Relationship Between Anthropology and Psychology

Relationship between Cultural Anthropology and

Psychology
Cultural anthropology . It is the study of the evolution and functioning of human cultures ,
that is, the ways of life of different human groups.
Psychology is the scientific study and analysis of mental functions and behavior, and is an
academic and applied discipline. Understands people, groups, society and much more.
Cultural anthropology and psychology are both social sciences. There is a relationship
between anthropology and psychology since there is this relationship between culture and
the human psyche. Psychology and anthropology are interdisciplinary fields and study
human beings through different points of view. Everything that is studied when
establishing a relationship between anthropology and psychology is:
Fields with a relationship between culture and psyche,
demographic structure, social, economic and cultural factors are in close historical
correspondence with the health situation…” William Petty
The various fields of study related to psychological anthropology are:
• Anthropological demography and epidemiology
• Cultural and cross-cultural psychology
• Ethnomedicine
• Family and child health
• Global health disparities
• infectious disease
• Medical ethnobotany
• Parental care and child development
• Personality
• Social learning
• Substance abuse
The various educational programs offered under the branch of psychological anthropology
are:
• Graduate Concentration in Behavior, Evolution and Culture
• Master in Psychological and Psychiatric Anthropology
• Psychocultural Studies and Medical Anthropology Program
• Research and training in psychological/medical anthropology
• The course subjects that would be included in Psychological Anthropology are the
following:
• Anthropological studies of learning and schooling
• psychological anthropology
• Culture, mental illness and the body
• Identity and Agency
• Culture and Cognition
• Culture and human behavior
• Cognitive Anthropology
 • Ethnicity, nationality and identity
• Anthropology psychological
• Anthropology psychological
• Anthropology psychological
• Anthropology Cognitive
People working in the following fields benefit from the study of anthropology and
psychology:
Health is an area that needs an understanding of the human mind to classify mental and
physical illnesses. It is necessary to understand the various people and health problems
they faced in order to get rid of diseases or epidemics that would have affected a large
part of the society.
Education needs an understanding of the human mind and psyche as teachers and
teachers deal with students from different backgrounds, socio-economic strata, family
backgrounds, cultures, religion and much more.
Psychology understands people and classifies the differences in their minds on various
topics. By studying anthropology and psychology, you understand how to resolve
differences well.
Social policy is about the various existing social policies. To frame a social policy by the
government, they need to understand the people extremely well
Psychology in anthropology, and vice versa
We have defended the position of mutual and interdependent interaction of individual, cultural
and social aspects; with the recognition that each variable requires a complex approach that
cannot be solved with a disciplinary symbiosis. The previous exposition has highlighted different
moments in the development of psychology in which it has recognized, raised and proposed
feedback with anthropological work. This psychological science, which in part has the same
historical origin as anthropology, has to combine with this ill-defined, vigorous and occasionally
imperialist discipline.2 In the review of anthropology and the influence of psychological disciplines
it can be distinguished, in a more or less clear, its articulation with the three main national varieties
of anthropology and ethnology. If we consider the main representatives of the three national
anthropologies, it turns out that for Franz Boas the most important psychological material belongs
to the domain of the unconscious, for Malinowski it belongs to the domain of the conscious, while
for Radcliffe-Brown it is, roughly speaking, irrelevant. The case of Lévi-Strauss is similar to that of
Franz Boas, he points out in the construction of his particular structuralist anthropology: “[...] the
objective of the anthropologist is to capture, behind the conscious and always changing images of
men, the full range of unconscious possibilities” (Lévi-Strauss, 1963: 23). In the case of
anthropology, we highlight its link with the background and contributions of the disciplines and
schools that address the complex of the psyche more than exclusively psychology as a science.
Psychoanalysis has had such a solid, deep and lasting influence on North American cultural
anthropology that the current situation allows us to speak of a “North American psychoanalytic
anthropology.” So much so that in Hunt's book (1966), we do not find a single article that is not
clearly placed within the field of psychoanalysis or uses the theoretical frameworks of psychology
or psychiatry. This is confirmed by Marvin Harris who deals with culture and personality in three
different chapters: [...] pre-Freudian, Freudian and new perspectives. The first period is presented
as a prehistory of North American psychological anthropology, while the weight of the relationship
is found in the last two periods (Harris, 1979). On the other hand, psychiatry has ventured so
strongly into French ethnology that a specifically French variety of “ethnopsychiatry” has been
created, the definition of which vigorously confirms: “[…] ethnopsychiatry can be defined as the
anthropological study of mental illness. as a sign of an approach specific to a specific culture”
(Deluz, 1996: 269).

