社会人类学, or social anthropology, is a branch of anthropology that focuses on understanding the social patterns and practices of human societies. It examines how people interact, form communities, and create cultural norms. Researchers in this field often conduct fieldwork, immersing themselves in the communities they study to gain insights into their daily lives and social structures. This discipline is closely related to cultural anthropology, which emphasizes cultural practices, and ethnography, a method used to gather detailed descriptions of social life. Social anthropologists analyze various aspects of society, including kinship, religion, and economic systems, to understand the complexities of human behavior and social organization.