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Q3 DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
W1 EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
DAY 1 DISCIPLINES OR BRANCHES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
What is Social Science?
Social Science is a vast discipline that aims to discover human society and its
different constructs and their connection with human relationships. At the
same time, it also carries out extensive studies about how people tend to
organize, behave and affect change in the world surrounding them. It tries
to reveal underlying social issues that closely form our experiences, which
subsequently can clarify a great deal about the functioning of our society. It
lies purely within its realm to explain, for instance, the different reasons
that contribute to the steep rise in the unemployment graph. It is a fulcrum
of the very philosophy according to which governments function and
formulate policies.
Understanding Social Sciences
Social sciences help to explain how society works, exploring everything from
the triggers of economic growth and causes of unemployment to what
makes people happy. This information is vital and can be used for many
purposes. Among other things, it helps to shape corporate strategies and
government policies.
Social science as a field of study is separate from the natural sciences, which
cover topics such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Social science examines
the relationships between individuals and societies, as well as the
development and operation of societies, rather than studying the physical
world. These academic disciplines rely more heavily on interpretation and
qualitative research methodologies.
History is also sometimes regarded as social science, although many
historians often consider the subject to share closer links to the humanities.
Both humanities and social sciences study human beings. What separates
them is a technique: humanities are viewed as more philosophical and less
scientific. Law, too, has some ties to social sciences, as does geography.
Anthropology
One of the significant academic branches of Social Sciences, Anthropology
encompasses the study of different aspects of the human condition and
delves deep into a societies’ cultural moorings, and how over the years
culture has shaped human behavior. Furthermore, a student will learn the
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relationship between social hierarchy, its structure vis-a-vis evolution, and
how individuals are just another product of the whole historical process.
The primary purpose of this subject is to come to terms with our origin, and
comprehend what makes each of us a different being. Anthropology has
various subfields, like, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, etc.
Archaeology
To put it more simply, Archaeology encompasses the study of the material
culture, i.e. the remains of past human life and associated activities from
the specific past by collecting its residual remains, found during the
excavation process and involves a subsequent analysis of these recent or
prehistoric materials. As a student, you will explore primitive cultures and
extinct societies. Being one of the most popular branches of social sciences,
research in Archaeology involves building a comprehensive understanding
of the evolutionary origins, for example, the examination of nomadic people
and also learning about the past culture and their art forms. It also entails
the tiring but interesting work of going on field trips. The course aims to
inculcate critical perspectives in students about the cultural influences of
the past about the present.
Criminology
Many describe working as criminologists as exciting, unpredictable and
interesting. What they often fail to say is that it’s an occupation that
requires an individual to be a detail-oriented, logical thinker and have the
ability to look at the big picture. Criminologists may do some of their studies
and research alone, but spend a great deal of time working with law
enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level. They may spend
part of their day in an office studying certain behavioral patterns of a
criminal or maybe out in the field helping to investigate a crime and

searching for evidence. Criminologists may also go to crime scenes, question
witnesses, or attend autopsies. Their basic duties include:
 Conducting Research
 Developing Theories
 Investigating Crime Scenes
 Composing Reports
Economics
Often termed as the study of
choices and optimum utilization of
scarce resources, Economics
emphasizes understanding the way
people spend and utilize their available resources to satisfy their increasing
demands. Economics is all about the distribution, production and
consumption of resources. You will learn about markets, prices of products
and factors that come into play to determine the monetary value, stock
trades, working of financial institutions like banks, trade relations between
countries and how the global economy works and much more. The students
gain skills to implement their theoretical as well as mathematical knowledge
in a more practical way and build habits to study deeply about the current
economic affairs of the world. In terms of its scope, it is one of the
important branches of social sciences.
Geography
While the basic meaning of Geography is often associated with maps, its
scope lies beyond that. Geography is one of the fundamental branches of
social sciences as it studies lands, their salient features, crucial phenomena
that impact the earth along with the human population and the relationship
between the study of land and the human population. It brings a unique
crossover of many disciplines like Geology, Environmental Science,
Population Studies, Oceanology, Earth Sciences and more!
History
There is nothing more complex and broader for research than the study of
History. It straddles into different territories of time and explores every
aspect of it, trying to reconstruct the past for understanding of the present
through various resources available. While exploring the branches of social
sciences, History is an appealing one for those inclined towards the study of
renowned historical events and as you reach higher levels of study, you’ll be
presented with opportunities to specialize in your area of interest. You’ll
learn different methodologies, applications, and instruments that you can
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use to extract historical information and make your interpretations
accordingly. You can work as an independent historian and make
perspectives about the past of a region by critically sifting through the
information.
