Disciplines and Ideas

in Social Sciences
Quarter 1
Module 1
Nature and Functions of Social Science Disciplines

Learner’s Packet
1
Disciplines and Ideas in the
Social Sciences

Schools Division Office Management Team: Rosemarie C. Blando, August F. Jamora,

Merle B. Lopez, Elenita Filomena Zenaida R. Miranda

Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences

Quarter 1
Learner’s Material
First Edition, 2020

Published by: Department of Education SDO - Rizal

Schools Division Superintendent: Cherrylou D. Repia
 Week

2
What Need to Know
Social Sciences comparatively are much younger compared to natural
sciences. These are the disciplines that deal with human society, social groups, and
individuals as they relate with their fellowmen and institutions within the society.
Each discipline has its own way of looking at society depending on its focus of
study based on human behavior. A thorough understanding of the origin and
development of each discipline may help you appreciate its importance and
application in your everyday life.
Through this lesson, it is hoped that you will discover the strong points of
each discipline, the major events that constitute and the contributions that lead to
the birth of each social science discipline.
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to meet the following objectives:
MELC 2: Explain the major events and its contributions that led to the emergence
of the Social Sciences disciplines
 Identify the proponents/key personalities in the exploration of each social science
discipline
 Illustrate the historical foundation and social context that led to the emergence of
each discipline

What I Know
Learning Task 1. My Issues
Identify the social science discipline that can resolve or expound the issues listed below.
1. Verifying the WHO report that COVID19 is airborne transmitted.

2. Understanding the concern of parents on Online Distance Learning.

3. Pursuing the Anti-Terrorism Law amidst the time of pandemic.

4. Analyzing the effectiveness of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program or 4Ps to

the targeted Filipino families

5. Understanding the reason why 27.9% of the Filipino population fall below the
poverty line in 2012.

6. The culture of mendicancy and over reliance of Filipinos to government welfare.

7. Gashing the overzealous “pinoy pride”, our pretense that Pinoys are good at
everything is the silliest cliché s.

12
 8. Observing social distancing helps in the combat against COVID19.

9. Discovering the exact place of the “first mass in the Philippines” that happened in
1521.

10. Explaining the alarming frequency of sinkholes that occurred in various parts of
the Philippines just recently.

Learning Task 2. My Stand

Briefly answer the questions
below.
1. What made you choose that particular social science discipline?

2. How can social science discipline expound or resolve the issue at hand?

Learning Task 3. I am on Track

List down at least five career tracks based on the different social science disciplines.
Accomplish the box below.
Discipline Career Track

Anthropology

Economics

Geography

History

Linguistics

Political Science

Sociology

Psychology

Demography
What Is In
Learning Task 4. My Previous Thought
Read the text to review on the last topic.
The domain of the social sciences attempts to explain and predict various
phenomena in nature. There are at least eight disciplines that are mentioned in this
module, e.g. Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political
Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Demography. To reiterate, each discipline has its
own way of looking at society depending on its focus of study based on human
behavior. While the emergence of each discipline happened in different periods of
time, most of them occurred between the periods of 18 th to 19th centuries. Others are
relatively new, while others have long been established by the Greeks, such as
History.
To further enlighten you with the topic at hand, do the task below.
Learning Task 5. Trace the Roots
Give the etymology of the different Social Science disciplines and their meaning.
You may refer to a dictionary or any references of your choice online.
1. socius

2. polis

3. linguistique

4. Anthropos

5. oikanomia

6. istoria

7. geo

8. psyche
What Is New
Learning Task 6. My Network
Study the picture. How can you relate the image to Social Sciences especially nowadays that
technology seems to be indispensable? In three to five sentences, what do you think the
picture depicts?

https://viterbischool.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/COSINE.jpg

I think the picture depicts

What is it
Learning Task 7. Read Me
Read thoroughly the text below.
There are eight disciplines in the Social Sciences that you will be familiarized with as you go
through the discussion. Be able to note details of the important events that gave way to the
emergence of each discipline including its proponent/pioneer and their contributions to the
field.
 Anthropology - Its roots can be traced from natural history which is the study of
plants, animals and humans with reference to their history and native environment.
The discovery and contact to new civilizations by European explorers and
colonizers led to curiosity and questions of who these people are, who their
ancestors were, how they are related to other people in other places, what makes
them distinct, what similarities they share with the rest, how they conduct their way
of life, and what culture they have in terms of knowledge they possess, their beliefs,
technology that they have, etc. It was only in the 19 th century that the discipline
began its formative years as a social science, though since the ancient times, there
were already many illustrations, chronicles and travelogues containing descriptions
of human culture and civilizations.

