anthropology, “the science of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. Because of the diverse subject matter it encompasses, anthropology has become, especially since the middle of the 20th century, a collection of more specialized fields. Physical anthropology is the branch that concentrates on the biology and evolution of humanity. It is discussed in greater detail in the article human evolution. The branches that study the social and cultural constructions of human groups are variously ... (100 of 29,270 words)
Anthropology
Written by: Ralph W. Nicholas Last Updated
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Overview
- History of anthropology
- The major branches of anthropology
- World anthropology
- Special fields of anthropology
- The anthropological study of religion
- Museum-based study
- The anthropological study of education
- The study of ethnicity, minority groups, and identity
- Urban anthropology
- National and transnational studies
- The study of gender
- Political and legal anthropology
- Medical anthropology
- The anthropology of food, nutrition, and agriculture
- Environmental and ecological studies in anthropology
- Development anthropology
- Applied anthropology
- Visual anthropology
- Ethnomusicology