Anthropology is a discipline, which serves the infinite curiosity about human beings. Etymologically the term is derived from two distinct Greek words —’Anthropos’, the meaning of which is man and the ‘logos’ refers to science or study. Therefore, we define anthropology as a discipline which studies the human beings, scientifically. But this definition is incomplete for the reason that there are also several disciplines, which are concerned with man; they study one aspect of man or the other.
Sociology, psychology, political science, economics, history, human biology and even the humanistic disciplines like philosophy, literature, etc. form this group. Each of those disciplines is specialized to deal with a typical aspect of different groups of man.
They may also cling to specific cultures and their moorings. Therefore, none of these disciplines can cover the whole jurisdiction of anthropology. Rather anthropology is a larger whole where different disciplines unite together despite the diversity of their interest.
It possesses its own distinctiveness in the study of man. It is the only discipline, which strives to understand man and his actions in totality. Anthropologists believe in the integration of knowledge and realize the harmful effects of compartmentalization.
The index of anthropologists is man—wherever may he be whether on land, air or sea. They study the human beings in all climates and times. Men of the prehistoric as well as the historic past, men of the present generation and also of coming future come within the purview of anthropologists.
