Relationship between Sociology and Anthropology
Sociology and anthropology are closely related. Sociology depends on anthropology, and anthropology also depends on sociology in various respects.
Sociology
Sociology studies human behaviour or groups or interactions among human beings. It seeks to understand the nature and purpose of human association. Sociology comes from the Greek word “socious’’ means society and the Latin word ‘‘logos” means the study of science. So sociology means “the scientific study of society”.
Anthropology
Like sociology, anthropology is a general science. The word anthropology comes from the Greek “Anthrop”, meaning human, and the Latin “logos," meaning study or science. So anthropology means “scientific study of man.”
Similarities:
1. On the basis of school: Sociology and anthropology are both are included in a social science school.
2. Based on method: Sociology uses participants, case studies, observation, surveys, and experiments to find the problem. Anthropology uses participants and observation.
3. On the basis of growth: Anthropology studies primitive man in a pre-literate society, whereas sociology studies man in modern complex societies. Both benefit one another.
4. On the basis of scopes: Anthropology is the scientific study of man, and sociology is the scientific study of human behaviour. So, their scopes are the same.
5. On the basis of nature: Sociology and anthropology are both science, so their nature is the same.
Seeing such similarities, Hobel says, “sociology and anthropology towards the pure understanding and the part.”
Differences:
There are also some differences between anthropology and sociology. Those are given below:
1. Sociology is a science of society whereas anthropology is a science of man and his behaviour.
2. The scope of Sociology is very wide, whereas the scope of Anthropology is very limited.
3. Sociology studies society as a whole, whereas anthropology studies man as a part of society.
4. Sociology studies vast and dynamic civilizations, while Anthropology studies simple and primitive cultures.
5. Sociology studies modern, civilized and complex societies, whereas Anthropology studies ancient and pre-literate societies.
6. Sociology is concerned with social planning whereas anthropology is not concerned with social planning. On the basis of social planning sociology make suggestion for future but anthropology do not make any suggestion for future.
7. In the words of Kluckhon, “The Sociological attitude has tended towards the Practical and Present, the anthropological towards pure understanding of the past.”
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