Humans have always been the subject of curiosity. Throughout history, we have tried to understand ourselves at every level, be it individually or at a group level. In our quest to understand humans, we have developed different disciplines and dedicated our time and effort to find more about who we are, how we have progressed, and what drives us. Disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and anthropology are all subjects related to human civilization. These disciplines have now been well integrated into our studies, and students are learning more about our history.
However, since these disciplines overlap each other, it’s hard to understand the key differences between them. Whether you are a student pursuing his degree in the district of Columbia or a person who’s just confused about the intricacies of sociology and anthropology, Pay someone to do my online course provides this article is for you. We will help you understand the 5 key differences between sociology and anthropology, but before we do that, it is important to understand what the two disciplines mean.
What is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of human behavior with respect to societies, their cultures, norms, interactions, and changes, etc. In a nutshell, sociology observes how people interact with one another in society and how their individual behavior changes according to culture, social structure, and time.
Sociologists, who observe and conduct people in societies, look for patterns, organization, hierarchies, and other significant elements that make up the society to better understand the workings of a community and come up with practical solutions.
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology, on the other hand, studies more about humans on the individual level. It is a systematic approach that talks about the evolution and development of human beings. How someone behaves, communicates, follows, and adapts to the environment and the culture are all anthropology domains.
Furthermore, anthropology is more concerned about the prehistoric origins of humankind. Anthropologists work on how humans have evolved with time, their diversity, how they socialize, etc. Anthropologists are more interested in what makes us human rather than how we behave in a society, our origins, and everything in between.
5 Differences Between Sociology & Anthropology
Even though sociology and anthropology are more similar than different, the little intricacies make them distinct. We have compiled five differences between sociology and anthropology to help you understand more about the two disciplines. So, sit tight and read further as we go through each of them one by one.
Perspectives
Perspectives are critical in academics. The lens we use to see a certain thing helps us identify particulars rather than general. For instance, science is a broad domain. However, within science, we see a range of distinct disciplines that helps us narrow down our focus of study. Physics is related to the natural world that we see around us. Similarly, biology is a domain that focuses on living organism and their workings. The same is the case with sociology and anthropology. If we look from a broader lens, they are both branches of social science. However, on a closer look, each discipline has its focus and role in the world.
So, our next question is, what are the focuses and roles (perspectives) of sociology and anthropology? Let’s break it down. Sociology is concerned about people living in interdependence. It studies people and their interaction within communities, societies, and groups. Anthropology is a domain that deals with human beings on a more singular level. Anthropologists are more concerned about how humans have evolved with time, how they interact with one another, and what makes them distinct from other species.
Objectives
The next difference we will be focusing on is the objective or goals of the two disciplines. As with every field, there are specific goals that a domain is trying to answer and achieve. Be it natural sciences or social sciences, there are questions that we are looking to answer. What are those questions is what define our objectives.
When it comes to sociology or anthropology, the questions or the objectives differ. Sociology is the study of people in groups which helps us not only to understand ourselves but change and address societal issues and irregularities. Sociology’s primary goal is to perfect society through effective policymaking. As far as anthropology is concerned, its primary function is to understand human beings on an individual level, their diversity, and cultural differences. It doesn’t concern itself with policymaking or solving societal issues.
Time-Frame
Time-frame is a key and quite subtle difference between sociology and anthropology. What do we mean by time frame? We mean history. History has seen different civilizations in different times, and if there is one thing that remains constant, we (humans) change. So, when it comes to sociology and anthropology to pick their fruit, they pick different.
For sociology, the focus is on modern as well as ancient societies and civilizations. Anthropology focuses only on ancient civilizations, which we refer to as uncivilized and primitive societies. As we live in the 21st century, we are undergoing a rapid civilization change. So, sociology is going through a constant phase of evolution as well.
Research Method
Every discipline is based upon different research methods. Take any academic field in the world; you can’t work on it without a certain ruleset or guideline, which we call research method. In social sciences, there are two popular research methods known as qualitative and quantitative methods. Now, if you are a student, you know what we are talking about. For those who are not well-versed on the idea of qualitative and quantitative methods, allow us to briefly explain it to you.
The qualitative method is used to measure variables and test hypotheses systematically. Whereas the quantitative method relies on numbers to give concrete results. Each has its own research advantages depending upon the usage. Sociology is a broad domain that uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. However, the qualitative method is the only tool anthropologists can rely on when it comes to anthropology.
Nature of Applicability
Lastly, sociology and anthropology part ways in their level of applicability. Anthropology is used generally to understand humans, whereas sociology is used to understand the human interaction in groups and identify societal problems and come up with practical solutions through effective policymaking.
Each domain has its role to play in the world, and academics understand that. When it comes to practical application, sociology reigns supreme. Sociologists help better society in general. Whereas anthropologists help us know ourselves better.