What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the scientific discipline that is responsible for understanding what makes us
human. To do this, it analyzes both the physical aspects and the sociocultural manifestations of
different groups and in different periods .
Specifically, anthropologists are interested in studying how and why people behave and interact in
certain ways; issue that can be analyzed from very different perspectives.
Many anthropologists work, for example, analyzing the area of economics or politics, others
health, education or law. But there may be many more. For Anthropology, the fields of study are
as varied as human diversity .
Likewise, the ways that Anthropology has created to study this vary according to the place and the
specific context where they have emerged. For example, there are traditions of anthropology that
are not applied in the same way in the United States as in Latin America. This is because the needs
and lifestyles of people are different depending on the context , and that is precisely what
Anthropology seeks to understand.

Main differences between Anthropology and Psychology

These are the basic points on which psychology and anthropology differ. Some of them suggest
that these two disciplines overlap in certain cases , and the truth is that in practice it is impossible
to completely isolate what each one studies. However, both maintain their identity precisely
because this overlap is not total, far from it.
1. Psychology is less based on the social
Psychology is a very broad science, and not everything it covers has to do with the social
dimension of the human being . For example, basic psychology or biopsychology focuses only on
the study of the individual, and if they take into account something other than this, they are a few
very limited variables.
Anthropology, on the other hand, always studies the human being as a being who is a product of
the society in which he lives. That is, it studies the way in which different cultures (and their
relationship with biology, in the case of biological anthropology) are expressed through the variety
of behaviors typical of human beings.
You may be interested: "The main types of sociology"
2. The temporal focus of the investigation
Anthropology always starts from a historical perspective. An attempt is made to understand how
certain patterns of behavior and certain forms of expression have emerged, taking into account the
way in which generations take over from previous ones.
Thus, anthropologists almost always formulate their topics to be investigated and the hypotheses
that answer those questions by analyzing long periods of time . This allows us to better
understand those cultural or ethnic characteristics that resist the passage of time.
Psychology, on the other hand, starts from the analysis of broad periods of time much less
frequently . That means that some of its findings are intended to be timeless. In fact, much of the
research on which its advances are based is based on the here and now of the moment of
measurement.
3. The claim to universality
As we have seen in the previous point, a good part of psychology seeks timeless findings. This gives
us clues about another difference between psychology and anthropology: the first does not always
take into account the effect of culture and focuses on the biological and genetic, while the second,
although it can take into account the physical differences between groups, places emphasis on the
transmission of habits, symbols and customs built collectively and that have been born in constant
interaction with the environment. That is, anthropology studies the human being related to the
historical and cultural contingencies in which he lives, while psychology does not have to do this
and can also choose to analyze what all human beings have in common in their actions. more
basic , beyond interpretations.
4. They use different methods
Psychology uses the experimental method a lot, which consists of generating a phenomenon (in
this case, psychological) under the careful observation of researchers, taking a meticulous and
objective record of the facts and comparing these data with those obtained with other people in
the field. that this phenomenon has not been generated.
It also uses correlation studies, in which various data provided by a large number of individuals are
collected to analyze these results and see how the variables interact, what behavioral patterns
appear, etc. For example, this method would allow us to see whether people with depression tend
to think about suicide more than others or not.
These two methodologies are based on the creation of a very defined and “rigid” system of
variables that is “filled in” by the information captured . They are quantitative forms of study.
Anthropology can also make use of this type of quantitative techniques, but it is defined more by
qualitative methods , those that do not generate rigid schemes before starting to investigate but
rather adapt in real time to what is observed about the object. study.
For example, when an anthropologist goes to live with a tribe in the Amazon rainforest to take
notes about what he sees and interview members of the clan without following a clear and highly
structured script, he is using qualitative methods.

1.What is psychology?
Psychology or psychology is a social science and an academic discipline focused
on the analysis and understanding of human behavior and the mental
processes experienced by individuals and social groups during specific moments
and situations.

