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Defining Social Sciences as the study of society

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL SCIENCES

The social sciences are the fields of scholarship that study society."Social science" is commonly used
as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences.These include:
anthropology, archaeology, business administration, communication, criminology, economics,
education, government, linguistics, international relations, political science, sociology and, in some
contexts, geography, history, law, and psychology

Social Problems and Social Science 

the connection between social science and social problems should be a high priority for all of us --
social scientists and citizens alike. Example: Poverty and Social Science (Economics)

the connection between social science and social problems should be a high priority for all of us --
social scientists and citizens alike. Example: Poverty and Social Science (Economics)

Meaning of Social Science, Natural Science, and Humanities

1. Social Science: The field of human knowledge that deals with all aspects of the group life of
human beings. So it is subject to change with the changes the human behavior. Behavioral
sciences
2.   Natural Science: a branch of science that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural
world by using the Empirical and Scientific method.
Subject areas: Physics, Chemistry, Biology,  Earth science, Astronomy
3.   Humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are
primarily analytical, critical, or speculative. ancient and modern Languages,
Visual and Performing Arts such as music Theatre Arts.  literature, history, philosophy, religion
History of Social Science

The history of the social sciences begins in the roots of ancient Philosophy . In Ancient history, there
was no difference between mathematics and the study of history, poetry or politics. 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.

Various Social Science Disciplines

1. Anthropology  is the holistic "science of man," - a science of the totality of human existence.
Physical Anthropology Cultural Anthropology
2. Economics  is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services.
3. Geography  is  the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of
Earth. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences
4. Physical Geography: environment and how space is created, viewed and managed by humans
as well as the influence humans have on the space they occupy. 
5. Human Geography  examines the natural environment and how the climate, vegetation & life,
soil, water, and landforms are produced and interact
6. History  Is the study of the past of human in the world
7. Political Science  Is the study of social arrangement to maintain peace and order within a
society. State, Politics, power, Law, and ideology are components of Political science 
8. Psychology  is the study of the human soul/ mind/ behavior/ personality and how these are
affected by individuals environment
9. Sociology  is the study of human social relationships or social systems or human group
behavior. Sociology is the systematic study of society and human social action.

Theories:
Society has TWO FACES: CONSENSUS and CONFLICT.

Karl Marx - The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles
Emile Durkheim - modern society is held together by a division of labor that makes individuals
dependent upon one another because they specialize in different types of work
Max Weber - an action that a person does not think about cannot be a social action.

CONFLICT THEORY - the role of COERCION and POWER in producing social order. This perspective is
derived from the works of Karl Marx, who saw society as fragmented into groups that compete for
social and economic resources .Inequality exists because those in control of a disproportionate share
of society's resources actively defend their advantages.

CONSENSUS THEORY- states that social change should occur in institutions that are provided by a
political or economic system states that the absence of conflict within society is the state of
equilibrium (a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces, an equal balance between
any powers, influences, etc.; equality of effect.)social order in society should be maintained, based upon
the accepted norms, values, roles or regulations that are accepted by the society in general.
Approaches in Social Sciences

1. Define the Problem-  this one is probably the most important. If you have carefully defined
your terms, you can save an enormous amount of energy. Put simply, if you do not know what
you are doing, no matter how well you do it then everything is useless.
2. Literature Review  knowledge - of the relevant literature is essential because it provides
background, suggests approaches, indicate what has already been covered and what hasn’t,
and saves you from redoing what has already been done. It is a way of using other people’s
observation.
3. Develop a Theoretical Framework-  make a statement predicting your results and them clarify
what each of the terms in the statement means within the framework of your research.
4. Choose a research design-  pick a means of gathering data, a survey, an experiment, an
observational study, secondary materials or a combination. Weigh this choice carefully
because your plan is the crux of your research process.
5. Collecting the necessary data  -Data are what one collects from careful observation. Your
conclusion will be only as good as your data, so take great care in collecting and especially in
recording your data. If you don’t document what you have done, you might as well not have
done it.
6. Drawing conclusions  -Now you can prepare a report, summarizing the steps you have
followed and discussed what you have found. Good findings will relate your conclusions to the
existing body of research, suggest where current assumptions may be modified because of nee
evidence and possibly identify unanswered questions for further study
7. Analyzing the results  -when all data are in classify facts, identify trends, recognize
relationships and tabulate the information so that it can be accurately analyzed and
interpreted. 

Typical Method in Social Science

  The historical method  relies heavily on a study of their (subjects) historical background. It
traces the principal past developments that seem to have been directly significant in bringing
a social situation.
  The case method  involves making a more detailed examination and analysis of a particular
issue or problem situation. 
 The  comparative  and  cross-cultural methods  were formerly often employed in the hope of
discovering the evolutionary sequence in the development of human institutions that is
patterns of social development or progress that would be universal.

Difference Between Theories and Concepts:

 Concepts - a generalized idea about people, objects or processes that are related to one another, an
abstract way of classifying things that are similar.
 They are ways of classifying things that are in the same categories 
Concepts are used to simplify the way people think and communicate. 
 Are used by social scientists to generalize about some aspects of human interaction.
 They are guidelines that direct the interpretation and analysis of reality.
 Concepts are the technical vocabulary of the social sciences, and they have precise meanings that
may differ considerably from the generally understood versions.

Theories - a set of principles or concepts and generalizations so arranged that they explain and predict
possible relationships among phenomena.

 In social science, theories are the formulation of principles of behavior through which scientists try
to increase their knowledge of human interaction.

  Theories - founded on observation and analysis using the vocabulary of concepts -intent to explain
the connections between and among occurrences in human interaction. Without theories, the
accumulation of knowledge would be impossible, just as the formulation of theories would be
impossible without concepts. Always open to change and even to total rejection if new evidence is
presented to challenge them. In scientific terminology, a theory carries much more weight because it
is based on supporting evidence.

Typical Method in Social Science

 The historical method relies heavily on a study of their (subjects) historical background. It traces the
principal past developments that seem to have been directly significant in bringing a social situation.

 The case method involves making a more detailed examination and analysis of a particular issue or
problem situation. 

 The comparative and cross-cultural methods were formerly often employed in the hope of

Assignment :

SEARCH DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION AND EXPLAIN IT!

THANK YOU AND KEEP SAFE ALWAYS!

GOD BLESS US ALL!

PREPARED BY:
MRS. ALONA C. PARAGES