A REVIEW OF CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES IN THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The humanities and social sciences studies refer to the examination and analysis of human conduct, including relations and
interactions in political, sociocultural, ecological, and economic contexts. These areas of studies focus on both the past and the present
milieus and face future challenges. These studies also cover local and world perspectives. The students’ ability to react and act on
social issues depends on the depth of their awareness and appreciation of the related areas of learning.
This section is a review of the basic concepts and principles learned from various disciplines and learning areas in the humanities
and social sciences (HUMSS) Strand of the K to 12 Curriculum. It shall provide you with a brief reader or review of the eight learning
areas which include Creative Writing, Creative Nonfiction, Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems, Trends, Networks
and Critical Thinking in the Twenty-First Century Culture, Philippine Politics and Governance, Community Engagement, Solidarity
and Citizenship, Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences, and Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences.

HUMANITIES
This term refers to the study of the way humans manage and sort out and record their experiences. According to Stanford (2015), to
understand and record the world, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language and these modes of
expression have become some of the subjects that traditionally fall under the Humanities umbrella. Hence, an appreciation of the
chronicles of human experience provides some kind of a link with and a “sense of connection” to past and present generations. Duke
University (2014) captures a more encompassing definition of the Humanities, which states that:
"The humanities disciplines use historical, philosophical, and artistic approaches to study the human condition.”
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Generally, social science is a major classification of educational fields related with civilization and the interactions among people in a
society. It is the study of the way people act and impact their environment. According to ESRC (2015), the social sciences speak of
matters concerning the “world beyond our experience” and aids in elucidating “how our own society works.” Nisbet (2003), in its
definition of social sciences, identified related areas of learning in this discipline.
“Social science [is] any discipline or branch of science that deals with human behavior in its social and cultural aspects. The social
sciences include cultural (or social) anthropology, sociology, social psychology, political science, and economics. Also frequently
included are social and economic geography and those areas of education that deal with the social contexts of learning and the
relation of the school to the social order. History is regarded by many as a social science, and certain areas of historical study are
almost indistinguishable from work done in the social science.”

HUMANITIES
The humanities as a discipline started in the West. It was conceived as a response to the theology-centered education of the Middle
Ages that focused on humans apart from their sociohistorical context. The term “humanities” itself was taken from the Latin words
studia humanitatis, which means “studies of humanity.”
During the Renaissance, proponents of the discipline dedicated themselves to the study of ancient Latin and Greek secular texts. By
studying the literature of the past, one can fully understand how history has shaped humanity. It provides light on how people should
live today and how to prepare for the future. (Witt, et al., 1997, 2-3) “Humanities are the branches of learning concerned with human
thought, feelings, and relations” (Sanchez, Abad, and Jao, 2002, 3). Its central focus is the ideas and various creations that focus on
human life and experience (Benton and Yanni, 2005). “It refers to arts—visual arts such as architecture, painting, and sculpture;
music; dance; theater or drama; and literature (Yagyagan, Cerda, and Laurel, 2010, 1).”
The table below presents the focus and subdisciplines of the humanities:
Analysis Philosophical Artistic
Focus What people believe about the nature and How people creatively express ideas and emotions in their
purpose of life and reality sociocultural context
Subdisciplines Philosophy, Religion Visual Arts (painting, sculptures, designs, architecture); Performing
Arts (song, dance, music); Literary Arts/Creative Writing (poem,
script, short story, children’s literature)

 CREATING WRITING
Creative writing according to Witty and LaBrant (nd), as cited by Marksberry (1963), is a piece of any kind of writing at any
time that is chiefly in the service of such requirements as “keeping records of significant experience, sharing experience with
an interested group, and for free individual expression which contributes to mental and physical health.”

 CREATIVE NONFICTION
Creative nonfiction is the new term for what has been previously called personal journalism or literary journalism. Those
who venture in creative nonfiction must have the “skill of the storyteller and the research ability of the reporter” (Cheney,
1991).

 COMPARATIVE RELIGION
Comparative Religion, also termed as Religious Studies, is concerned with all aspects of religion, with all religions, and with
the fundamental role they engage in, specifically in human culture. It is carried out from a” non-confessional perspective,” on
the belief that religions provide meaning to human life, prompting largely human undertakings including arts, politics and
other aspects of life. It explores the questions of experience and truth and the phenomena of religion, such as belief systems,
ritual, mythology, iconography, spirituality, and ethics. (University of Edinburgh, 2014)
This learning area has also been enriched by the definition declared by the California State University (CSU). Comparative
Religion, as described by CSU (2015 is:
“. . . an academic discipline devoted to the study of religion in general and specific world religions in particular,
investigating such dimensions of religion as scripture and myth, experience, belief, ritual, ethics, institutions, and material
culture. It employs an interdisciplinary and comparative methodology that borrows from and has influenced a broad array of
other fields. The academic study of religion recognizes the interconnectedness of religion with other dimensions of culture
but acknowledges that religion is qualitatively different from other forms of human expression.”