Today anthropology has taken on a global perspective. Comparative Methods . In order to understand human behavior and make generalizations, anthropologists compare and contrast cultures, populations, and peoples' behavior patterns. This methodology reveals similarities and differences that would otherwise go undetected, and it documents the extent of human cultural and biological variability. Concept of Culture .
Culture is a unifying concept in anthropology that links all of the subdisciplines.
Humans are often studied using a biocultural perspective which joins the biological dimension with the social and cultural. Holistic Approach . Holism is the notion that any study of humans should take into account all aspects of their existence. Thus kinship, genetics, demography, and biological reproduction are linked. Likewise, history, ethnicity, identity, migration patterns, and archaeology are often inseparable.