What are the branches of Anthropology and which is the most interesting?

Question

What are the branches of Anthropology and which is the most interesting?

Answer 1

Anthropology in general is the study of mankind and has 4 subfields: (1) archaeology: the study of past cultures through material remains, (2) cultural: the study of today's cultures through observation, (3) linguistics: the study of language, & (4) physical: the study of human evolution through skeletal remains. Each of these subfields has more indepth meaning, but what is defined above is to just give you an idea as to what each subfield does.

What is more interesting, well it just depends on the person. Many of my friends in anthropology are interested in cultural anthropology. I on the other hand prefer archaeology with the excitement of uncovering something that has not been seen for a long time nor held. I wonder who was the last person holding or working on this artifact that I have uncovered. Archaeologist try to figure out past cultures with what they left behind. It is a puzzle that needs to be figured out.

Answer 2

First, I differ from other answers that have included archeology in one of anthropology's branches. archeology is apart from anthropology in my opinion. Both disciplines are in the same department, but one is not the branch of the other. They both have their branches. I will talk about anthropology since this is what you ask for and this is what I know and studied. Anthropology, which was known as sociology at first, has evolved in various directions, theories, ideals, goals... Yes, anthropology I believe has come a very long way since Claude Levi-Strauss' days. I think a major influence was various anthropologists' agreeing that anthropology did not and should not stay in the dark basements of academia. At first, anthropology was supposed to stay a "non-applied" science. The role of the anthropologist was to conduct his ethnology and leave the place where it took place "untouched." He/she was not supposed to intervene or try to change anything no matter human rights violations, horrific acts, unfair judgments he/she could witness while working.

In Europe this subfield started in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when ethnographic information was collected and used by colonial Belgian, French, British, Dutch, and Russian administrators.

Of course, applied anthropology has much evolved and the use of data against a certain culture highly questioned and finally declared unethical of anthropology.

Applied anthropologists often work for nonacademic clients such as governments, development agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), tribal and ethnic associations, interest groups, social-service and educational agencies, and businesses. Ethnography and participant observation are the applied anthropologist's primary research tools. They also use textual analysis, survey research and other empirical methods to inform policy or to market products. An applied anthropologist is often likely to be employed in a non-academic setting.

From applied anthropology comes development anthropology.

With the ever changing definition of anthropology, branches of the discipline have mulitiplied. Indeed, you can find: visual anthropology, medical anthropology, symbolic anthropology, cultural anthropology, social anthropology, economic anthropology, applied anthropology, development anthropology, Biological/Physical Anthropology (Forensic Anthropology), # Radical Anthropology, psychological anthropology, and more. Based on the title, one can guess the overall idea of  each of this discipline's branches. It would take way too long to define all of them.

This is what I studied and found very interesting. Now, you may be attracted to something completely different. All I can tell you is that if you decide to study anthropology, no matter the branch you choose, this will change your life forever. the way you think, the way you understand, the way you live... I find anthropology completely fascinating in its growing, in its thinking, in its modesty, in its questioning, and in its ideals (even if as history has shown us, anthropology has made mistakes). it remains a pure science at heart. Check out the link below for further info.

Answer 3

Why don't u just ask what music is the best kind?

Do you understand that different things are interesting to different people?

Answer 4

I just wanted to add, there are now 5 subfields: the new one is Applied Anthropology. Applied Anthropology is the "application of method and theory in anthropology to the analysis and solution of practical problems". For example, I heard about a group of grad students who did a research study on urban civilizations by going through the city dumps and analyzing the culture by observing what we throw in the trash. Sorry i don't remember the exact study, but sounded very interesting to me.

I myself am an Anthro major at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles and I am mostly interested in cultural and applied anthro. I am very interested in archaeology as well, but i like cultural personally since I feel i can go more places with it and i'm more interested in interacting with and studying present-day cultures and people and how they interact as our world becomes more globalized, as opposed to studying artifacts. Besides, in taking my lower division courses and doing some research, i've realized there are not many job options open for strictly archaeology-dedicated students. But to each his own, all of the branches of anthropology are interesting and it's just personal preference which one appeals most to you.