Linguistics
As the branches of social sciences analyze the relationship of human beings
with society, Linguistics is an indispensable area of study amongst these
disciplines as it peruses upon how a language is formed, its main origins as
well as evolution. It explores the roots of every language, be it official ones
or local dialects and indigenous languages and understands their role in
defining the culture and traditions of a specific society.
Political Science
As human civilization discerned the role of government for the smooth
functioning of every society, Political Science emerged as a significant field
of study focusing on different systems of governance as well as political
ideas and discourse. This area of study is even more prominent in the
contemporary era where every country has its style of governance and
Political Science will help you gain a quintessential perspective of politics
and governance at the local, national and international levels!
Psychology
Another vast area of study amongst the branches of social science,
Psychology investigates deeper into the
science of mind and human behavior. It is a
unique amalgam of both theory and
experiments and is an intriguing discipline for
those inclined towards the intricate human
mind and its multifarious aspects. There are
numerous branches of Psychology itself
ranging from Child Psychology to Social
Psychology, Industrial Psychology,
Depression Counselling, Psychotherapy and
much more!
Sociology
Concerned with the study of society in the individualistic as well as
structural context, Sociology is somewhat of a similar specialization to Social
Sciences but skims down its essential focus on different societies, their
origins and evolution since ancient times. As one of the popular branches of
Social Sciences, it covers societal constructs like religion, class, caste as well

as social mobility, to name a few and further studies the role of an
individual in society at different levels and in terms of varied aspects. i
History of Social Sciences
The origins of social sciences can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. The
lives they led, and their early studies into human nature, the state, and
mortality, helped to shape Western civilization.
Social science as an academic field of study developed out of the Age of
Enlightenment (or the Age of Reason), which flourished through much of
the 18th century in Europe. Adam Smith, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
Denis Diderot, Immanuel Kant, and David Hume were among the big
intellectuals at the time who laid the foundations for the study of social
sciences in the Western World.
Individuals began to take a more disciplined approach to quantify their
observations of society, and over time, similar aspects of society, such as
linguistics and psychology, were separated into unique fields of study.
ACTIVITY 1
1. What is social science?
2. What is the difference between social science and natural science?
3. Explain the difference between each branch.
4. Among these branches, which do you see yourself pursuing? Why?
5. Explain: Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science.
DAY 2: BENEFITS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
1. Social scientists help us imagine alternative futures.
Social science can open up debate and give us a say in shaping our collective
future. The social sciences developed as a field of study during the
nineteenth century. Social science helped people understand the
consequences and application of the new technologies of the age, such as
steam power.
The growth of railways and factories not only transformed the economy and
the world of work but also changed forever the way people organized their
family lives and leisure. Today nanotechnology and advances in medical
research will have a significant impact on the way we live.
They present us with a bewildering range of ethical, legal, and social issues.
But it isn’t enough to rely on the scientists. We also need social scientists to
analyze and criticize what’s going on. That way we will make informed
choices that shape the future.
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2. Social science can help us make sense of our finances.
Social science is not just important for the future but for what’s happening
now. We all resent paying to withdraw our money from cash machines.
Charges can accumulate per year. Social scientists found that this doesn’t
just depend on where we live, but that minority ethnic people are more
likely to live in areas where they’re forced to pay.
This put pressure on banks to ensure we all have access to machines that
don’t charge. A range of social scientists – not just economists but also
psychologists, sociologists, and political scientists, for example ‐ can help us
understand the economic crisis and weigh up decisions we make for
ourselves and those which governments make on our behalf. Without this
kind of analysis, we may feel like pawns in a global game of chess.
With the knowledge and understanding that social science offers us, we will
feel empowered to act for ourselves and to influence decisions being made
on our behalf.
3. Social scientists contribute to our health and well‐being.
From sports sociologists to public health experts,
from those interpreting medical statistics to those
evaluating policies for our care in old age, social
scientists are working hard to make sure that our
health, leisure, and social care services work to the
best effect.
Social geographers, for example, have shown that
those of us who do not follow eating advice are not simply weak‐willed or
ignorant. Our eating habits are influenced by a whole range of
circumstances. Some unhealthy choices may seem rational: if the person
doing the shopping knows that others will simply not eat the healthy option
and it will just go to waste, they may simply not buy it.
