Anthropology is a social science, which studies mankind in its entirety. The term in its literal sense means, “Study of mankind”, as it is a combination of two Greek words, namely, anthropos and logos. Anthropology has gained popularity rapidly within the social/ behavioral sciences circle. Through its various fields of specialization, it offers us great insights into the ways of lives of human societies across time and space. Although the science of anthropology studies all human societies across time and space, it has conventionally been accepted to associate anthropology with the study of the societies and problems of the traditional, nonwestern peoples. Health science students learning this discipline have a great advantage of gaining fresh insights and practical benefits in their personal lives and professional practices. Anthropology along with other sisterly disciplines such as sociology, economics, social psychology, human/ cultural geography, history and political sciences has now become essential component of the health and medical sciences curricula in universities and other training institutions abroad. This book is an excellent introduction to sociocultural anthropology that allows instructor and student to have a stimulating entry to a scholarly field that has lent a hue to the ways of looking at our modern world. It is up to date, balanced, well-sourced, critically alert, the principle qualities we would wish to have as support to the classroom experience.

Chanakya Gupta is a prominent anthropologist known for his scholarly contributions to fundamental concepts and theories in anthropology. With a background in ethnographic research and social theory, Gupta's interests span across cultural diversity, kinship studies, and the anthropology of globalization. He has published extensively in renowned anthropological journals and has held academic positions in leading universities, contributing significantly to the field's theoretical framework.