Anthropology

The comparative, social-scientific study of humanity, focusing on the development, history, and manifestations of human life. A common method of anthropological research is ethnography. This diverse academic discipline embodies many dimensions of study.

[Page 24]Applied anthropology focuses on using the theories, methods, and knowledge associated with anthropology to address and resolve contemporary problems. Cultural anthropology focuses on the variations and parallels among human cultures both past and present. The aspects of human societies that cultural anthropologists may explore include languages, social structures, art, and religious practices. Physical or biological anthropology focuses on human evolution and the variations between humans. The origins and history of the human species are explored within this dimension of the field. Forensic anthropology focuses on the human skeleton. This branch of the discipline uses trace material such as bone fragments to investigate causes of death. Forensics is a division of both applied and physical anthropology and is used to investigate crime.