So, it’s no good just giving people a booklet on healthy eating. Effective
nutritional advice needs to be tailored to people’s everyday lives and
contexts.
4. Social science might save your life.
Some psychologists spent time in a steel factory to work out what needs
doing to create a safer environment. Accidents at work happen even in the
best-regulated companies that provide staff training and take all necessary
precautions.
A top‐down enforced safety regime simply doesn’t work. It’s when people

see unsafe work practices as unacceptable and take decisions as teams that
workplaces become safer. Employers need to see people as individuals who
take their lead from those with whom they identify. These principles have
also been shown to work in crowd control.
When those responsible for crowd management are trained in techniques
that take this into account, there’s virtually no trouble.
5. Social science can make your neighborhood safer.
One common myth is that if you take measures to reduce crime in one
neighborhood the criminals simply move on, leading to increased crime in
another area. Sociologists worked closely with police to reduce crime
through a method involving scanning for crime patterns.
They were able to identify patterns that regular police work had not picked
up, so avoiding guesswork and lost time. A technique called situational
crime prevention developed by the same team is now regularly used by the
police, working with the public and private sectors to prevent crime.
Together they make things more difficult for would‐be criminals.
For example, in one area there was a serious problem of lead being stolen
from community building roofs. By working with dealers in the scrap metal
market, and persuading them to keep records, it then became too risky to
buy what might be stolen lead.
6. We need social scientists as public intellectuals.
In our fast-changing world, there is a place for the social scientist as a public
intellectual. Social scientists must make their work interesting and engaging
to the rest of us.
They need to explain not only why social science is relevant but do it
compellingly. Then we will want to listen, read and find out more. Perhaps
more social scientists will have to become active listeners, talking more
often to the public, each other and to scientists.
Then we can get all the disciplines around the table together. In a
knowledge‐based world, we need people who can integrate a variety of
different types of knowledge, and that come from different intellectual
roots and from a range of institutions to work together.
7. Social science can improve our children’s lives and education.
All societies and all governments want to show they are doing the best for
children. Yet too often education reform seems to take place without regard
for the best interests of the learners. Education research shows that many
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parents, particularly parents of younger children, are more concerned that
their children enjoy school than that they are academic stars.
By working with students of all ages to understand their perspectives on
schooling, researchers have discovered new
insights into what makes effective schools,
and what makes for effective school
leadership.
We just need to listen to children, provide
structured opportunities for them to give
their views, and prepare adults to listen.
8. Social science can change the world for
the better.
We can generally agree that the world needs
to be a safer place where all people can enjoy basic dignity and human
rights. This is the case even when we can’t always agree on what we should
do to make this happen. Social scientists working in interdisciplinary teams
have made their mark in the area of human welfare and development.
They are concerned with the social and economic advancement of humanity
at large. They work with government institutions, UN organizations, social
services, funding agencies, and the media.
They are influencing the work of strategists, planners, teachers, and
program officers in developing and growing economies, like India, to
influence development so that it impacts the lives of the poorest members
of society. For example, social scientists are cooperating to explore the
impact of legislation to guarantee minimum wages for rural unskilled
manual laborers on the love of women.
They found the new law provided opportunities for some women to
become wage earners where none had existed before, reducing the risk of
hunger and the chances of avoiding hazardous work. But they also identified
barriers to women benefitting from the changes, including harassment at
the worksite.
Those working in development studies are then able to support women’s
ability to benefit by looking for creative solutions to such problems.
9. Social science can broaden your horizons.
For debates about feminism, peace, ecology, social movements, and much
more, social science offers each of us new perspectives and new ways of
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understanding. Whether your idea of relaxation is visiting a museum, What Is Social Studies?
watching soaps, or chatting online, social science encourages a fresh look at Social studies can also be referred to as social sciences. It’s a field that deals
our everyday activities and culture. with human behavior, relationships, resources, and institutions.
Social scientists are making an impact on museums across the world, to Aim And Purpose Of Social Studies
make them more inclusive, abler to challenge prejudices, inspire learning The main goal of teaching social studies is to teach students to become
and be more relevant in contemporary society. good citizens. We are living in a diverse society — one that requires
knowledge of social studies to
One example is their work to involve local communities and international
succeed. With a social studies
visitors alike in engaging with exhibitions on a range of social justice issues
background, children become adults
through programs including art workshops and residencies.
that can participate civilly in our
10. We need social science to guarantee our democracy. democratic society.
Social science offers multiple perspectives on society, informs social policy,
SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE 21ST
and supports us in holding our politicians and our media to account.
