Which term describes the external, objective viewpoint in anthropological study?

The term that describes the external, objective viewpoint in anthropological study is the etic perspective. This perspective is characterized by an analysis that is informed by outside observations and theories, effectively allowing anthropologists to approach a culture from a distance. The etic perspective contrasts with the emic perspective, which is more subjective and focuses on the viewpoints and experiences of the culture being studied from an insider's perspective. By adopting the etic approach, anthropologists aim to gain insights that may not be readily accessible through direct engagement with the community, providing a broader framework that includes comparative analysis across cultures.

Cultural relativism, while relevant in anthropology, pertains to understanding a culture on its own terms without imposing external judgments, and cultural determinism refers to the belief that cultural factors shape individual behaviors and attributes, neither of which directly define the external, objective viewpoint specified in the question.