The 4 Main Branches Of Anthropology: What They Are Like And What They Research
Anthropology is a science which arises from the need to understand, on the one hand, the diversity of the physical characteristics of human beings, and on the other, to descriptively compare different human groups.
However, as its development and scientific recognition has advanced, Anthropology has extended and systematized its practices in different branches. Below we will explain what it is and what they are. the four main branches of Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific discipline that is responsible for understanding what makes us human. To do this, it analyzes both the physical aspects and the sociocultural manifestations of different groups and in different periods
Specifically, anthropologists are interested in studying how and why people behave and interact in certain ways; issue that can be analyzed from very different perspectives.
Many anthropologists work, for example, analyzing the area of ​​economics or politics, others health, education or law. But there may be many more. For Anthropology, The fields of study are as varied as human diversity
Likewise, the ways that Anthropology has created to study this vary according to the place and the specific context where they have emerged. For example, there are traditions of anthropology that are not applied in the same way in the United States as in Latin America. This is because the needs and lifestyles of are different depending on the context and that is precisely what Anthropology seeks to understand.
Initially, Anthropology was dedicated to studying non-Western practices and worldviews of different groups, such as ceremonies, rituals, divination, among others However, its fields of study have become much more diverse as the discipline itself has advanced.
Thus, the object of study of Anthropology covers a wide range of possibilities. That is why it is usually divided into different fields.
According to the American Anthropological Association, there are four main branches of this discipline. In turn, each of these branches of Anthropology can be subdivided into different topics and according to specific interests.
1. Biological anthropology
Biological anthropology (in some places it is known as physical anthropology) is responsible for understanding How humans have adapted to different environments More specifically, it is responsible, for example, for studying the causes of diseases or how we have evolved differently from other species.
They are also interested in understanding how biology and culture shape lifestyles and human behavior in general.
2. Cultural anthropology
Cultural Anthropology, which in some places is known also as sociocultural anthropology or ethnology , explores how people from different places live and understand the world. They ask how the norms that establish the forms of interaction are generated in a great diversity of contexts.
To do this, they analyze people’s points of view. These points of view allow them to understand the perspective, practices, values ​​and social organization of human groups.
3. Linguistic anthropology
Those who study linguistic anthropology are interested in analyzing the different ways of establishing communication that exist between human beings That is, understanding how language is linked to the ways of understanding the world and relating to it.
More specifically, it is about looking at how language manifests itself in different ways and how its uses change over time, creating meanings and even changing identities and relationships. These two concepts, language and communication, are the keys to understanding society and culture.
4. Archeology
Archeology is responsible for studying human culture through analyze the objects, materials, tools and constructions that people have made throughout history and in different places.
To do this, the most common practice is to remove these objects from the ground, and map the location of the buildings, with the aim of better understanding what people’s daily lives were like, as well as understanding the differences and similarities between human societies. through time.
How are these branches of study applied?
The different branches of Anthropology can be applied in very diverse contexts. For example, at a local level, in communities, trying to understand their problems related to health or education.
Or also, They can be applied in museums or archaeological sites, helping to reconstruct the past In this same sense it can be applied in large cities, that is, in the analysis of the practices and spaces of the present.
They can also be applied in the business or technological field, since the latter can give many clues about how we have evolved and how our needs and lifestyles are constantly transforming.
