Anthropology as a Scientific Discipline: Epistemological Foundations, Methodological Traditions, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Social Research- authored by Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Shivaji Univer

Title Anthropology as a Scientific Discipline: Epistemological Foundations, Methodological Traditions, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Social Research Description This scholarly article is authored by Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, and Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana, India. The study is situated within the disciplines of Social Anthropology, Sociology, and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. It offers a comprehensive examination of anthropology as a scientific discipline by critically analyzing its epistemological foundations, ontological assumptions, methodological traditions, and interdisciplinary linkages. Drawing upon classical and contemporary theoretical frameworks, the article integrates philosophical debates in the philosophy of science with empirical research practices in anthropology and allied social sciences. The work contributes to advancing academic understanding of anthropology’s scientific status, methodological pluralism, and relevance in addressing contemporary social realities. Keywords and Subjects (Paragraph Form) The key themes and subject areas addressed in this article include anthropology as a scientific discipline, epistemology, ontology, research methodology, ethnography, participant observation, qualitative and quantitative research methods, grounded theory, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, applied anthropology, philosophy of science, positivism, interpretive sociology, historical materialism, structuration theory, deconstruction, discourse analysis, statistical analysis in social research, interdisciplinarity, sociology, political anthropology, environmental anthropology, and contemporary social theory.