Relationship between sociology, anthropology and psychology

Psychology, sociology and anthropology are complementary disciplines. Sociology is the study of organization, development and institution of human society. It studies the principles underlying the formation, growth and functioning of different kinds of groups. Psychology also studies groups. However, for psychology focus of study becomes individual in group. Psychology borrows finding of sociology in studying the role of culture in group dynamic and behavior. Let us take an example of antisocial gang to illustrate the relationship between sociology and psychology. Both sociologists and psychologists are interested in studying the antisocial gang. The focus of sociology becomes the social and economic causes of gang, the relation of gang with law and order etc. However, the focus of psychologists may be on understanding the individual nature in gang, causes of gang behavior and impact of gang behavior on particular culture.

Anthropology is the study of the physical, social, and cultural origins and development of the human race. It mostly deals with primitive and tribal people. It is particularly concerned with the culture, tradition, manners, customs, and rituals of such people. Psychology draws relevant data from anthropology regarding the evolution of particular group of people. Anthropologists take information about abnormality and nature of human beings through the studies of psychology. Psychology is however, not only concerned with study of tribal people.

The most obvious relation among these three disciplines is that all of these disciplines are concerned with study of behavior. Integral information gained through these three disciplines gives complete picture about human beings and their behavior.