Edward Burnett Taylor (1832-1917)

He is an English Cultural Anthropologist and the first one
to hold the chair in the subject at Oxford University in the
UK in 1896. He coined the term “culture” and wrote
“Researches into the Early History of Mankind and the
Development of Civilization” which was published in 1865

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.n9KJbyN_vFbwSaP1SI03rAHaIi&pid=Api&rs=
1&c=1&qlt=95&w=105&h=121 (image)

Economics - It was not considered a separate discipline until the 19 th century. The
Greeks examined wealth accumulation and inquiries on whether property should be
in the hands of private or public institutions. During the medieval times, scholars
argued that it was a moral obligation of businesses to sell goods at a just price.
Economic thought evolved through feudalism in the Middle Ages to mercantilist
theory in the Renaissance, when people were concerned to orient policy to further the
national interest. Changes in the economic thought have always accompanied
changes in the economy, just as the changes in economic thought can propel change
in economic policy.

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

Adam Smith was an 18th-century Scottish economist,
philosopher, and author who is considered the father of
modern economics. Smith argued against mercantilism and
was a major proponent of laissez-faire economic policies.
In his first book, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments," Smith
proposed the idea of an invisible hand—the tendency of
free markets to regulate themselves by means of
competition, supply and demand, and self-interest.
Smith is also known for creating the concept of gross domestic product (GDP) and
for his theory of compensating wage differentials. 2 According to this theory,
dangerous or undesirable jobs tend to pay higher wages as a way of attracting
workers to these positions.3 Smith's most notable contribution to the field of
economics was his 1776 book, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth
of Nations."
1 https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.di_t4-

efpg7HYQPA8TLg4gAAAA&pid=Api&rs=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=122&h=122(image)
https://www.investopedia.com/updates/adam-smith-economics/
By RAKESH SHARMA Updated Feb 16, 2020

Geography - It is an ancient and honorable field of learning with its roots firmly set
in classical antiquity. People engaged in the study of geography because it satisfies
their natural curiosity about foreign places and the different ways of life. The
ancient Greeks made the first contribution to the subject through measuring the
earth using grids and meridians.
Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276 BCE–192 or 194 BCE) was an ancient Greek
mathematician, poet, and astronomer who is known as the father of geography.
Eratosthenes was the first person to use the word
"geography" and other geographical terms that are still in
use today, and his efforts to calculate the circumference
of the Earth and the distance from the Earth to the Sun
paved the way for our modern understanding of the
cosmos. Among his other many accomplishments were
the creation of the first map of the world and the
invention of an algorithm known as the sieve of
Eratosthenes, which is used to identify prime numbers.
https://www.thoughtco.com/eratosthenes-biography-1435011 By Matt Rosenberg
Updated July 03, 2019

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Fj_hCILjgIWG_S5H69X80gHaEK&pid=Api&rs=
1&c=1&qlt=95&w=160&h=90 (image)
History - Influences of ancient Greeks have helped spawn variant interpretations of
the nature of history which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change
today. The groundwork for professional historiography in East Asia was established
by the Han dynasty. Through the Medieval and Renaissance period, History was
often studied through a sacred or religious perspective. In the West, historians
developed modern methods of historiography in the 17 th and 18th centuries, especially
in France and Germany. In the 20th century, academic historians focused less on
epic nationalistic narratives, which often tended to glorify the nation or great men, to
more objective and complex analyses of social and intellectual forces. Recently, the
filed of digital history has begun to address ways of using computer technology to
pose new questions to historical data and generate digital scholarships.
Herodotus was a Greek writer and geographer credited with being the first
historian. Sometime around the year 425 B.C., Herodotus published his
magnum opus: a long account of the Greco-Persian Wars that he called “The
Histories.” (The Greek word “historie” means “inquiry.”) Before Herodotus,
no writer had ever made such a systematic, thorough
study of the past or tried to explain the cause-and-effect
of its events. After Herodotus, historical analysis
became an indispensable part of intellectual and
political life. Scholars have been following in Herodotus’
footsteps for 2,500 years.
https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/herodotus
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.7C22WCcmNiaezNkqVrRMBQHaJQ&pid=Api&
rs=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=85&h=106 (image)
Linguistics – It was the Babylon who first created linguistics texts called Sumerian
whereas the Hindus also created text called Vedas. The formal study of language
begun in India and it started with the formulation of 3,959 rules of Sanskrit
morphology. Early interest in language in the West was a part of Philosophy, not
grammatical description.

