Which field of anthropology focuses on human cultural variations?

Cultural anthropology is the field of anthropology that specifically examines human cultural variations. It explores how cultures shape the lives of individuals and groups, encompassing social norms, beliefs, practices, customs, and values. Cultural anthropologists engage in ethnographic research, often immersing themselves in different cultures to gather qualitative data and gain insights into the meanings that people assign to their experiences.

This discipline contrasts with other branches of anthropology. Biological anthropology focuses on the biological aspects of humans, such as evolution, genetics, and adaptation. Archaeology examines past human societies through their material remains, looking at historical development and changes over time rather than contemporary cultural practices. Linguistic anthropology studies the relationship between language and culture, investigating how language influences social life, but it does not encompass the broader spectrum of cultural practices like cultural anthropology does. Thus, cultural anthropology stands out as the field that directly addresses human cultural variations.