What are the Relation Between Anthropology and Sociology

Sociology and anthropology are closely related to one another. Sociology depends on anthropology and anthropology also depends on sociology in various respects.

Sociology

Sociology is the study of human behavior or group or interaction among human being. it seeks to understand the nature and purpose of human association. Sociology comes from the Greek word “socious’’ means society and Latin word ‘’logos” means study of science. So sociology means “scientific study of society”.  

Many sociologists have defined sociology in different ways. Some are given below ….

Auguste comte (1789-1857) father of the sociology, in his book positive philosophy, define sociology as “the science of social phenomena subject to natural and in variable law the discovering of which is the object of investigation.

Max weaber (1864-1920) defines, “sociology is the science which attempts the interaction understanding of social action in order to arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects”.

Nature

1. Sociology is an independent science.
2. It is a value free science.
3. It is a pure science not applied science.
4. It is general science not special science.
5. It is an abstract science not a concrete science

Anthropology

Like sociology anthropology is a general science. Anthropology comes from Greek “Anthrop” means human and Latin “logos’’ means study or science. So the anthropology means “scientific study of man”.
Many anthropologists have defined anthropology in different ways. Some are given below……

Havilland. W. A.(1975) in his  "cultural anthropology" define “Anthropology the study of human kind everywhere, throughout time, seeks to produce useful generations about people and their behavior and to arrive at the fullest possible understanding of human diversity" 

Gwynne and Hicks (1994) define “Anthropology is the study of people and all the things they do, think, say and make.”                                        

Writers View:

Anthropologist Robert Redfield writes that “viewing the whole united states one sees that the relation between sociology and anthropology are closer than those between anthropology and political science that is partly due to greater similarity in ways to work”.

Similarities:

1. On the basis of school: sociology and anthropology both are include in social science school.
2. On the basis of method: sociology use participant, case study, observation, survey and experiment. On the other hand anthropology usage participant, observation to find the problem.
3. On the basis of scopes:  anthropology is the scientific study of man. Sociology is the scientific study of human behavior. So there scope is same.
4. On the basis of nature: sociology and anthropology both are science, so there nature is same.

Seeing such similarities Hobel says “sociology and anthropology towards the pure understanding and the part.”

Difference

There are also some difference between anthropology and sociology. Those are given below…

1. Aspects: anthropology concern itself with the simple uncivilized and non literate societies. On the other hand sociology studies modern, civilized and complex societies.
2. Pattern of Study: anthropology has a tendency to study in concrete way on the basis of whole traits of societies. In contrary, sociology more often studies the parts of a society. Exam: Marriage, Family.
3. Broadest: anthropology studies mainly small societies. Exam: Naga, khasiae etc. on the other hand sociology studies small as well as large societies. Exam: industrial west.
4. On the basis of methodology: anthropology usages observation method.

In contrary, sociology usages participant observation as well as survey, case study, experiment.