 Social science is the study of human beings and their social interactions.

Social science is a term that

was coined in the late 1800s. The first use of the term was in a work titled “The Study of Society” by
sociologist Max Weber.
 Social science is the study of people: as individuals, communities and societies; their behaviours and
interactions with each other and with their built, technological and natural environments. Social science
seeks to understand the evolving human systems across our increasingly complex world and how our
planet can be more sustainably managed.
 Social science is the scientific study of human beings and their behavior. It is made up of three fields:
anthropology, sociology, and psychology. The field of social science is incredibly diverse, with different
areas of study like economics, criminology, public health, and education. While the field is diverse, all
social scientists share a common goal: to understand human behavior and how it affects society.

Who are the social scientists?

 Social scientists are experts in studying social interactions and phenomena. They use a variety of
methods to gather data from groups of people, including surveys, interviews, and observations.
 They analyze this data to determine how people are interacting with each other and how they are
affected by their environments. Social scientists often work with policymakers to help them understand
the needs of a group of people and help them create laws and policies that will affect the group.
 Social scientists often study topics such as marriage, family, child development, and human sexuality.
Social scientists use a variety of methods to study social behavior and social interactions.
 They might interview people or collect data. Social scientists typically study groups of people who are
similar to them, such as members of a certain race or age group.

9 Branches of Pure Social Science

1. Anthropology – is the study of humanity and culture. It is one of the most interesting and diverse fields of
study because it examines people’s ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
 Anthropology is not just about humans; it includes animals and plants as well. Anthropologists look at
how people interact with their environment and how they live in their communities.
2. Archaeology – is the study of human history and prehistory through the recovery and analysis of material
culture. It uses scientific methods to uncover hidden aspects of the past such as who people were, what they
did, and how they lived.
 The field includes the study of all human cultures with evidence of past human activity. It is a broad
discipline that integrates many different scientific disciplines. The goal of archaeology is to understand
how the past informs the present.
3. Economics – is the study of how people use scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. It deals with the
production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
 Economics is a branch of science that studies human behavior as it relates to the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics is also closely related to the field of
business.
4. Geography – is the study of the Earth and its features. Geography is typically divided into two broad
categories: physical geography and human geography.
 Physical geography is the study of the natural world such as climate, rocks, vegetation, and physical
features such as mountains, rivers, and oceans.
 Human geography is the study of human activities on Earth including population distribution,
urbanization, transportation networks, communication systems, and economic systems.
 It is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.
5. History is the study of the past and its influence on the present. It is the story of what has happened in the
past and how it shapes who we are today.
 History is made up of many different events, dates, and people that create a narrative that can be
studied over time. The discipline is used to understand human behavior and its development as well as
society and culture.
 History is the study of past events. It is a social science in the sense that it is a systematic attempt to
learn about and verify past events and to relate them to one another and to the present.
6. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is a branch of both linguistics and the social
sciences. It is closely related to language acquisition, language variation, language change, language disorder,
language death, and the history of languages.
 Linguistics is not only the study of language itself but also the study of how humans use language.
 Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure. It involves the description of languages,
the investigation of their origin, the inquiry of how children acquire language, and how individuals learn
languages other than their own. Linguistics also deals with the relationships between or among
languages and with the manner languages change over time.
7. Psychology is the study of how people think, feel, and behave. It is the science of how our minds work.
Psychology also includes the scientific study of behaviors such as memory, perception, attention, language,
emotion, motivation, and consciousness.
 There are many different theories in psychology, including cognitive, social, developmental, biological,
and clinical. Psychology is a broad field that includes a variety of different topics, such as social
psychology, personality psychology, abnormal psychology, and developmental psychology.
 Psychology is the study of the mind and its processes, both on an individual and societal level.
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It is “the scientific study of
behavior and the mind.
8. Political Science is the study of how societies function and how they make decisions. There are many
different branches of political science, such as International Relations, American Politics, Political Philosophy,
and International Law.
 One of the main goals of political science is to understand the “how” and “why” of how society
functions. One of the most important concepts in political science is understanding what it means to be
a citizen in a democratic society.
 Political science is a social science discipline that studies systems of government, and the analysis of
political activity and behavior. It is the systematic study of politics.
 Political science is the study of social arrangements to maintain peace and order within a given society.
It deals with government.
9. Sociology is the study of how societies work and how they can be improved. The sociologist observes
society and its institutions and tries to explain why things happen the way they do.
 Sociology is the study of society.
 This can involve asking questions like “Why do some people have more money than others?” or “Why
are people who have been arrested more likely to commit another crime?” Sociology is also the study
of how people interact with each other, and how different groups of people interact with each other.
 Sociology is the systematic study of relationships among people. Sociologists assume that behavior is
influenced by people’s social, political, occupational, and intellectual groupings and by the particular
settings in which they find themselves at one time or another.

