Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropologists take a broad approach to understanding the many different aspects of the human experience. They consider the past, through archaeology, to see how human groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and what was important to them. They consider what makes up our biological bodies and genetics, as well as our bones, diet, and health.1
The Four Fields of Anthropology
In the United States, anthropology is traditionally divided into four main subfields, each offering a unique perspective on the human condition:
- Cultural Anthropology: This field studies how people who share a common cultural system organize and shape the physical and social world around them, and are in turn shaped by those ideas, behaviors, and physical environments.
- Archaeology: This field studies human culture by analyzing the objects people have made. They carefully remove from the ground such things as pottery and tools, and they map the locations of houses, trash pits, and burials.
- Biological Anthropology: This field seeks to understand how humans adapt to diverse environments, how biological and cultural processes work together to shape growth, development and behavior, and what causes disease and early death.
- Linguistic Anthropology: This field studies how language influences social life. It explores how language shapes communication, forms social identity and group membership, organizes large-scale cultural beliefs and ideologies, and develops a common cultural representation of natural and social worlds.
The Holistic Approach
What sets anthropology apart from other disciplines is its holistic approach. Anthropologists look at humans comprehensively, understanding that various aspects of human life—such as history, geography, biology, language, and culture—intersect and influence one another in complex ways.
By studying both our physical evolution and our cultural development, anthropology provides a profound understanding of our past and invaluable insights into the diverse tapestry of humanity across the globe today.