Academic term for the comparative study of human races, cultures, and origins. Often used in historical or anthropological contexts.
He is majoring in ethnology at university.
19th-century ethnology included theories that are problematic by modern standards.
人類学 (anthropology) is a broader field encompassing physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. 人種学 is a narrower, somewhat dated term within physical anthropology.
Compound of 人種 (race) + 学 (study). The term was coined in the Meiji era as a translation of Western 'ethnology'.