Relationship between Sociology and Anthropology

Relationship between Sociology and Anthropology

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”.

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”.

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 growth: Anthropology studies primitive man in a pre-literate society whereas sociology studies man in modern complex societies. Both are benefited to one another.
4. 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.
5. 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.”

Differences:

There are also some difference 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 civilizations which are vast and dynamic on the other hand Anthropology studies cultures which are simple and primitive.
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.”