sociological and anthropological perspectives

Question 1

it is the systematic study of human society

Answer 1

sociology

Question 2

study of human behavior in groups and of the
social forces that influence behavior

Answer 2

sociology

Question 3

sociology emerged in response to problems brought about by the French Revolution

Answer 3

The Development of Sociology
1789: French Revolution

Question 4

holistic study of human beings and their cultures across time and space

Answer 4

anthropology

Question 5

physical anthropology:
cultural anthropology:
applied anthropology:

Answer 5

physical anthropology:
concerned with biological aspects of human beings
(Paleoanthropology and Human Variation)

cultural anthropology:
origin and development of human societies
(Archeology, Anthropological Linguistics, Ethnology)

applied anthropology:
application of anthropological knowledge to specific problems
(Medical Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Urban Anthropology)

Question 6

the development of anthropology

Answer 6

Age of Exploration (15th to 16th century):

This was a period when European nations began exploring the world extensively.

Anthropology as a “handmaid of colonialism”:

As European countries started to colonize these newly discovered lands, they needed to understand the people they were colonizing.
Anthropology, the study of human cultures, emerged partly to serve this need.
It provided information about indigenous peoples to colonial administrators.
This information was often used to help control and govern these populations more effectively

Question 7

sociological and anthropological perspectives in simple terms

structural functionalism:
conflict theory:
feminist theory:
symbolic interactionism:
political economy:
postmodern theory:

Answer 7

structural functionalism:
Views society as a system where all parts work together to maintain stability
Each part has a function that contributes to society’s survival
Change happens slowly and evolutionarily

conflict theory:
Sees society as in constant struggle between competing groups
Inequality and conflict are normal
Change happens through conflict

feminist theory:
Focuses on power relationships between men and women in society

symbolic interactionism:
Looks at how everyday interactions between individuals create society
Emphasizes how we use symbols (things with agreed-upon meanings) to communicate
Focuses on small-scale interactions

political economy:
Studies how powerful states have shaped the world through imperialism and global economics

postmodern theory:
Emphasizes diversity and multiple interpretations of reality
Challenges grand narratives in favor of smaller, local stories
Discusses how knowledge becomes a commodity
Explores concepts like “hyperreality” where simulations become more real than reality itself