Student Library

Introduction to Social Science

4 min read

Objectives

  • Define social science.
  • Identify three main fields under social science.
  • Know the goals and the rationale for studying social science.
  • Gives the different perspectives that social science offers.

What is Social Science?

  • Social Science
    • a discipline under which identity, culture, society, and politics are being studied.
    • composed of a wide array of smaller fields and disciplines that focus on different interactions and functions of society.

Fields of Social Science

  • Anthropology
    • the behavioral science that focuses on the systematic study of man and culture.
    • it describes the humankind, human behavior, and human societies around the world.
    • a branch of sociology.
    • cultural anthropology is the study of man and elements of cultural life
      • linguistic anthropology is a subfield of cultural anthropology
      • it tackles language in a certain society.
    • came from the Greek words:
      • anthropos which means “man”.
      • logos which means “the study of”
    • it mainly focuses on a culture’s:
      • components
      • characteristics
      • functions
      • modes of adaptation
      • cultural values and practices
  • Sociology
    • the behavioral science that focuses on the study of society, human social relationships and institutions.
    • came from the Greek word socius which means “group, partner, or companion”
    • very diverse; may include crime, religion, family, state, race, social classes, shared beliefs, social stability and radical change in a society.
    • its purpose is to understand how human thought and action shape cultural and social structures.
    • focuses on the society’s
      • origins
      • evolution
      • characteristics
      • dimensions
      • basic social functions
  • Political Science
    • the study of politics and government
    • deals with the study of humans and their interactions
    • also a study of power relationships and competing interests between states around the world.
    • also known as the “Queen of the Science”
    • it mainly focuses on:
      • the nature and foundations of state
      • the different forms and functions of state
      • the principles of government
      • how different states govern
      • the various structures and forms of government
      • the relationship to other institutions (media, church/religion, etc.)

Goals of Social Science

Anthropology

  • Look at your own culture more objectively/in the perspective of an outsider.
  • Preserve diversity; discover what makes people unique.
  • Discover what people have in common
  • Produce new knowledge about the humankind and human behavior

Sociology

  • Obtain theories/new knowledge that explain aspects of society and human life
  • Examine one’s role in society through the study of nature of humanity.
  • Understand that all things are interdependent on one another.
  • Know about the different perspectives in attaining the truth.

Political Science

  • Educate oneself about citizenship.
  • Understand that it is an essential part of liberal education.
  • Have a good understanding and knowledge of the government.

Rationale for Studying Social Science

  • “Why do we need to study ______________?”
    • Anthropology
      • It broadens your horizons/changes your perspectives.
      • It is relevant.
      • It is useful.
      • It is interesting.
      • It allows us to deal with complex topics and issues.
    • Sociology
      • It makes you a different person from the rest.
      • It allows you to understand that individuality and dependence is highly valued in society.
      • It explains various social structures and their properties.
      • It is important in a democratic country.
      • It tells us that health is a human right.
      • It tells us that religion and technology are human forms of expressions.
      • It tells us that education contributes to the development of the capacity of an individual in the community.
      • It provides valuable information about race and impact to present.
      • It leaves you aware of its dimensions and scope in other fields and disciplines
    • Political Science
      • It trains students in development of critical skills
      • It helps students gain practical knowledge and insights on political issues.
      • It helps us understand why people behave the way that they do politically.

Perspectives of Social Sciences

  • Anthropological
    • It has four main perspectives: cross-cultural/comparative emphasis, evolutionary/historical emphasis, ecological emphasis, holistic emphasis
  • Sociological
    • It has three major theoretical perspectives: the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, the symbolic interaction perspective
    • Theoretical perspective is used to
      • analyze objects of social study
      • facilitate organization of social knowledge
    • Functionalist Perspective
      • Here, society is thought to function as an organism.
      • Components are thought to work together like organs to maintain and reproduce societies.
    • Conflict Perspective
      • It sees social life as a competition.
      • It focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.
  • Political Science Perspective
    • It studies the tendencies and actions of people, which cannot be easily quantified or examined.
    • More focused than other social sciences; it mostly sticks to the political arena and the realm of politics
    • Deals with situations with two competing sides or lateral decisions that affect the group as a whole.

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