DEFINITION OF ANTHROPOLOGY,

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY

UNIT 1 - LESSON 4
 NATURE AND SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY,
ANTHROPOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
As a social science, Sociology deals with the study of
society and social interactions taking place. It also
deals with the origin, evolution, and development of
human society. It is focused on all kinds of social
interactions, social relationships, social organization,
structure and process.
 NATURE AND SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY,
ANTHROPOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
The study of human’s past and present is
Anthropology. Anthropology’s goal is to describe and
explain human variation or the observed similarities
and differences in people through time and across
space. Anthropology draws and builds upon
knowledge from the social and biological sciences as
well as the humanities and physical sciences to
understand the full sweep and complexity of cultures
across all of human history.
 NATURE AND SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY,
ANTHROPOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Political science as a social science discipline deals
with the study of the state and government. It is
concerned about politics and policies of the
government. Aristotle, in his Politics, defined political
science as the study of the state. It deals
comprehensively with the theory and practice of
politics. It also focuses on the analysis of political
systems, political behavior, and political culture.
 NATURE AND SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY,
ANTHROPOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
 Sociology deals with the study of society and social
interactions taking place.
 The study of human’s past and present is
Anthropology.
 Political science deals with the study of the state
and government.
 AREAS OF SOCIOLOGY
1. Social Organization includes the study of social groups,
social institutions, social stratification, mobility, ethnic
relations, and bureaucracy
2. Social Psychology tackles human behavior or nature as a
result of group life, personality formation, social attitude and
collective behavior
3. Social Change deals with the study of changes in the
society and culture, and the factors resulting from such
change.
 AREAS OF SOCIOLOGY
4. Social Organization and Disorganization study the
emergence of societies, their structural formation and the
ways they are strengthened. They also study crime,
delinquency, family conflict, poverty, subversion,
unemployment, and a wide range of current social issues
and problems
5. Human Ecology studies the behavior of a given
population and its relationship to present social institutions.
 AREAS OF SOCIOLOGY
6. Population is concerned with population size,
composition, change and quality and on how they influence
the economic, political and social systems
7. Sociological Theory and Method is concerned with the
application of the results of sociological studies to solve
various human problems
THE MAJOR BRANCHES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
1. Cultural Anthropology studies human cultures, beliefs,
ideas, technologies, economies, practices, values, and
other spheres of social and rational organization. This
branch is primarily based on cultural understanding gained
through actual experiences, or participant observations of
the human population.
2. Physical Anthropology deals with the biological and
behavioral aspects of human beings. It focuses on their
relationships to non-human primates and their extinct
hominid ancestors.
THE MAJOR BRANCHES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
3. Archaeology studies both the ancient and recent past of
humans through the material remains, such as artifacts,
fossils and bone fragments.
4. Linguistic Anthropology studies the relations between
language and culture in relation to human biology, human
reasoning and human language.
5. Applied Anthropology deals with the application of
anthropological facts, perspectives, theories, and
procedures in identifying, assessing, and solving social
problems
MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

1. Political Theory focuses on the ideas of classical

thinkers, such as Aristotle, Niccolò Machiavelli, Cicero, and
Plato among others.
2. Comparative Politics deals with the incisive evaluation
and comparison of the doctrines of various constitutions, of
political actors, legislature and other allied fields.
3. Public Administration focuses on the implementation of
government policies, the academic disciplines involved and
the principles governing civil servants working in the
government.
 MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

4. International Relations delve on nation-state’s interactions

including intergovernmental and transnational organizations.
5. Law governs the relationships between individuals and the
government, and the relationships of individuals among
themselves directly affecting the society.
6. Political Methodology focuses on the quantitative methods
used in the study of politics combining Statistics, Mathematics,
and formal theory. It is often used in positive research, unlike
normative research. It is related to econometrics.
 INTERSECTIONS OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
A. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY AND
ANTHROPOLOGY
Sociology and Anthropology are very close and intimate to
each other. They contribute to the growth of each other; are
mutually related to each other. Sociology studies society while
Anthropology studies man. But since man and society are
mutually interrelated, therefore, it is very hard to distinguish
the two. Nonetheless, their close relationship can be
understood from the foregoing.
 INTERSECTIONS OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
A. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY AND
ANTHROPOLOGY
Essentially, Anthropology aids the development of
Sociology. The study of Sociology can’t be complete without the
help of Anthropology. The latter is an integral part of the
former. Anthropology provides data about ancient societies.
Sociology needs the help of Anthropology to have a
comprehensive understanding of present society.
 INTERSECTIONS OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
A. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY AND
ANTHROPOLOGY
Likewise, Sociology provides rich contributions towards the
expansion of Anthropology. Anthropology receives substantial
concepts from Sociology. The researches and ideas of
Sociologists like Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer greatly
helped Anthropology. Anthropologists greatly benefited from
the ideas and conclusions of sociological researchers.
These contributed to the enhancement of researches in
Anthropology.
 INTERSECTIONS OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
B. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANTHROPOLOGY AND
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Anthropology enriches the study of Political Science. A vast
knowledge of early societies, their laws, customs, manners
and modes of government, enable us to understand
accurately the modem institutions and the political behavior
of the people today.
 INTERSECTIONS OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
B. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANTHROPOLOGY AND
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Thus, the three, Sociology, Anthropology and Political
Science, are distinct sciences but are closely intertwined
with one another. Their existence and growth are greatly
influenced by one another.