Final answer:
Sociologists focus on cultural patterns and social forces within societies they often belong to, analyzing social facts and their impact. Anthropologists study humanity broadly, including various cultural expressions across different societies and times. Sociologists tend to study society's outward effects on individuals, while anthropologists encompass a wider scope, including historical and cultural perspectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Sociologists and Anthropologists in Studying Culture
The study of culture by sociologists and anthropologists may seem overlapping, but they have distinct approaches and focuses. Sociologists typically study cultural patterns and social forces to understand how they impact individuals and groups within the society they often belong to. They analyze social facts, which include laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, and rituals. These social facts are used to understand changes in society, such as shifts in family structure or living arrangements, and their consequences like the impact on children or changing needs for education and housing.
On the other hand, anthropology is more broadly focused on humanity across times and places. Anthropologists study all aspects of human experience, thought, activity, and organization. This includes studying societies both within and outside the United States and across different historical periods. Cultural anthropologists, in particular, specialize in understanding how people who share a common culture organize and shape their physical and social world, as well as how they are shaped by it.
To differentiate, one could say that sociologists tend to study the outward effects of society's structure and organization, including power distributions within governments and their impacts, while anthropologists delve deeper into the broader aspects of human life, including past societies, to understand the complete range of human experiences and cultural expressions.