Who is the father of social science?

The father of social science is named Karl Marx. He is the person who created the theory of dialectical
materialism, which was a major contribution to social science. He came up with many ideas about how society
functions and how people should be treated in society. He also contributed to sociology and economics.

What is the difference between social studies and social science?

Social studies and social science are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two
different types of subjects. Social studies are taught in schools, while social science is more of a research-
based subject. Social science includes topics such as sociology, psychology, and economics.

 Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic
competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing
upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy,
political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the
humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young
people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse,
democratic society in an interdependent world. –NCSS
  The aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence—the knowledge, intellectual processes,
and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and engaged participants in public life.
 The civic mission of social studies demands the inclusion of all students—addressing cultural, linguistic,
and learning diversity that includes similarities and differences based on race, ethnicity, language,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, exceptional learning needs, and other educationally and personally
significant characteristics of learners. Diversity among learners embodies the democratic goal of
embracing pluralism to make social studies classrooms laboratories of democracy.

What is the Purpose of the National Curriculum Standards?

The NCSS curriculum standards provide a framework for professional deliberation and planning about what
should occur in a social studies program in grades pre-K through 12. The framework provides ten themes that
represent a way of organizing knowledge about the human experience in the world. The learning expectations,
at early, middle, and high school levels, describe purposes, knowledge, and intellectual processes that
students should exhibit in student products (both within and beyond classrooms) as the result of the social
studies curriculum. These curriculum standards represent a holistic lens through which to view disciplinary
content standards and state standards, as well as other curriculum planning documents. They provide the
framework needed to educate students for the challenges of citizenship in a democracy.

The ‘New’ Social Studies: its Salient Features

In 1994, the National Council for the Social Studies first published the national curriculum
standards for social studies which were used as a framework for professional deliberation and
planning about what should occur in a social studies program in grades pre-K through 12. However, as
changes in education is inevitable, the original curriculum needs a makeover that is tailored for the
requirements of the 21st century learners, teachers, schools, districts, states, and other nations. As we all
know, the aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence—the knowledge, intellectual processes,
and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and engaged participants in public life. So NCSS
continue to target the aim of social studies by adjusting their ways for an effective instruction of social studies.
This new revised curriculum have through different discussions and collaborative effort. It incorporates current
research and suggestions for improvement from many experienced practitioners.
As of now, the revision is still focused on the ten themes which represent a way of categorizing
knowledge about the human experience, and they constitute the organizing strands that should thread
through a social studies program, from grades pre-K through 12, as appropriate at each level.

