Define Anthropology?

Question

Define Anthropology?

Answer 1

Anthropology is the study of man within his environment and given considerations to his internal environment. The complete man. His physical, mental and cultural environment. The total person.

Answer 2

Study of human

Answer 3

In the United States, Anthropology is the holistic study of humanity through the four subfields of Cultural, Physical, Linguistic Anthropology, and Archaeology.  Cultural anthropology is the study of modern cultures through ethnographic fieldwork and comparitive studies.  This is done by participant observation which means the anthropologist is inducted into the culture (in a specific role) he or she is studying to get a better understanding of that culture.  Physical anthropology is the study of human biology, osteology (bones), forensics, genetics, human evolution, and primatology.  This is done to understand the physical/biological adaptations to culture.  Linguistic anthropology is the study of languages in relation to culture.  This incorporates how grammar in language can shape culture, related languages in cultural groups, etc.  Archaeology is the study of past culture through material remains.  Material remains can include osteological, phecal, artifacts (materials manipulated by human hands), faunal, and ethnographic recreations.  All in all the end goal of anthropology is to get a better understanding of culture and how culture developed within humanity.  A fifth unofficial subfield of anthropology has developed over the past few decades called Applied Anthropology.  Applied anthropology takes anthropology and puts it methods into practical use.  Examples could include doing ethnographic research on corporate structure to help efficiency in a company, forensic anthropology in crime scene analysis, forensic archaeology at burial sites, medical anthropology to help study how indigenous medicine can help in Western pharmaceuticals.

Answer 4

My Sociologist lecturer gave me the best defination.

Sociology is the study of culture from within the culture

Anthropology is the study of culture from outside the culture

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Answer 5

The social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings

Answer 6

.....is the study of humanity.

Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences.