DEFINING SOCIAL SCIENCES AS THE STUDY
OF SOCIETY
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 behaviour.
DIFFERENCE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, NATURAL
SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
Natural Science:
A branch of science that seeks to elucidate the rules that
govern the natural world by using the Empirical and
Scientific method.
Humanities
Are academic disciplines that study the human condition,
using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or
speculative.
 Anthropology is the holistic "science of man," - a
science of the totality of human existence
 Economics is the social science that analyzes the
production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services.
 Geography is the science that studies the lands,
features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.
As "the bridge between the human and physical
sciences
 History is the study of past of human in the world.
 Political Science is the study of social
arrangement to maintain peace and order within
a society.
 Psychology the scientific study of the human
mind and its functions, especially those affecting
behavior in a given context.
 Sociology is the study of human social
relationship or social system or human group
behavior. Sociology is the systematic study of
society and human social action.
 Linguistics is the study of language - how it is put
together and how it functions. Various building
blocks of different types and sizes are combined
to make up a language.
Historical context of the emergence of
ANTHROPOLOGY
 19th C. (Victorian age) idea of social evolution
 Belief that all human societies develop in
one particular direction (from savage to
civilized)
 European societies were believed to
embody “civilized” (according to
Europeans, of course!)
 Technological advances of the Industrial
Revolution and the spread of European
colonialism contributed to this belief
 Europeans believed that “white man’s
burden” was to “civilize the savages”
through colonialism and missionary work
 Britain: Henry Maine (1822-1888)
 Made distinction between status and
contract societies
 Status societies are based on kinship
and myth as operating principles
 Contract societies are based on
individual merit and achievement
 Idea corresponds with later, modern
theories
 Overly simplistic, but still has an impact
on anthropological thinking today
 America: Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-82)
 Published the first ethnography of the
Iroquois
 Outlined an evolutionary scheme that
traced seven stages of societies from
savage to civilized
 Each of the stages was connected to
technological achievement
 Also focused heavily on kinship systems
 His work influenced later philosophers
and social scientists, such as Marx and
Engels
 Tylor (1832-1917) teacher
 influenced Darwin
 Outlined major fields of anthropology still
used today
 Wrote noteworthy definition of culture:
“complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom,
and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of
society”
 Frazer (1854-1941) student
 Focused his work on myth and religion
 Believed thought developed from the
magical via the religious to the scientific
 First person to hold title “Professor of
Anthropology”
FRANZ BOAZ- Cultural relativism is the ability to
understand a culture on its own terms and not to
make judgments using the standards of one’s own
culture. The goal of this is promote understanding of
cultural practices that are not typically part of one’s
own culture.
BRONISLAW MALINOWSKI-Malinowski’s Theory of
Needs to closely related to his perspective
on individual functionalism. Essentially this theory
proclaims that culture exists purely for biological,
psychological, and/or social needs. Malinowski
further defines this theory by noting the necessary
hierarchy of needs and the role of symbolism within
the structure.
A.R. RADCLIFFE-BROWN-Saw the acting individual
as less important, emphasizing instead the social
institutions.All social and cultural institutions are
functional in maintaining overall social structure of a
society.