CENTURY
Social scientists are monitoring how the transformation from traditional to Social studies connect students with
digital media is examining the move away from traditional journalism and the real world. In today’s
politics to where we as citizens try to be community journalists, presenting interconnected world, students must
our accounts online. The work brings together specialists in media and be prepared to interact with people
communications, sociology, and politics. of all cultures and communities, and
Individual citizens may feel empowered by this but there are risks in turning social studies prepare them for this.
away from traditional journalism, including fewer opportunities for in‐depth The Importance Of Social Studies In The School Curriculum
analysis and critique of powerful interests. This work by social scientists is All children who go through the school curriculum become something when
critical in protecting a modern and transparent democracy. Just think about they graduate. And no matter what that something is, they will need to
what might happen without it!ii interact with others from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
ACTIVITY 2 Students must study how society works, and how people work in a society
1. Why did you choose Humanities & Social Science (HUMSS) strand? for it all to work once they enter society after graduation.
2. For each benefit mentioned, replace the word “social science” with Eight Reasons: Why Is Social Studies Important For Students?
your name and complete the sentence. Then explain how or what Students learn skills through social studies that help them succeed in further
action you are willing to do? education as well as life. Here are all the amazing ways learning social
For example: studies benefits students and society together:
1. Marco will help you imagine the alternative futures. How? I will do
1. Better Reading And Learning
debates, I will study, present, analyze, and critic to help people
Social studies are one area in education where content integration is key.
understand the concerns of new technologies.
Students are given reading material that corresponds with the current
DAY 3: IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL STUDIES learning topics. Giving reading materials in context helps students become
better readers. They also become better learners because they are asked to
“The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make
use analysis, critical thinking, and writing to show understanding.
informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a
culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” 2. Citizen Responsibilities And Values
How can we expect young people to contribute positively to society, engage
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in discourse, and thrive in a democratic society if they are not exposed to
the topics and aspects of history and life that made society the way it is?
Students need an understanding of history, political science, culture, and all
humanities to be able to understand why it is important to be a good
citizen.
3. Cultural Understanding
Students should be exposed
to cultures far beyond what
they experience personally
every day. Not every student
has the opportunity to
interact with other cultures
daily. We need students to learn about, understand, and appreciate cultural
differences if we expect them to have meaningful interactions with people
of all backgrounds in the future.
4. Economic Education
Economics is a crucial part of social studies, whether studied on its own, or
as a part of history, anthropology, or political science. By learning
economics, young people understand how their financial decisions have an
impact on their future, as well as the future of society.
5. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a part of social studies — students are taught to evaluate
decisions (theirs and others) and make connections between influences and
circumstances. Young people get the opportunity to learn from mistakes
through social sciences.
6. Real-World Understanding
Studying social sciences gives students an understanding of the real world
around them. Students learn about places, cultures, and events around the
world, what conspired to make them the way they are, and can make
conclusions about how the rest of the world works.
7. Political Skills
From social studies classes, students learn about government, political
ideas, country economy and resources, and more. Students gain political
skills by analyzing and evaluating existing systems and imaging the future of
the place in which they live.
8. Respect History
History is what made the world the way it is, and people must study it to
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have an appreciation for and understanding of the way the world works.
Learning about history is what makes it possible to learn from the past and
plan for the future.
Making Sense of the World: Social Studies for Young Students
One of the reasons for teaching young people social studies is for them to
be able to participate civilly in a democratic society. Students start as early
as kindergarten to understand the world around them, and schools should
follow suit and start teaching social studies concepts such as
communication, critical thinking, and culture as early as possible.
Qualities of Purposeful Social Studies
1. Meaningful
Social studies should be meaningful to students. Teachers should embrace
the natural interests of students and plan topics around those interests.
2. Integrative
Integrating all aspects of life is key to a successful social studies curriculum.
Not only should current events and other classes be integrated, but also
aspects of daily life as well. Every moment is a teachable moment.
3. Value-Based
Key values of democracy are opportunity, equality, justice, and freedom of
speech. These values should be echoed throughout all parts of social
studies.
4. Challenging
Teachers can challenge children in social studies classes in ways they aren’t
or can’t be challenged in other classes. The in-depth critical analysis should
be implemented — getting students to think and reflect will help them
engage and challenge them to care about what’s going on around them.
