The cultural anthropologist examines the underlying culture associated with different societies and groups. They examine cultures from a holistic perspective. Culture is defined as a society or group's beliefs, values, perceptions and traditions. Culture encompasses the stated and unconscious principles by which societies define their lives. Family structure, economic structures, social control, religious principles and the food people eat define their culture. Ethnography and ethnology are the two major components of cultural anthropology. Ethnography is the study of individual cultures, while ethnologists study groups of cultures, their relationships with each other and their similarities and differences.
Biological anthropology is often referred to as "physical anthropology." This division of anthropology focuses on human biology and how it relates to evolution, cultural practices and the environment. Biological anthropology can be subdivided into three major areas of study: paleoanthropology (the study fossil humans), primatology (the study of primates) and the study of the variation and adaptation of the modern human. Forensic anthropology is an area of biological anthropology involved in identifying modern human skeletal remains. Forensic anthropology is often employed in the investigation of crimes and criminal activity.
Archaeology is the study of material remains of societies. Material remains can include the tools, pottery, buildings and other artifacts left by a society. Archaeologists study culture and the processes of change within cultures. Many archaeologists choose to study prehistoric cultures or cultures that left no written record. Archaeologists deal with the fragmentary remains of societies to try to gain insight into their social organization, physical environmental conditions, the plants, resources and technology available to a society and the reasons for cultural change within societies.
Linguistic anthropology deals specifically with language within a society or culture, studying language and how it reflects and influences social life within a society. The historical development of language, how language affects the relationship between societies, the nature of language and the relationship between behavior and language are all topics studied in linguistic anthropology.