What is the Difference Between Anthropology and Ethnography?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Anthropology and ethnography are related but distinct concepts within the study of human societies and cultures. The main differences between them are:
- Discipline vs. Methodology: Anthropology is a discipline that encompasses the study of human cultures and humanity in general. Ethnography, on the other hand, is a methodological approach to learning about a culture, setting, group, or other context by observing it directly and/or piecing together the experiences of those there.
- Scope: Anthropology is a broader field that includes various subdisciplines, such as archaeology, linguistics, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology. Ethnography is a specific method used within cultural and social anthropology to study entirety of people's lives and their experiences.
- Holistic Contextualization: Ethnography aims to study the entirety of people's lives, including their work, family relations, religion, and habits, taking a holistic and contextual approach to understanding human behavior.
- Participant Observation: Anthropologists using ethnographic methods often directly observe behavior and participate in people's lives, such as interacting on social media or helping with childcare, to gain a deeper understanding of their subjects.
In summary, anthropology is a broader field that encompasses the study of human societies and cultures, while ethnography is a methodological approach used within anthropology to study and understand specific cultures and social contexts.
Comparative Table: Anthropology vs Ethnography
The main difference between anthropology and ethnography lies in the fact that anthropology is a discipline, while ethnography is a methodology within that discipline. Here is a table summarizing the differences between anthropology and ethnography:
| Attribute | Anthropology | Ethnography |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Anthropology refers to the study of human cultures and humanity in general. | Ethnography is a methodological approach to learning about a culture, setting, group, or other context by observing it yourself and/or piecing together the experiences of those there. |
| Scope | Anthropology is a broader field with many subdisciplines, including cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. | Ethnography is a specific method used within cultural anthropology to create a description of a culture or society. |
| Methods | Anthropologists use various methods to study human cultures, such as fieldwork, museum collections, government records, and archaeological data. | Ethnographers gather and utilize information from many sources, like fieldwork, museum collections, government records, and archaeological data. |
| Focus | Anthropology aims to understand and compare human cultures, human behavior, and the development of societies. | Ethnography focuses on the in-depth study of a particular cultural group. |
In summary, anthropology is the broader discipline that encompasses the study of human cultures and societies, while ethnography is a method used within anthropology to gain an in-depth understanding of a specific cultural group.
- Ethnology vs Anthropology
- Ethnography vs Ethnology
- Anthropology vs Sociology
- Anthropology vs Archaeology
- Grounded Theory vs Ethnography
- Case Study vs Ethnography
- Social vs Cultural Anthropology
- Anthropology vs Psychology
- Ethnicity vs Culture
- Cultural Relativism vs Ethnocentrism
- History vs Archaeology
- Cultural vs Ethnic
- Sociology vs Social Science
- Sociology vs Psychology
- Historian vs Archaeologist
- Emic vs Etic
- Humanities vs Social Sciences
- Enculturation vs Acculturation
- Social Psychology vs Sociology