Parsons, Elsie Clews

orig. Elsie Worthington Clews

(born Nov. 27, 1875, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Dec. 19, 1941, New York City) U.S. sociologist, anthropologist, and folklorist. She was trained in sociology. Her early works, advocating women's rights, included The Family (1906) and The Old-Fashioned Woman (1913). She later turned to anthropology under the influence of Franz Boas and Alfred L. Kroeber. Her Pueblo Indian Religion (1936) and Mitla (1936) remain standard studies of Pueblo and Zapotec Indian cultures. She also produced notable collections of West Indian and African American folklore.

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