Course Code: SOC SCI 1

Course Description: SOCIAL SCIENCES & SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Term: 1 Semester, School Year 2020-2021 Brgy. Datag, Malilipot, Albay

TOPIC 7: THE MEANING OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

OBJECTIVES

At the of this module, you will be able to;

1. Define social sciences
2. Elaborate and discuss the areas and disciplines in social sciences
3. Discuss the importance of social sciences
1. Describe the different types of Philosophical Theory.
Social Sciences use the same philosophy that guided the development of the Natural Sciences.
“Positivism”, a philosophy developed in Europe about a century before the Industrial Revolution, shaped
scientific tradition through the 19th century and beyond. It traces its root in the ideas put forward by philosophies
during the Enlightenment – an important intellectual movement during the late 17 th to the late 18th century. It
calls for a commitment to objectivity and focuses on applying the laws of nature to a model of society.
Positivism believes that scientific thought is superior knowledge than superstition and religion, and it is
achieved through an objective and empirical analysis of a phenomenon.

“Positivism” comes from the French word “postivisme” which is derived from the root positif, and denotes that
something is arbitrarily imposed on the mind by sensory experience. This philosophy came to be associated with the
scientific method.

SOCIAL SCIENCE is a body of knowledge characterized by an objective to understand what society

is and what does it does to people living inside it. This is a group of rather than independent disciplines-with its
own respective philosophies, intellectual histories and research methodologies-but is fundamentally bound
together because they deal after all with the same entity that is called “society”. Hence the word “social” situates
the whole discipline in people and their social context. Whenever there are people and matters or issues that
affect them, social comes to the fore.

SOCIAL SCIENCES is the study of human behaviour towards society, culture and interaction.
What is Social?
Social means relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the
welfare of human beings as members of the society
What is Science?
An organized body of knowledge or discipline that employs the scientific method
What is Scientific Method?
A method of explanation that develops and tests theories about how observable facts or events
are related

Areas of Social Sciences

A. SOCIOLOGY – From the Greek word, “socius” (people together, associate), “logos” (study of). It is
the scientific study of patterns of human interaction that deals with the study of group life. It is the
science of society and social interaction (social arts, social relationship, social organization, social
structures and social processes)
B. ANTHROPOLOGY - From the Greek words “Anthropos” which means “man” & “logos” which
means science or study of. Anthropology is the scientific study of man and their ways of life. Areas
include; physical anthropology, socio-cultural, archaeology, Linguistics and communication.

MidTerm (November 5, 2021) Topic 7 : Nature of Social Sciences

Course Code: SOC SCI 1
Course Description: SOCIAL SCIENCES & SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Term: 1 Semester, School Year 2020-2021 Brgy. Datag, Malilipot, Albay

Areas of Anthropology
1. Physical or Biological Anthropology - Concerned with evolution of species, racial classifications
and differentiation. Relates biology and culture.
2. Socio-Cultural Anthropology - Deals with the study of culture
Includes the study of technology or material culture, economic, community, organization, clans,
family life, religion, arts and other cultural behavior
3. Archaeology - Study of physical and cultural characteristics of people and societies that existed
prior to recorded history. The goal of archaeology is to understand what people of the past were
like and how they lived
4. Linguistics - Systematic study of recorded and unrecorded languages all over the world. It deals
with the relationship between language and culture and how culture affects language and culture
and vice versa
5. Linguistics and communication - Systematic study of recorded and unrecorded languages all over
the world. It\ deals with the relationship between language and culture and how culture affects
language and culture and vice versa.
C. ECONOMY – From the word “economy” (household management). Study of Economy or part of
society that creates wealth. Wealth is not just money. Wealth comes from the production of goods and
services.
D. POLITICAL SCIENCE – From the word “politika”, “polis” (affairs of the cities). Study of
government and politics (laws). It helps to keep order and provides services for its people.
E. PSYCHOLOGY – “ Psyche” (mind), “logos”(study) . Study of human behavior and mental processes.
It studies how people feel, think and behave and to understand the reasons behind people’s actions
F. HISTORY – “Histoire” (recorded and documented events). Study of the past
It helps make sense humankind. It also helps people understand the things that happen today and that
may happen in the future
G. RELIGION - Study of the worship of a god or gods or some other type of supernatural being. They
help their followers to find meaning in the world.
H. DEMOGRAPHY – “Demos” (people), “graphein” (description). It deals with population as a unit of
analysis. Demographic processes such as birth migration and aging are investigated because they impact
on how society changes across period of time.
I. GEOGRAPHY – “Geo” (Earth), “graphein” (description). It insist that environment or the location of
the people- a condition that exist outside of people – that ultimately conditions the way people will
behave in society. The proximity to certain geographic locations determines the kind of society that will
formed or created over a period of time.

Importance of Social Sciences (According to ASIAN SCHOOL)

1. It gives knowledge about civilization and culture.
2. It provides knowledge of social development.
3. It develops social behavior.
4. It develops civil qualities.
5. It develops the power of thinking and reasoning.
6. It develops the feeling of universal brotherhood.
7. It develops modernization.
8. It develops suitable proficiency and good habits.
9. It develops the moral and social values.
10. It develops the all-round personality

Why social science faces special challenges? *The trouble with people

MidTerm (November 5, 2021) Topic 7 : Nature of Social Sciences

Course Code: SOC SCI 1
Course Description: SOCIAL SCIENCES & SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Term: 1 Semester, School Year 2020-2021 Brgy. Datag, Malilipot, Albay

People are hard to study because:

 They don’t simply react to your stimulus
 They try to guess what you’re doing and anticipate what your goal is
 They may intentionally help or hinder your goal (as they see it)
 They are affected by a wide range of things in their environment
 You can’t control all the things that might affect your subjects
 They are complicated
 They are emotional
 They forget
 They change over time
 Individuals are very different
 They can be uncooperative

MidTerm (November 5, 2021) Topic 7 : Nature of Social Sciences

Course Code: SOC SCI 1
Course Description: SOCIAL SCIENCES & SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Term: 1 Semester, School Year 2020-2021 Brgy. Datag, Malilipot, Albay

ACTIVITY 6: MY PHILOSOPHY & MY COMMUNITY

Name:____________________________________ Course/Year/Block:__________ Class Sched:_________

Study Guide
1. What is the main emphasis in the study of Social Sciences?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. How do Social Sciences differ from philosophy?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why does social science considered science?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Discuss the relevance of studying Social Sciences to you as;
4.1 Student taking BSBA course
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4.2 Affected by COVID-19 Crisis and the recent consecutive typhoons
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4.3 As a Bicolano
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

MidTerm (November 5, 2021) Topic 7 : Nature of Social Sciences

Course Code: SOC SCI 1
Course Description: SOCIAL SCIENCES & SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Term: 1 Semester, School Year 2020-2021 Brgy. Datag, Malilipot, Albay

MidTerm (November 5, 2021) Topic 7 : Nature of Social Sciences