What makes cultural anthropology different? Perhaps the most obvious difference is that the scope of anthropology is much broader than that of any other social science. Economics deals only with economic behavior and political science focuses on political behavior.
Cultural anthropology, on the other hand is concerned with these and other areas from a comparative perspective and especially with the interrelationship among all areas of behavior in any particularly society.
Its overlap every other social science in at least some areas, yet it retains its individuality.
The distinction between history and anthropology was a subject of intense debate for many years.
Is anthropology, after all merely the study of human history in all its various forms?
Although this debate has subsided, one cannot truthfully say that it has been completely resolved.
No anthropologists can work without awareness in the past, of the sequence of events that led to the situation being studied.
In describing another culture or comparing aspects of two cultures, the anthropologist cannot ignore history.
But there is no doubt that history and anthropology are separate. For one thing, historians focus on past events, and their study of values, motivations and behaviors is directed toward explaining why things occurred the way they did.
Anthropology seeks to generalize from such explanations. It is not enough to say that history is more of an art and anthropology more of a science, or that anthropologist use history more than historians use anthropology.
Indeed, it is often hard to tell history from anthropology, although it helps to note that historians focus on past events, in contrast to the cultural anthropologist’s emphasis on contemporary events.
Anthropology and relationship with other subject