5. Active
Get students active and engaged with debates, discussions, role-playing,
projects, and simulations. This is one area of the school where kids should
get into it!iii
ACTIVITY 3
1. As a HUMSS student, how do these importance, reasons, and qualities
affect your decision?
2. In your school or home activities, how does the process of “analyze,
think and write” benefit you?
3. How would you say your interaction with your community or different
culture/background be described by those who know you?

4. HUMSS desires to study and serve our community for the better. How
can your actions reveal these characters on a day-to-day basis?
DAY 4: WHY SOCIAL SCIENCE?
Because Social Science Is a Form of Service that Improves Quality of Life for
People Around the World
If you are reading these words, chances are you are a social scientist or
someone who cares about social science. Either way, I am grateful to you
and everyone who devotes significant parts of their lives to social science’s
development and practice.
Social science is a distinct and valuable form of service. Social science helps
us understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and our
relationships with the world. The insights that we provide change people’s
lives every day. For example, a wide range of public and private sector
organizations are using our insights to take on a broad array of very big
problems. These problems include global poverty, national security, child
development, and neighborhood safety. Around the world, social science
discoveries are helping entrepreneurs, first responders, and many others
provide essential services with greater precision and efficiency.
Today, the social sciences provide insights in so many areas. From neurons
to neighborhoods, and from neighborhoods to nations. At each level, social
scientists are making amazing discoveries. This is particularly true of young
scholars. Methodologically and demographically, our newest generation of
social scientists is more diverse and powerful than ever before. Working
together, multiple generations of basic and applied social scientists are
giving students and practitioners new capacity to better manage the
challenges and opportunities of our time.
Studying humans is difficult. Our objects of study tend to argue back.
Human beings sometimes prefer explanations that produce a good feeling
at a particular moment over explanations that offer a surer path to our
aspirations but make us feel less good.
A related challenge is that, unlike quarks, leptons, or cells, our objects of
study can sometimes read the predictions that we are making about their
behavior. Some of them, upon reading our predictions, can change what
they are going to do. In many of the social sciences, we need to make
predictions that are not only accurate at the moment that we make them,
but also able to survive the affected parties reading about them and
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changing their minds in ways that render them false. So, social science is not
just hard science—it is a very hard science. And we’re up to the task. Every
day. Striving for the next breakthrough. Cumulatively more effective in
explaining human behavior than ever before.
Social science is needed today more than ever. We are interconnected in so
many ways. Some interconnections yield understanding and improve
relationships. Others have more questionable consequences. Social media,
for example, offer numerous platforms for people who seek attention at the
expense of understanding. Social science, at its best, provides a
counterbalance to such forces. Social scientists have abilities to help us
evaluate hypotheses about our world not by whether they draw likes or
clicks, but by their correspondence to rigorous reasoning and detailed data.
Social science allows us to sort conjectures about the consequences of our
actions by their fidelity to carefully recorded observations. By providing this
service, we give people around the world a greater capacity to understand
one another and build better tomorrow.
Social science, in my view, is a distinct form of service to society, particularly
when societies need a path to shared understanding. The social sciences, in
all of their glorious incarnations, can offer that path by producing findings
and insights that are intersubjective – that is, seen as legitimate from many
perspectives. Intersubjectivity can be a powerful ally when fighting
problems such as poverty or seeking to improve educational outcomes –
contexts where we do need to understand where the rubber hits the road.
The social sciences, when conducted rigorously and honestly, produce
inquiries and insights whose validity can span the great variety of beliefs
and commitments that characterize many human societies.
There are other times when societies cannot agree on what their challenges
are or about what outcomes are most desired. Here, too, social science has
an essential role. If we want to see it, social science can offer important
clues about why people disagree. It can validate the existence of multiple
points of view and reveal commonalities in situations that first appear to
entail only conflict. In all such cases, it can offer a distinct source of hope for
people who want to find new ways to manage shared problems.
In closing, I am grateful to everyone who devotes significant parts of their
lives to the development and practice of social science. Because working
together, we have a tremendous capacity to improve the quality of life for
our families, our communities, our nation, and people around the world. iv
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ACTIVITY 4
First, rewrite 10 sentences that captured your attention. Then, write an
essay on why Social Science or HUMSS is important; its impact & future.

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i
everageedu.com
ii
www.palgrave.com
iii
www.uopeople.edu/
iv
www.whysocialscience.com