CONTENT: EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Objectives: Define Social Sciences as the study of society Distinguish Social Science and Natural Sciences Compare and contrast the various Social Science disciplines and their fields, main areas of inquiry, and methods Trace the historical foundations and social contexts that led to the development of each discipline
Defining Social Sciences
SOCIAL Closely related to human society as it refers to the interaction of individuals and groups as well as to the welfare of humans as members of the society (Jose and Ong, 2016 p.6)
SCIENCE Scientia : knowledge based on demonstrable and reproducible data; aims for measurable results through testing and analysis; based on fact ; focuses only on the natural world and is designed to challenge ideas through research (Bradford, 2017)
Defining Social Sciences The disciplines that use the scientific method to examine the social world and “study human relations in a society”. ( Jose and Ong, 2016 p.9) Body of knowledge characterized by an objective to understand what society is and what does it do to people living inside it. ( Tatel , 2016 p.12)
• Basically, social science refers to the systematic study of various aspects of human society. • It is a major category of academic disciplines, dealing with society and the relationships among people within a society. • Established in 19th century. SOCIAL SCIENCE as the Study of Society
NATURAL SCIENCE • A major branch of science that deals with the description, prediction and understanding of natural phenomena, basically based on observational and empirical evidence. Two main branches of natural science: 1. LIFE SCIENCE OR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2. PHYSICAL SCIENCE • Physics • Astronomy • Chemistry • Earth Science
SOCIAL SCIENCE vs . NATURAL SCIENCE
DIFFERENCES THINGS IN COMMON SOCIAL SCIENCE NATURAL SCIENCE • Arose 300 years later • Deals with subject. (Human being) • It is spontaneous, unpredictable and uncontrollable, as it deals with human emotions and behavior. • Experiential Data • Typically involves alternative methods of observation and interaction with people within community. • Open System • Started during the 16 th century • Deals with object • Characterized by exactness, controlled variables, and predictability • Experimental Data • The typical method of science is doing repetitive and conventional laboratory experiments. • Closed System • Both sciences employ the scientific model in order to gain information. • Both sciences use empirical and measured data evidence that can be seen and discerned by the senses. • Both sciences, theories can be tested to yield theoretical statements and general positions.
History of the Emergence of Social Sciences ● Albeit debatable, SS’s birth was made possible by the important revolutions (See Giddens, 1976; Seidman, 1994) Scientific Revolution Industrial Revolution French Revolution
Social Sciences – are the fields of scholarship/study of human society and of individual relationships in and to society.
The Social Science Disciplines
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 1. Anthropology – study of humanity’s origins, customs and beliefs. The physical and cultural development of humans and their societies. What are the cultural patterns that help define these societies and the people in them? ◄ Social-Cultural Anthropology ◄ Physical (Biological) Anthropology ◄ Archeological Anthropology ◄ Linguistic Anthropology ◄ Applied Anthropology
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 2. Economics – study concerned with the use of goods and services. The production, distribution and consumption of resources, goods and services among individuals and groups within a society. How do people organize the production and distribution of goods and services? ◄ Macroeconomics ◄ Microeconomics
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 3. Geography – study of the earth’s surface and physical features, climate, products and population. The distribution of the features of the physical environment and of the people who use those features. How has society been shaped by the use of the land and its resources? ◄ Human Geography ◄ Physical Geography
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 2. Economics – study concerned with the use of goods and services. The production, distribution and consumption of resources, goods and services among individuals and groups within a society. How do people organize the production and distribution of goods and services? ◄ Macroeconomics ◄ Microeconomics
◄ Military History ◄ History of Religion ◄ Social History ◄ Cultural History ◄ Diplomatic History ◄ Economic History 4. History – study of human affairs and past events; important sequence of events; emphasis on cause and effect regarding decisions made by those in power. ◄ Environmental History ◄ World History ◄ Universal History ◄ Intellectual History ◄ Public History ◄ History of the Arts
◄ Sociolinguistics ◄ Stylistics ◄ Psycholinguistics ◄ Computational Linguistics 5. Linguistics – scientific study of language and its structure (i.e. morphology, syntax, phonetics and semantics). ◄ Comparative Linguistics ◄ Historical Linguistics ◄ Applied Linguistics
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 6. Political Science – study of government and its structure and activity associated with it. The organizations people have developed to make rules and laws for their society. How are people governed? ◄ Political Theory ◄ Comparative Politics ◄ International Relations ◄ Political Behavior ◄ Public Policy ◄ Public Administration
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 7. Psychology – scientific study of behavior and the mind. The behavior and thought processes of the individual, and the ways in which an individual acts and reacts to other humans and to society. What is going on inside a person’s mind that causes them to behave this way? ◄ PURE BRANCHES ● General Psychology ● Social Psychology ● Physiological Psychology ● Biopsychology ● Developmental Psychology ● Cognitive Psychology ● Child Psychology ● Social Psychology ● Animal Psychology ● Parapsychology ● Abnormal Psychology ◄ APPLIED BRANCHES ● Educational Psychology ● Clinical Psychology ● Industrial Psychology ● Forensic Psychology
SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE FOCUS The basic question asked 8. Sociology – systematic study of relationship among people ; Relationship among humans and groups living together in societies. What are the functions of the various groups in society and what factors do people in these groups have in common? ◄ Social Morphology ◄ Social Physiology ◄ General Sociology ◄ Historical Sociology ◄ Sociology of knowledge ◄ Criminology ◄ Political Sociology ◄ Human Ecology
9. Demography – interdisciplinary study of human populations, its characteristics and development through time. ◄ Formal Demography ◄ Social Demography
Direction: Discuss the following scenarios and determine how each of the social sciences would address the scenario. Comment on which of the social sciences would be most useful in assessing each scenario. You are responsible for completing your own organizer. ACTIVITY: DISCIPLINE IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
Scenario Anthropology Psychology Sociology Best suited and why? 1. Understanding the causes for eating disorder. 2. Finding a solution to our garbage problem. 3. Understanding a teenager’s suicide. 4. Helping a salesperson increase her sales. 5. Explaining why a high school student constantly misbehaves in class. 6. Understanding a ritual at holiday time ( eg . why people color Easter eggs) 7. Explain why a person is a compulsive gambler
Direction: Complete the table. Words, phrases or short sentences may be used to describe the applicable answers. ACTIVITY: Conceptualization of Social Science Disciplines
Basic Definition Unit of analysis Important Assumptions Anthropology Archeology Economics Geography History Pol. Science Psychology Sociology Society, social interaction & relationship Interactions, social structures and systems , social institutions The context is society. The world is a social construction