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If you’re an individual interested in studying human social behavior within certain societies throughout time, pursuing a career in sociology or anthropology could be right for you. While both fields study human behavior, there are significant differences between the two that may impact your career-making decision.
Anthropology examines a certain culture at the level of the individual, which they use as an example for the larger culture. It hones in on the cultural specificities of a community. Sociology looks at a larger picture where professionals study institutions, organizations, political movements, and power relations.
| Sociology | Anthropology |
|---|---|
| Defined as the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. | Defined as the study of human beings and their ancestors through time in terms of physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture. |
| Focuses on social problems and institutions by using quantitative and qualitative data. | Focused on culture and community by using qualitative data. |
| Areas of study include social class, social stratification, social mobility, law, and more. | Areas of study include art, gender, language, and religion. |
What Is Sociology?
Sociology is defined as the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Those working in this field study the structure of certain groups, organizations, and societies. They may do research to better understand social interactions or processes of the specific culture.
Sociologists typically examine subjects ranging from gender, age, race, social change, status, and movements. This study will almost always have a central focus on kinship and social organization and the impact they can have on society and its members. We can think about this kind of study as studying a society at large.
Those working in sociology typically go on to work at non-profit or governmental organizations and even move into politics, public administration, or the law. Sociology is a wide area of study, and there are a variety of different areas of expertise or emphasis that a professional may want to focus on in their career. These areas can include
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Globalization. This area of emphasis focuses on the processes of economic, social, demographic, cultural, and political transformation at a global level. This career may focus on how globalization has shaped development opportunities for communities, how it impacts wealth and power, or how it impacts the environment.
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Organizations and Economy. In this area of focus, professionals may examine workplace dynamics, including career structures, workplace inequality, and more. They focus on full organizations and how they emerge, grow, operate, thrive, or fail. This also encompasses the workings of a community’s larger economy.
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Population and Family. These professionals will focus on population explosion, fertility, marriage, health, migration, population aging, and diversity. They often take historical perspectives to explore these issues for both developed and developing populations.
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Environment. Sociology with an environmental focus examines the relationship between people, nature, and the environment. It may focus on things like why environmental issues are ignored or denied, what roles institutions play in these problems, and how humans impact the overall environment.
If you’re looking to pursue a career in sociology, it’s important to make sure you have the right education first. Consider supplementing your base courses with quantitative analysis subjects and taking classes to educate yourself on cultural identities and social classes so that you can better understand certain factors to better analyze data.
Because sociologists’ research is on a broader scope, their approach to assessing data and information differs from an anthropologist. They can make extrapolations related to broader power dynamics and other areas outside of an individual’s control. Sociologists will most commonly use qualitative information to conduct assessments.
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What Is Anthropology?
Anthropology is an area of expertise that studies the diversity of humans. By utilizing ethnography as their primary method of research, anthropologists work with in-depth, repeated interactions with individuals of a certain culture. Most anthropologists study cultures that are not genetically their own.
Anthropologists are well-versed in human evolution, cross-cultural issues, rituals, myths, and cultural history. Individuals looking to develop a career in this field can expect to work in anthropology departments, campus ethics centers, museums, government and international agencies, healthcare centers, nonprofit organizations, and on environmental projects.
These individuals search and analyze behavioral evidence of individual members of a community and use that data and information to conduct assessments of an average member’s behavior within a certain community. This gives them a better understanding of the community at large. This is done through four primary subfields:
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Archaeology. Archeologists study different societies and cultures by recovering and analyzing remains or objects left by historical cultures. They may remove pottery, tools, bones, and teeth to learn more about individuals from that time to give us a better understanding of that community and culture.
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Biological anthropology. These individuals are focused on learning how humans adapted through time to become what they are today. This can be anything from animal evolution to environmental adaptation. These professionals study how biology has played a role in shaping lives from a certain time.
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Cultural anthropology. These individuals, called sociocultural anthropologists, look at how different societies live and understand the world. They study what these communities accept or view as normal, from speaking, eating, traveling, dressing, and more. They may gather different viewpoints and even live in the society.
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Linguistic anthropology. This is the study of how societies communicate with themselves and others around them. These professionals may look at society’s language and how it impacts a certain culture’s connection to the world around them. They study the function of language and speech as well as its social structure.
Those working in anthropology have a wide variety of career opportunities, such as working in the public sector or in academia. Graduate school is also a common path for anthropology professionals, especially if they’re looking to become professors themselves. They can also pursue public sector research at global organizations or other research professions.
Sociology vs. Anthropology FAQ
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Is sociology a branch of anthropology?
No, sociology and anthropology are two different areas of study, despite their similarities.
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What types of cultures do sociology and anthropology focus on?
While sociology is traditionally focused on western societies, anthropology is traditionally focused on non-western societies.
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What are the areas of focus for anthropology and sociology?
While sociology focuses on social problems and institutions, anthropology focuses on culture and community.
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Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
