblesocialschemesfordealingwithacommonproblem,andinsofarasheremainsananthropologistheisboundtoavoidanyweightingofoneinfavoroftheother.Heisinterestedinhumanbehavior,notasitisshapedbyonetradition,ourown,butasithasbeenshapedbyanytraditionwhatsoever.Heisinterestedinthegreatgamutofcustomthatisfoundinvariouscultures,andhisobjectistounderstandthewayinwhichthesecultureschangeanddifferentiate,thedifferentformsthroughwhichtheyexpressthemselves,andthemannerinwhichthecustomsofanypeoplefunctioninthelivesoftheindividualswhocomposethem.[3]Nowcustomhasnotbeencommonlyregardedasasubjectofanygreatmoment.Theinnerworkingsofourownbrainswefeeltobeuniquelyworthyofinvestigation,butcustom,wehaveawayofthinking,isbehavioratitsmostcommonplace.Asamatteroffact,itistheotherwayaround.Traditionalcustom,takentheworldover,isamassofdetailedbehaviormoreastonishingthanwhatanyonepersoncaneverevolveinindividualactions,nomatterhowaberrant.Yetthatisarathertrivialaspectofthematter.Thefactoffirst-rateimportanceisthepredominantrolethatcustomplaysinexperienceandinbelief,andtheverygreatvarietiesitmaymanifest.[4]Nomaneverlooksattheworldwithpristineeyes.Heseesiteditedbyadefinitesetofcustomsandinstitutionsandwaysofthinking.Eveninhisphilosophicalprobingshecannotgobehindthesestereotypes;hisveryconceptsofthetrueandthefalsewillstillhavereferencetohisparticulartraditionalcustoms.JohnDeweyhassaidinallseriousnessthat