Similarities Between Anthropology And Epistemology

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To be able to start this essay, which will describe the differences and similarities between anthropological and sociological theory, epistemology and method, it is essential to establish why epistemology is indispensable to these disciplines. Epistemology is the explanation of how we think and acquire knowledge. It is required in order to be able to determine the truth from the false, by regulating a proper method of evaluation. It is also needed in order to use and obtain knowledge of the world around us which is essential for anthropology and sociology. Without epistemology “we would have no reason to believe our thinking is productive or correct, as opposed to random images flashing before our minds.” (Landeaour, 2001) The degree to which our epistemology is correct is the degree to which we could understand reality, and the degree to which we could use that knowledge to promote our lives and goals, which is fundamentally the task of sociology and anthropology. That is why it is essential that their epistemology is correct. Henrietta Moore establishes three fundamental questions for anthropologist in the book Anthropology in theory Issues in epistemology: “do all humans think in the same way?”(Moore, 2006:1), which forms the …show more content…

That’s why “the differences within anthropology and sociology with regard to methods are more important than the differences between those disciplines” (Bernard, 1992:2) Sociology is defined as “the systematic study of social behavior and human groups. It focuses primarily on the influence of social relationships upon people’s attitudes and behavior on how societies are established and change.” (Bernard, 1992:5) Here it is clear that anthropology and sociology have very similar focus and the only aspect that is different is their