Lets us start by understanding what Anthropology is. Anthropology is a branch of social sciences that focuses on the study of human beings with emphasis of their social, cultural and physical development.
Physical and cultural anthropology are two distinct fields. In that regard, we will look into their differences.
Their definitions
Just like the name implies, cultural anthropology examines the culture of different groups and societies. Culture can be defined as a collection of a society’s values, beliefs, customs and traditions. Cultural anthropologists examine the totality of aspects of human societies. These aspects include religious beliefs, family units, economic and political systems, food and clothing of different communities.
On the other hand, physical anthropology deals with the biological changes, adaptations and development of people over time. It is also called biological anthropology. This field investigates how people adapt to their physical environment. It also examines how culture and biology are related and how they shape the developments of human beings.
2. Their Research Methods
Cultural anthropology emphasizes on the use of participant observation as a technique of research. In this regard, the researcher lives among the people that they want to study and takes data as accumulated through interactions. This gives the cultural anthropologists first-hand information.
Conversely, physical anthropologists employ the research methods that are used by biologists and paleontologists. To understand how people evolved and developed, they use prehistoric evidence, records of fossils, and compare human beings with other primates. It is however noteworthy that most of the research by physical anthropologists is carried out in the laboratories.
3. The Results
Through their evaluation of human culture and societies, cultural anthropologists produces insights into the patterns of behavior of the societies of their interests.
On the other hand, physical anthropologists produce insights into human evolution over years. It helps to improve the knowledge on how human beings respond and adapt to diseases and other physical challenges. Forensic anthropology, being a branch of physical anthropology, helps the law enforcement agencies and medical practitioners with knowledge on how to analyze skeletal evidence to determine the cause of death and/or identification of unknown remains.
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Jeff Sluka
June 27, 2018
In addition to social, cultural and physical, you want to add linguistic. The four sub-fields of anthropology are cultural (or social) anthropology, physical (or biological) anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.
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Lisa Combest
September 29, 2018
This is thoughtful and very thorough explanation. Thank you.
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Steve James
PhD Student at Indiana State University2010–present
PhD in Political Science & Sociology, Indiana State UniversityGraduated 2020
Lives in Mishawaka, IN2014–present
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