Ferdinand de Saussure, (born Nov. 26, 1857, Geneva, Switz.

— died Feb. 22, 1913, Vufflens-le-Châ teau),
Swiss linguist whose ideas on structure in language laid the
foundation for much of the approach to and progress of
the linguistic sciences in the 20th century.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-de-
Saussure
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Oi6HKnpZRaY8byncKcO4PQHaKD&pid=Api&
rs=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=89&h=121 (image)

Political Science – It was once part of the many related fields of study like history,
philosophy, law and economics. The theoretical and practical study of the state and
the politics began way back to the time of the ancient Greeks, about 500-300 B.C.
During the ancient times, men had formed basic social linkages, inherently
persuaded by the needs to associate themselves to protect their survival and
interests. Families came to organize collective unions from simple bands to more
organized associations forming a village whose membership span to more than a
hundred that in the process ushered the birth of a city. The chieftain who headed a
village was chosen from the ranks of leaders with the power to make laws, judge
and execute laws. Eventually, the chiefdom became a state.
Aristotle, Greek Aristoteles, (born 384 BCE,
Stagira, Chalcidice, Greece—died 322, Chalcis, Euboea)
Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, one of the
greatest intellectual figures of Western history. He was the
author of a philosophical and scientific system that became the
framework and vehicle for both
Christian Scholasticism and medieval Islamic philosophy. Even after the intellectual
revolutions of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment,
Aristotelian concepts remained embedded in Western thinking.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristotle https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?
id=OIP.8bbnpajXw19XeSHKn7iwmgHaHa&pid=Api&r
s=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=98&h=98 (image)

Psychology – It has its first roots in ancient Greek philosophy such as epistemology,
metaphysics, religion and oriental philosophy. Its seeds were sown from natural
sciences such as biology and physiology. Over the centuries, psychology and
physiology became increasingly separated resulting to the two conceptions of
psychology that is phenomenological (experiential) and mechanistic (physiological).
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
Wilhelm Wundt was a 19th century psychologist who established the discipline
of experimental psychology and is considered to be one of the fathers of
psychology.
Wilhelm Wundt was born in Baden, Germany on August 16, 1832, to a Lutheran
minister and his wife. Wundt studied medicine at the
University of Tubingen for one year, but his academic
performance was poor. Wundt continued studying at
the University of Berlin after graduation.
In 1857, Wundt accepted a position as a lecturer at the
University of Heidelberg, where he also worked as a
lab assistant to Hermann Helmholtz, a physiologist.
Wundt taught the first scientific psychology course
beginning in 1862. That same year, he introduced the discipline of experimental
psychology in the book Contributions to the Theory of Sensory Perception. In 1864,
Wundt advanced to assistant professor of physiology, and he began to
explore neuropsychology.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/wilhelm-wundt.html
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.c2uDvbkxu9qA0WFd7lpLugHaGL&pid=Api&rs
=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=136&h=113 (image)
 Sociology and Demography - The intellectual, scientific and industrial revolution
which happened in Europe in the middle of the 19th century led to the development
of Sociology. The intellectual revolution opened new perspectives in society which
offered the people new principles, ideals and beliefs, changing their outlook in life
and the way they perceive themselves, their environment and relations with
fellowmen. The scientific revolution empowered men to overcome their natural
limitations and improve society. The industrial revolution led rapid progress and
economic stimulus. The revolutions in Europe brought rapid and radical changes
which resulted to social problems, issues and social unrest prompting some
individuals to direct their attention and investigation of social phenomena.
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
A French sociologist who advocated the application of scientific
method to social life and positivism. He was the one who coined
the term “sociology” and wrote the “Cours de Philosophie Positive”
published from 1830-1842 in six volumes

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.pMEAxQCmGrTYSPEo5Sj_TgHaJe&pid=Api&r
s=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=87&h=111 (image)

What Is More
Let us also take note of some Filipinos who have contributed significantly in the different
Social Science disciplines in the Philippines.
Learning Task 8. Say My Name
Identify the Filipino personalities and their contribution to the social sciences. Tell
something about them based on the choices given below. You may write your answer on
the line provided for.

