The Differences Between Sociology & Anthropology

Sociology and anthropology are both areas of study that revolve around human behavior. Both utilize critical thinking and observation to find patterns and meaning in human behavior. While sociology and anthropology may seem similar, there are differences between them that make each area of study unique.
  1. Groups

    • Sociology focuses on studying groups and social interaction. While social interaction is part of anthropology, it is only a small part, since anthropology has a broader focus than group level interactions.

    Culture

    • Anthropology has a broader focus of study than sociology, in that anthropologists focus on culture. Studying culture includes incorporating history, biology, art and other disciplines into one large view. Anthropology involves studying human behavior, culture and lifestyle across time to include the past and the present.

    Scope of Sociology

    • Sociology includes the study of social interaction at many different levels. A sociologist may study family interaction, or large group interaction such as at a workplace. Issues regarding race, gender, religion, inequality, crime or social class are all potential areas of study for a sociologist. Sociologists utilize observation and research to learn more about social interaction in the world.

    Scope of Anthropology

    • The American Anthropological Association separates anthropological study into four groups, including sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology and linguistic anthropology. Each of these studies has a specific specialty within the realm of anthropology. Archeology uses remains and ancient artifacts to learn more about cultures that may not exist currently. A biological anthropologist uses the science of biology to learn more about culture, such as by studying DNA. Linguistic anthropology is the study of how language affects culture, while sociocultural anthropology is the most similar to sociology in that it includes the study of group and social interaction in culture.

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