Although the subject material of both Anthropology and History is somewhat identical, they vary vastly in specific ways. Anthropology and history are two distinct fields of research concerned with humans.
Aspirants may pursue higher education and consider job opportunities in these subject fields.
Key Takeaways
- Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures, while history is the study of past events.
- Anthropology focuses on understanding different societies’ cultural practices, beliefs, and values, while history focuses on the sequence of events that have occurred over time.
- Anthropology uses a holistic approach, while history uses a more focused approach to study its subject matter.
Anthropology vs History
Anthropology is the social science that studies human societies, cultures, and behaviours, encompassing several subfields, including cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and biological anthropology. History is the study of past events and their impact on human societies.
Anthropology is described as the study of human beings and the analysis of the data concerning their behaviour. Anthropology is the study of humans, while anthropology is the study of humanity’s history and cultures.
An anthropologist is an individual who studies anthropology. The main research themes are human nature, genetics, traditions, and civilizations in the present and past, including past human beings.
History is a vast area of research, although anthropology is a branch of it. Essentially, history is the study of the experience of human cultures. Everything that has happened in the past is history, and everything that will happen in the future will become part of it.
This covers oral and written versions of history, but written sources get further attention.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Anthropology | History |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Study the different aspects of Human Beings. | Study of Past. |
| Main Objective | The actual existence of human beings is discovered. | To learn about historical times (Especially focusing on Humans). |
| Scope | Smaller (Subsection of History) | Wider |
| Professional | Anthropologist | Historian |
| Analysis and Evaluation | Human Behaviour. | Every phenomenon, including the whereabouts of humans. |
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is a branch of science dealing with human nature, genetics, environments, and civilizations in the present and past, including past human beings. Cultural anthropology investigates the cultural context, including values and attitudes, while social anthropology investigates behavioural trends.
Anthropology’s primary goal is to research historical and present humans, emphasising cultural and biological knowledge of the human experience. This interdisciplinary emphasis distinguishes anthropology from other humanities and natural sciences.
Linguistic anthropology is the study of how language affects social behaviour. Biological or physical anthropology is the study of human creation.
Cultural anthropology, generally considered a subset of social anthropology, encompasses ethnographic film (in which photography, film, and new media are used for research) and the study of “visuals,” such as painting, visual pictures, and cinema.
Anthropology offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Higher education services in the same area improve an individual’s abilities and ability to do better at work.
The professions one might consider after pursuing the degree in this subject are Archivists, Archaeologists, Linguists, Social Workers in Media Houses, Tour Guides, Culture Resource Managers, and Curators etc. Some even might consider being a research scholar or exploring the teaching profession.
What is History?
The study of the past is defined as history. The term “history” refers to the retrieval, analysis, accumulation, configuration, description, and understanding of data about historical events.
Historians use historical evidence, oral narratives, biological markers, and tangible things like artwork and artefacts to transform history into context.
History commonly applies to the analytical field that employs narration to explain, explore, challenge, and interpret a series of historical events and the patterns of cause and effect that are connected to them.
Historians use myths to interpret and reflect on the past. They also argue over which narrative best describes an incident and the importance of various causes and consequences.
Historians often question the essence of history and its utility by addressing the discipline’s analysis as a goal in and of itself and as a means of offering a “perspective” on current issues.
Historians write in the sense of their own time, taking into account the prevailing views of how to understand the history at the time, and occasionally writing to offer lessons about their own culture.
History is also available as a graduate and postgraduate degree at several universities and colleges worldwide. The same makes for higher study in the form of M. Phil. and PhD degrees, allowing for a successful academic future.
The professions one might consider after pursuing this degree are Information Manager, Library Systems Analyst, Records Manager, Research Assistant, and Online Search Specialist. One might consider the teaching profession too.
Main Differences Between Anthropology and History
- By description, Anthropology is the study of the different phases and aspects of human beings, whereas history is the research, investigation, and inspection of the past.
- The main objective of Anthropology is to have human beings’ actual existence is revealed. Whereas, in the case of history, the main objective is to scrutinize the past, especially regarding humans.
- In terms of scope, Anthropology is a smaller one when compared to History, as Anthropology is just part of the latter.
- The professional who is an expert in the field of Anthropology is referred to as an Anthropologist, and the one who is a learned expert in History is called Historian.
- Human behaviour is the main matter of analysis and evaluation in the case of Anthropology. In the case of History, it is about anything and everything that occurred in the past, specifically the events which involve Humans.
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1955-05458-000
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=w8hcDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=history&ots=2mAY9PcMH-&sig=Ii6T5DcFiX5OgY_4kyadSqmjmNU
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
