What is the difference between Sociology & Anthropology?

Question

I'm considering minoring in either sociology or anthropology. I'm very interested in learning about cultures and why people act the way they do. I've taken anthro101 and sociology101 before and also a 200 level anthro course. I liked both. If anyone knows the difference, especially with the differences academically, that'd be great to know!

Answer 1

Well. I would say sometimes you have to understand the present culture and then relate some of that knowledge to the past.

Answer 2

Uh, you've taken some classes in both, so what do you think?

I once read that sociology is anthropology about one's own society -- which sounded right to me.

It certainly doesn't hurt you to continue to take classes in both. Using what you learn in each field and applying it to the other will only enrich what you learn.

Think about the 2 fields, and about what sorts of things you want to do. Maybe talk to your professors about what sorts of jobs you can get with each field.

Edit for afterthought: And grad students. Talk to grad students about why they are in the field they are in, whether they have any experience of the other field, and why they chose the one they did.

Answer 3

If you want to learn a bit about why people act like they do, take evolutionary biology. The difference between anthropology and sociology is the degree of incoherence.

Answer 4

I have a B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology. I was required to take several Sociology classes for my degree, and I'm really not a fan of the field, to be honest. Anthropology is the study of humankind, culture, and the history involving man and his culture. It's really a big picture look at the world. Sociology is the study of human society. They are both rather broad fields and they do overlap quite a bit. The job market, however, for each field is dramatically different. A lot of sociology majors, at least the ones that I know, go into social work or other similar careers. I, with an Anthropology degree, am currently working on my doctorate with plans to research and teach. It sounds like to me, if you're interested in the study of culture and humanity, which would be Anthropology, and why people, not societies or cultures, act the way they do, you may want to consider Anthropology and Psychology, not Sociology. But, with most of the social sciences, your undergraduate work just will not get you far. You will have to consider graduate school. If you want my advice, which I suppose you do, choosing a major can be complicated, but when it's all said and done, your major won't be that important. What you want to do is figure out what you want to spend the rest of your life doing, and go from there. Good luck!

Answer 5

While I think there is a lot of overlap in the two, one difference is the type of methodologies used in research.  Anthros tend (though certainly not stuck to this) to use more qualitative techniques (e.g. focus groups, interviews with open ended questions) while sociologists tend to gravitate more towards quantative techniques (think more statistics and numbers heavy)  Don't know if this helps any:)

Answer 6

Just pick the one you like best, I dont think it matters much when it comes to job oppurtunities. But this is Europe.