A. Felipe Landa Jocano (1930-2013)

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.uvxPqCVQfQU9V233LiAuQQAAAA&pid=Api&rs=1&
c=1&qlt=95&w=67&h=107
 B. Teodoro Agoncillo (1912 – 1985)

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.ZeH23kZtqSiSXmRcXhzHiAAAAA&pid=Api&rs=1&c
=1&qlt=95&w=95&h=115

C. Renato Constantino (1919-1999)

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.cjT22xwZTV9sFAe0VpO7OgHaJb&pid=Api&rs=1&c
=1&qlt=95&w=86&h=110

D. Zeus A. Salazar (1934- 1985)

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP._CWM1ASBRVO0I6Px4eRM2AHaFj&pid=Api&rs=1
&c=1&qlt=95&w=166&h=124

E. Virgilio Enriquez (1942- 1994)

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.TSnVl6WJ2TLNkmPnNmSZ_AAAAA&pid=Api&rs=1
&c=1&qlt=95&w=119&h=119
Choices:
1. A noted Filipino psychologist known for his work on kapuwa. He was known as the
“Father of Filipino Psychology”
2. A prominent Filipino historian known for his “Pantayong Pananaw”
3. An influential Filipino historian who advocated a greater role of the masses in
history
4. A prominent Filipino historian named “National Scientist of the Philippines” in 1985
5. He was dubbed as “the country’s first and foremost cultural anthropologist”
Learning Task 9. My Term
Read thoroughly the statements below. Then choose from the word pool below the
appropriate term that corresponds to them.
1. A description of society’s customary behaviors, beliefs and attitudes.
2. Objects or materials made or modified for use by hominids.
3. The period in the past before people could write.
4. The customary ways of thinking and behaving of a population or society
5. The difference in value between a country’s imports and exports over
a certain period.
6. The official process of counting the number of people in a country,
city, or town.
7. The movement of people from one country or place to another in order
to live or work.
8. Any of a family of erect bipedal primate mammals that includes recent
humans
9. The behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated
with one sex
10. The hardened remains or impressions of plants and animals that
lived in the past.

a. Census b. artifactc. ethnography d. fossil e. hominidf. prehistory

g. migration h. balance of trade i. culturej. gender

What I Have Learned

Learning Task 10. I Rate Myself
Self Assessment. Rate your mastery of the topic for this week. You may put a check mark
on the appropriate heading/column. The last column requires you to answer why you
have rated yourself based on the given rating performance.
 Poor Average Excellent

I can identify
personalities who
have contributed to
the Social Sciences

I can discuss each

discipline well

I can illustrate and

explain the
historical
foundation and
social context that
led to the
emergence of each
discipline

WHY?
Learning Task 11. The Iron Grid
Complete the grid below. Fill out each heading with the correct answer.
Proponent/Pioneer Discipline Work/s Significant event/s
Auguste Comte

Geography

Principles of
Physiological
Psychology

The theoretical and practical study of the

state and the politics began way back to the
time of the ancient Greeks, about 500-300
BC

Ferdinand de
Saussure
History

Prepared the
earliest maps of the
known world

It was not considered a separate

discipline until the 19th century

Edward Burnett
Taylor

Learning Task 12. What Am I

Identify which discipline or disciplines may meet the following objectives:
1. To accumulate certain and definite knowledge about the
rise and fall of civilizations in the past.
2. To discover how humans have physically changed or
evolved in the past.
3. To systematically organize written accounts or narrative
of facts in the past in order to discover meaningful relationships with others.
4. To fully understand the mechanisms behind the human
language.
5. To learn more about the thoughts and attitudes of an
individual.
Learning Task 13. Tell Me
Answer the question comprehensively.
1. Why do you have to study Anthropology? Do you agree that anthropology can be considered
as the fundamental discipline concerned with humans? Justify your answer.

What I Can Do
Learning Task 14. My Search
Write a single page essay on the topic, “ If I become a social scientist, I would…”,
highlighting your passion to a particular discipline and your probable contribution in
enriching the field of study in the future. You may want to do a simple research on the
lives of people who have contributed much in a certain field to have an idea on their
motivation and outlook in life.
You will be graded based on this rubric.
Criteria Description Points Points
Gained
Content The content was very clear. There was a clear 8
basis to prove and validate the claims
Analysis The student was able to convey his/her own 8
analysis of a discipline as supported by
factual information
Organization The essay was well-organized. It highlighted 4
the student’s passion and possible
contribution to the field of study.

Total 20

Assessment
Learning Task 15. On My Own
A. Create a timeline showing the major historical events and social context in the
emergence of the social science disciplines.
B. Be able to discuss what and how these events contributed to the emergence of each
discipline. You may include the personalities involved and their contribution.