The Ten Themes are organizing strands for social studies programs. The ten themes are:
1. Culture
Through the study of culture and cultural diversity, learners understand how human beings create,
learn, share, and adapt to culture, and appreciate the role of culture in shaping their lives and society, as well
the lives and societies of others. In schools, this theme typically appears in units and courses
dealing with geography, history, sociology, and anthropology, as well as multicultural topics across
the curriculum.
2. Time, Continuity, and Change
Through the study of the past and its legacy, learners examine the institutions, values,
and beliefs of people in the past, acquire skills in historical inquiry and interpretation, and
gain an understanding of how important historical events and developments have shaped the modern
world. This theme appears in courses in history, as well as in other social studies courses for which knowledge
of the past is important.
3. People, Places, and Environments
This theme helps learners to develop their spatial views and perspectives of the world, to understand
where people, places, and resources are located and why they are there, and to explore the
relationship between human beings and the environment. In schools, this theme typically
appears in courses dealing with geography and area studies, but it is also important for the study of the
geographical dimension of other social studies subjects.
4. Individual Development and Identity
Personal identity is shaped by family, peers, culture, and institutional influences. Through
this theme, students examine the factors that influence an individual’s personal identity, development,
and actions. This theme typically appears in courses and units dealing with psychology, anthropology, and
sociology.

5. Individual, Groups, and Institutions

Institutions such as families and civic, educational, governmental, and religious organizations
exert a major influence on people’s lives. This theme allows students to understand how institutions are
formed, maintained, and changed, and to examine their influence. In schools, this theme typically
appears in units and courses dealing with sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, and
history.
6. Power, Authority, and Governance
One essential component of education for citizenship is an understanding of the historical development
and contemporary forms of power, authority, and governance. Through this theme, learners become familiar
with the purposes and functions of government, the scope and limits of authority, and the
differences between democratic and non-democratic political systems. In schools, this theme
typically appears in units and courses dealing with government, history, civics, law, politics, and other
social sciences.
7. Production, Distribution, and Consumption
This theme provides for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services, and prepares students for the study of domestic and global economic
issues. In schools, this theme typically appears in units and courses dealing with economic concepts and
issues, though it is also important for the study of the economic dimension of other social studies subjects.
8. Science and Technology, and Society
By exploring the relationships among science, technology, and society, students develop an
understanding of past and present advances in science and technology and their impact. This theme appears
in a variety of social studies courses, including history, geography, economics, civics, and
government.
9. Global Connections
The realities of global interdependence require an understanding of the increasingly
important and diverse global connections among world societies. This theme prepares students to study issues
arising from globalization. It typically appears in units or courses dealing with geography, culture,
economics, history, political science, government, and technology.
10. Civic Ideals and Practices
An understanding of civic ideals and practices is critical to full participation in society and is an
essential component of education for citizenship. This theme enables students to learn about
the rights and responsibilities of citizens of a democracy, and to appreciate the importance of
active citizenship. In schools, the theme typically appears in units or courses dealing with civics, history,
political science, cultural anthropology, and fields such as global studies, law-related education, and the
humanities.

 The themes represent strands that should thread through a social studies program, from grades pre-K
through 12, as appropriate at each level. While at some grades and for some courses, specific themes
will be more dominant than others, all the themes are highly interrelated. To understand culture (Theme
1), for example, students also need to understand the theme of time, continuity, and change (Theme 2);
the relationships between people, places, and environments (Theme 3); and the role of civic ideals and
practices (Theme 10). To understand power, authority, and governance (Theme 6), students need to
understand different cultures (Theme 1); the relationships between people, places, and environments
(Theme 3); and the interconnections among individuals, groups, and institutions (Theme 5). History is
not confined to TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE (Theme 2) because historical knowledge
contributes to the understanding of all the other themes; similarly, geographic skills and knowledge can
be found in more than (Theme 3).
 The thematic strands draw from all the social science disciplines and other related disciplines and fields
of study to provide a framework for social studies curriculum design and development. The themes
provide a basis from which social studies educators can more fully develop their programs by
consulting the details of national content standards developed for history, geography, civics,
economics, psychology, and other fields,2 as well as content standards developed by their states.
Thus, the NCSS social studies curriculum standards serve as the organizing basis for any social
studies program in grades pre-K through 12. Content standards for the disciplines, as well as other
standards, such as those for instructional technology,3 provide additional detail for curriculum design
and development.