anthropology involves studying the diversity of human societies through comparative analyses. anthropologists develop tools that contribute to identifying and exploring a variety of social, cultural, political, economic, environmental and other important issues. anthropology is unique among disciplines because of its methodological approach, which involves in-depth qualitative field work. university of ottawa specialized programs in social and cultural anthropology enable students to better understand and analyze cultural changes and intercultural relations in the context of globalization, development, migration and new technologies.