anthropology | Britannica.com

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Smith</a> <a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Farha-Ghannam/5562"> Farha Ghannam</a> <a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Nicholas-S-Hopkins/5500"> Nicholas S. Hopkins</a> <a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Enid-Schildkrout/5299"> Enid Schildkrout</a> <a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Jonathan-Robert-Spencer/5498"> Jonathan Robert Spencer</a> <a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Anthony-Seeger/5400"> Anthony Seeger</a> <hr class="sm-hidden xs-hidden"> <a class="see-all-contributors line-break" href="#Article-Contributors" data-type="accordion-link">See All Contributors</a> </div> <div class="last-updated grid-md-100 grid-sm-shrink xs-hidden"> <div class="subhead">Last Updated:</div> <time>8-31-2015</time> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-center-channel grid-md"> <div class="md-content-module-right md-story-mod grid-xs-ad-300"> <div data-refresh="true" id="div-gpt-ad-099cf396-b9b9-46ae-9f7a-ab367e267c4b" data-slot="TOP" class="google-ad-iframe ui-hide-on-modal "> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="display gpt">googletag.cmd.push(function() { headertag.display('div-gpt-ad-099cf396-b9b9-46ae-9f7a-ab367e267c4b'); });</script> </div> <div data-refresh="true" id="div-gpt-ad-2122c338-b306-4342-a0ba-b2d19f1943eb" data-slot="PRE" class="google-ad-iframe ui-hide-on-modal "> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="display gpt">googletag.cmd.push(function() { headertag.display('div-gpt-ad-2122c338-b306-4342-a0ba-b2d19f1943eb'); });</script> </div> </div> <article> <section id="toc27505main" data-level="intro"><p class="md-content-block gutter-bottom firstpar"><strong><span class="srTitle">Anthropology</span></strong><strong>, </strong>“the <a class="md-crosslink" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/topic/science"><span property="about" href="https://semantic.britannica.com/accepted_headword/core/528756/science">science</span></a> of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the <a class="md-crosslink" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/biology"><span property="about" href="https://semantic.britannica.com/accepted_headword/core/66054/biology">biology</span></a> and evolutionary <a class="md-crosslink" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/topic/history"><span property="about" href="https://semantic.britannica.com/accepted_headword/core/267505/history">history</span></a> of <em>Homo sapiens</em> 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 <a class="md-crosslink" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory"><span property="about" href="https://semantic.britannica.com/accepted_headword/core/197367/evolution">evolution</span></a> of humanity. It is discussed in greater detail in the article <a class="md-crosslink" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution"><span property="about" href="https://semantic.britannica.com/accepted_headword/core/275670/human-evolution">human evolution</span></a>. The branches that study the social and cultural constructions of human groups are variously ... (100 of 29,278 words)</p><div class="other-media gutter-bottom"><ul><li><figure data-layout="column" class="center-xs middle-xs"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/images-videos/Narrated-by-Clifton-Fadiman-this-1959-video-discusses-the-dawn/140506" data-id="140506" data-type="video" class="media-overlay-link"><div class="image-wrapper"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20161030210125im_/https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/84/125284-049-3D764A58.jpg" alt=""><em class="md-play material-icons" data-icon="play_circle_outline"></em></div></a><figcaption class="text-center"><div class="description"><div class="description-text">Narrated by Clifton Fadiman, this 1959 video discusses the dawn and development of recorded history …</div><div class="credit"><em>Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</em></div></div></figcaption></figure></li></ul></div></section><div class="md-content-footer"> <div class="md-mbox-container"> <a 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class="title"> <small> <span class="lg-visible md-visible">Table of Contents</span> <span class="lg-hidden md-hidden">Contents</span> </small> <div class="section md-visible lg-visible"></div> </div> </div> <div class="md-table-of-contents md-popover"> <ul class="toc-ul"><li class="lv1" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc27505main"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology">Introduction</a></li><li class="lv1" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236827"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236827">Overview</a></li><li class="lv1" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236828"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236828">History of anthropology</a><ul><li class="lv2" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236829"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236829">Fieldwork</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236830"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236830">Social and cultural anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236831"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236831">American anthropology since the 1950s</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="27505main" data-toc="toc236832"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology#toc236832">European anthropology since the 1950s</a></li></ul></li><li class="lv1" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236833"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology">The major branches of anthropology</a><ul><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236834"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236834">Cultural anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236840"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236840">Social anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236841"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236841">Linguistic anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236842"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236842">Psychological anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236843"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236843">Archaeology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236833" data-toc="toc236844"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/The-major-branches-of-anthropology#toc236844">Physical anthropology</a></li></ul></li><li class="lv1" data-section="236853" data-toc="toc236853"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/World-anthropology">World anthropology</a><ul><li class="lv2" data-section="236853" data-toc="toc236854"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/World-anthropology#toc236854">Anthropology in Africa</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236853" data-toc="toc236855"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/World-anthropology#toc236855">Anthropology in Asia</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236853" data-toc="toc236856"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/World-anthropology#toc236856">Anthropology in Europe</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236853" data-toc="toc236857"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/World-anthropology#toc236857">Anthropology in Latin America</a></li></ul></li><li class="lv1" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236858"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology">Special fields of anthropology</a><ul><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236859"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236859">The anthropological study of religion</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236860"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236860">Museum-based study</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236861"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236861">The anthropological study of education</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236862"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236862">The study of ethnicity, minority groups, and identity</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236863"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236863">Urban anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236864"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236864">National and transnational studies</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236865"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236865">The study of gender</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236866"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236866">Political and legal anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236867"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236867">Medical anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236868"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236868">The anthropology of food, nutrition, and agriculture</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236869"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236869">Environmental and ecological studies in anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236870"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236870">Development anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236871"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236871">Applied anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236872"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236872">Visual anthropology</a></li><li class="lv2" data-section="236858" data-toc="toc236873"><a href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/Special-fields-of-anthropology#toc236873">Ethnomusicology</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></div> <div class="additional-tools gray grid-xs-shrink center-xs middle-xs"> <a class="md-nav-item media" href="/web/20161030210125/https://www.britannica.com/science/anthropology/images-videos"> <em 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