Nature and Goals of Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, perspectives, and subfields related to anthropology, sociology, and political science.

Anthropology

Scientific study of humankind, including cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological aspects.

Sociology

Discipline that investigates society, patterned social interactions, and cultures of everyday life.

Political Science

Systematic study of government, politics, and power relationships within and among states.

Cultural Anthropology

Branch of anthropology that analyzes living societies’ beliefs, practices, and social systems.

Biological Anthropology

Field that examines human biological evolution, genetic variation, fossils, and primate relatives.

Archaeology

Study of past cultures through excavation and interpretation of material remains and artifacts.

Linguistic Anthropology

Subfield exploring language evolution, structure, and its relationship to culture and society.

Ethnography

Research method requiring prolonged fieldwork to produce detailed, first-hand cultural descriptions.

Historical Particularism

Boasian view that each culture is unique and must be understood in its own historical context.

Franz Boas

Father of modern American anthropology; championed cultural relativism and historical particularism.

Auguste Comte

French thinker who coined "sociology" and advocated a scientific approach to studying society.

Industrial Revolution

18th–19th-century technological shift that spurred urbanization and the birth of sociological study.

Functionalist Perspective

Sociological theory viewing society as interdependent parts working to maintain stability.

Conflict Perspective

Sociological lens emphasizing inequality, competition, and power struggles as drivers of change.

Symbolic Interaction Perspective

Micro-level theory focusing on how people create shared meanings through everyday interactions.

Culture

Shared meanings, practices, and products arising from social interaction within a society.

Society

Organized group sharing territory, culture, and enduring patterns of social relationships.

Holism (Anthropology)

Approach that considers cultural, biological, ecological, and historical factors as an integrated whole.

Cultural Relativism

Principle of interpreting beliefs and behaviors within their own cultural context, avoiding judgment.

Comparative Emphasis

Anthropological practice of analyzing similarities and differences across multiple cultures.

Evolutionary/Historical Emphasis

Focus on how cultures change over time and the historical processes shaping them.

Ecological Emphasis

Study of how humans adapt to and interact with their physical environment.

Power

Ability to influence or control the actions of others; core concept in political science.

Government

Institutional structure through which a society creates and enforces public policies.

Political Theory

Subfield analyzing ideas about politics, justice, rights, and the nature of the state.

Public Management

Study of organizing, directing, and implementing policies within public sector institutions.

Human Rights

Universal rights and freedoms inherent to all individuals, protected by law and policy.

International Relations

Field examining political, economic, and social interactions among states and global actors.

Social Structure

Enduring pattern of relationships, roles, and institutions that organizes society.

Social Interaction

Everyday processes through which individuals act and react in relation to others.

Kinship

Network of social ties based on blood, marriage, or adoption that structures relationships.

Ethnology

Comparative study of cultures using data gathered through ethnographic research.