DISS - Lesson 1

DISCIPLINES AND
IDEAS IN SOCIAL
SCIENCES
“Defining Social Sciences as the Study of Society”
Lesson 1
The social sciences have a
critical contribution to make,
in helping us understand,
imagine, and craft a more
sustainable future for all.”
- UNESCO
What is
SOCIAL SCIENCE?
✘ Any discipline or branch of science that
deals with human behavior in its social
and cultural aspects.
✘ Social science is an academic discipline

concerned with society and the
relationships among individuals within a
society, which often rely primarily on
empirical approaches.
✘ Social Sciences are those disciplines that study:
(a) Institutions and functioning of human society
and the interpersonal relationships of
individuals as members of society;
(b) A particular phase or aspect of human society.
HISTORY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
✘ The history of the social sciences begins

in the Age of Enlightenment after 1650.
✘ The social sciences developed from the
sciences (experimental and applied), or
the systematic knowledge-bases or
prescriptive practices, relating to the
social improvement of a group of
interacting entities.
✘ Social science was influenced by positivism. Auguste
Comte used the term "science sociale" to describe
the field, taken from the ideas of Charles Fourier;
Comte also referred to the field as social physics.
✘ The term "social science" may refer either to the
specific sciences of society established by thinkers
such as Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, or
more generally to all disciplines outside of "noble
science" and arts.
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Anthropology
Economics
Geography
History
Linguistics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Demography
Society
✘ Society refers to ‘a system of interrelationships
which connects individuals together’ (Giddens1990)
✘ A ‘common habitat’ or environment within which
members of a society depend on one another for
survival and well-being (Marvin Harris 1983)
✘ Society refers to a group of people who share a
culture and a territory.
✘ Socialization affects the overall cultural practices of
a society and shape one’s self-image.
How is social science
related to society?
Social sciences focus on the study of
society and the relationship among
individuals within society.
What is social sciences
and how can it be used to
study and understand
society?
What are the roles of

social science in the
society?
✘ Conceptualization of the social problem
- means what is the problem affecting
the society, positive or negative?
✘ Understanding the existing concepts
related to the problem.

✘ Conducting the research on the
problem, using scientific methods such
as inclusive sampling, classification,
tabulation and analysis then conclusion.
✘ Based on analysis and conclusion
suggesting recommendations to the
problem.
✘ It is used to understand society, identify
potential social problems create a

hypothesis and try and formulate
answers to those problems.
For example, our aging population.
What is
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:
✘ Life Science or Biological Science
- studies life in all its forms, past and present
✘ Physical Science
• Physics – matter and energy
• Astronomy – celestial objects
• Chemistry – matter and its transformation
• Earth Science – earth and neighboring space
Natural Science vs. Social Science
✘ Started during the ✘ Both sciences employ ✘ Arose 300 years later.
16th and 17th the scientific model to ✘ Deals with subject.
century. gain information. (Human being)
✘ Deals with object. ✘ It is spontaneous,
✘ Characterized by ✘ Both sciences use unpredictable and
exactness, controlled empirical and measured uncontrollable, as it
variables, and data evidence that can deals with human
predictability. be seen and discerned emotions and
✘ Experimental Data by the senses. behavior.
✘ The typical method ✘ Experiential Data
of science is doing ✘ Both sciences’ theories ✘ Typically involves
repetitive and can be tested to yield alternative methods
conventional theoretical statements of observation and
and general positions. interaction with
laboratory
people within
experiments. community.
✘ Closed System ✘ Open System
What is HUMANITIES?
✘ Refers to the study of the ways in which the human
experience is processed and documented.
✘ Encompasses the field of philosophy, literature,
religion, art, music, history, and language.
Humanities vs. Social Science
✘ Emerged in the ✘ Both the ✘ Influence by and
15th century. humanities and developed after the
✘ Humanities involved social science are French revolution
a more of a concerned with and the industrial
scientific approach. human aspects revolution.
✘ Deemed to be more like, law, politics, ✘ Social science deal
philosophical and linguistics, with more scientific
concerned with economics, and approach.
heritage and the psychology. ✘ Involves application
question of what of an empirical,
✘ Both the rational, and
makes us human.
Comprise
humanities and objective
application of an social sciences methodology (such
interpretative are concerned as the use of validity
methodology. with human lives and reliability test)
and nature. to present facts.
Functions:
HUMANITIES SOCIAL SCIENCE
To better appreciate the meaning To analyze, explain, and possibly
and purpose of the human predict and produce new
experience – both broadly in the knowledge of factual
nature of the human condition, information.
as well as within each individual
To reveal wisdom, to better To generate and produce new
explore and address the big knowledge or factual
questions and meet the information.
challenges in human condition.

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DISCIPLINES AND

✘ Social science is an academic discipline

✘ The history of the social sciences begins

What are the roles of

related to the problem.

potential social problems create a

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