Emic and Etic

-An emic perspective allows an anthropologist to understand the psychology behind individuals' actions- their motives for partaking in certain practices. It also allows a better sense of how actions relate to each other. An etic perspective permits analysis of underlying societal motives and emotional detachment. Neither perspective is inherently better, as both have appropriate applications.
-These rules exist to avoid inaccurate results caused by projection of one's own society onto the studied society. One generally assumes certain societal constructs if not careful to avoid the influence of one's own society.