The study of human societies in a cross-cultural context; the subdivision that includes ethnology, archaeology, and linguistics (all aspects of human behavior).

• A. Culture
• B. Ethnology
• C. Primate
• D. Hominin

Answer: (B)

Ethnology is the comparative study of human cultures across different societies, focusing on patterns of behavior, social organization, beliefs, and practices. It aims to understand how different groups live, how their ways of life are organized, and how cultures compare and contrast with one another. In practice, ethnology draws on information from archaeology (material remains), linguistics (language and communication), and other sources to build a broad picture of human behavior across cultures. This cross-cultural, integrative approach is why ethnology best fits the description of studying human societies in a cross-cultural context and considering all aspects of behavior.

Culture, by contrast, refers to the products and patterns of a group’s life—its beliefs, practices, and artifacts—rather than the field that studies them. Primate and hominin are biological categories related to evolution and anatomy, not the cross-cultural study of human societies.