Psychology has a vast field of study, as it focuses on the human mind and
experience, from various perspectives, currents and methodologies. Some of them
are closer to the hard sciences and the use of the scientific method, while others do
not consider it appropriate for the object of study, and prefer to build their own
methods and approaches.

In this sense, this social science is interested in the processes of perception,

motivation, attention, intelligence, learning, thinking, personality, love,
consciousness and unconsciousness, but also in interpersonal relationships and by
the biochemical functioning of the brain.

The professional practice of psychology, on the other hand, is usually divided

between academic research, education and educational innovation, or clinical
practice, that is, therapeutic work to understand and resolve various
emotional, psychological or affective ailments in their patients. . The latter is
known as psychotherapy.

Psychology should not be confused with psychiatry . The latter is a branch of

medicine that studies the biochemical behavior of the brain, without generally
dealing with the emotional or experiential content of patients. Nor should it be done
with psychoanalysis, which is an interpretive and therapeutic discipline derived from
Sigmund Freud's studies of the human mind.
See also: Pedagogy .

2. Origin of psychology
Psychology is a relatively new science, detached from philosophy since the 18th
century , following the philosophical doctrines of empiricism, which began to
understand human behavior as a series of stimuli and responses determined by our
biology.

Thus, psychophysiology was born, the precursor of the psychological field. With the
entry of formal sciences into the landscape of knowledge, the possibility of a
psychology that is no longer merely theoretical, but even experimental, begins.

The first experimental psychology laboratory was founded at the University of

Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. From then on, various branches of theoretical and
practical exploration of the human mind would emerge, inaugurating an area of
knowledge as vast and diverse as it is today.

3. Branches of psychology
Forensic psychology attempts to understand the criminal mind.

Psychology presents an enormous number of branches and divisions, which can be

grouped into two sets according to their common characteristics, in this way:

Basic psychology . Located as a field of knowledge between the biological of man

and the social or human, it focuses on the understanding and collection of
information about the basic processes of human thought . It includes the following
sub-branches:

• Cognitive psychology . It studies the mental processes that allow knowledge, that
is, experience. Perception, memory, language and thinking are his areas of interest.
• Psychology of Learning . It is dedicated to the study of the processes of
adaptation and more or less permanent change in the individual, that is, the way in
which human beings learn.
• Evolutionary Psychology . It studies the different stages of growth and
development of the human psyche throughout life.
• Psychopathology . The study of “abnormalities” or disorders of the psyche, from
an eminently descriptive method.
 • Psychology of art . It studies the phenomena of creativity, creation and artistic
expression from the point of view of the human mind.
• Personality Psychology . Try to build models of understanding of human
personality.

Applied Psychology . Also called professional psychology, it is the basic

psychological knowledge put at the service of solving specific problems in society.
It includes the following sub-branches:

• Clinical psychology . She is the one who deals with patients, caring for their
mental and emotional suffering and allowing them to lead a life that is as functional
as possible depending on the case.
• Educational psychology . Focused on learning and the growth of the individual, it
collaborates with the construction of habits and school environments that are more
conducive to training future generations.
• Child psychology . Together with children and adolescents, they specialize in
emotional or mental problems during the first stages of human life.
• Social psychology . It focuses on human groups and human interactions,
emphasizing the importance of the environment in shaping the psyche.
• Industrial psychology . Similar to the social one, but applied to the various work
environments and the mental situations involved in work.
• Forensic psychology . Collaborate with justice in the mental understanding of
criminals, homicides and other extreme situations.
• Sports psychology . He applies his knowledge to the athletic and sports field, to
understand what happens there mentally and emotionally.

4. Objective of psychology
The general objectives of psychology can be summarized in the understanding of
the processes of the human mind . This includes numerous approaches and
methodologies, each with its specific objectives, with its specific approaches to
what consciousness, thinking and learning are.

This understanding of the human mind pursues the possibility of, on the one hand,
helping to solve the emotional and mental pathologies that afflict contemporary
man, perfecting the learning tools available to him and providing keys to the
nature of consciousness and that which distinguishes us from animals.
 5. Psychology and education
Psychology helps to understand learning processes.

Education and psychology have gone hand in hand since the invention of the latter,
since it has been possible to understand much better how learning processes
occur , formulate theories about it and try to build educational institutions that solve
society's problems. human being, taking care of them from their germ: the coming
generations that are still young