DESCRIPTION OF INTERACTIVE

Anthropologists study how humans live and interact with their social and physical environments – both in the past and in the present. Physical anthropologists focus on the origin, evolution and diversity of people, whereas cultural anthropologists study the interplay between culture and human beings. Both use specific theories, perspectives and methodologies to explain human behaviour and culture, and to distinguish patterns of human socialization.

Psychologists study the human mind and mental states as a way of explaining the behaviour of an individual or a group. They use psychological theories, perspectives, and methodologies to explain how diverse factors influence and shape human mental processes and behaviour. They also use these perspectives to analyze patterns of socialization.

Sociologists study human social behaviour by examining the interactions of social institutions, groups, and individuals, and how they influence each other. They use their own specific theories, perspectives, and methodologies to examine how diverse factors influence and shape social behaviour of groups and individuals.

Check for understanding…

When we think of the issue of homelessness, what kinds of questions or concepts would pertain to each of the social sciences of anthropology, psychology, and sociology?  For each question, identify the appropriate social science: anthropology, psychology, or sociology.

1. What fears drive someone to walk past a homeless person without making eye contact? (Answer: psychology)
2. How does the lack of affordable housing contribute to homelessness? (Answer: sociology)
3. What is it about cities that helps explain why there are more homeless in the city than in the country? (Answer: anthropology)
4. How do the homeless adapt to their surroundings to survive? (Answer: anthropology)
5. What one institution do you think could have the biggest impact on homelessness? How? (Answer: sociology)
6. What is going through a homeless person’s mind when he or she is alone on the streets, that helps explain why they are there? (Answer: psychology)
7. What role does mental illness play in the issue of homelessness? (Answer: psychology)
8. What creative solutions have other cities in other countries offered that have made a positive impact on the lives of homeless individuals? (Answer: sociology)
9. What can we learn from other cultures that can help us understand homelessness in our own country? (Answer: anthropology)
10. Do homeless people share any group characteristics from which we can learn? (Answer: anthropology)