Emergence of the Social Sciences

 Mechanics:
 The class will split into two groups. Each
group will pick one representative to draw
any object related to the given words for each
of the group to correctly determine. Spelling
out of the words in any form is not allowed.
The group who has more correct responses
win.
Defining Social Sciences as the Study of Society
 Pre-test through GENYO e-Learning
 Video presentation entitled: What is social
science? An Animated overview & An
Animated Introduction to Social Science.
 Process Questions:
 What is social science?
 What is the importance of studying social
science?
 What is social science and how can it be used
to study and understand society?
 Natural Sciences and Humanities:
 Social science is different from natural science
and humanities because its primary interest lies
in predicting and explaining human behavior.
 Natural science, on the other hand, aims to
predict all natural phenomena and its studies are
based on experimentally controlled condition of
material entities.
 Humanism seeks to understand “human reactions
to events and the meanings humans impose on
experience as a function of culture, historical era,
and life history.” (Kagan 2009, 4)
 The use of the scientific method unites these three
fields of study although it is more commonly used in
the social sciences and natural sciences than in
humanism.
 The scientific method is a systematic and logical
approach in acquiring and explaining knowledge.
 It involves a step-by-step procedure of identifying
the problem, formulating a hypothesis and testing this
hypothesis by gathering and analyzing relevant data.
 What skill does it need to solve problems?
 The scientific method is very important in the field of
social science since it is the instrument by which
issues and problems are examined and
recommendations for policy-making are offered
depending on the findings of the study conducted.
 The Scientific Method and its Applications:
 How is the scientific method used in conducting research?
 The “scientific method refers to a standardized set of
techniques for building scientific knowledge, such as how
to make valid observations, how to interpret results and to
generalize results.
 It allows researchers to independently and impartially test
preexisting theories and prior findings” (Bhattacherjee
2012, 5).
 It has same objectives with research, which investigates
and studies different materials and sources in the pursuit
of advancing knowledge.
 A researcher tests her/his hypothesis by subjecting it to
careful scrutiny and debate and finally comes up with a
conclusion that either validates or disproves the
hypothesis.
 In pursuing research, the use of scientific
method is required.
 The application of the scientific method to
social science research simply involves the
use of its steps or procedures to specific
research interests. The stages of the research
process (Garg 2012) on the next slide can
serve as a guide in pursuing research.
 Stages of the Research Key Questions
Process
1. Define the research What are the variables or the
problem units of analysis being
studied? What is the time
frame or period of the
study?
2. Review the related What has already been
literature written about the topic?
What are the research gaps?
3. Formulate hypothesis What are the specific
parameters of the research
problem? What are the
means of manipulating the
variable and/or measuring
the result of the study?
4. Prepare the research Is the research going to be
design descriptive, exploratory, or
experimental? How should
 Types of Research Design:
 The research design sets the direction of the whole study.
 According to Selluz, et al. as cited in Mukul Gupta’s book (2011)
Research Methodology, “research design is the arrangement of
conditions for the collection and analysis of data in a manner that
aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with the
economy in procedure.”
 It determines the type of data that will be used in the study, the
methodology that will be used in gathering and analyzing data, and
the direction of the narrative, which ultimately addresses the
research problem.
 The University of South Carolina Libraries offers some examples of
research designs and their characteristics on the next slide.
Type Characteristics
1. Descriptive research It provides answers to basic
questions associated with the
research problem. It may not be
able to conclusively provide the
answer to the question ‘why’ but it
is able to describe ‘what exists’
with respect to the variables of a
given situation. E.g., A descriptive
study of the factors that lead to
domestic violence
2. Historical research This design collects, verifies, and
synthesizes evidence from the past
in order to validate or reject a
hypothesis. It uses secondary
sources and a variety of primary
sources like newspaper clippings,
diaries, government records, and
archival materials. E.g., Martial law
 Qualitative and Quantitative:
 Social science research also uses either a
quantitative or qualitative methodological
approach in gathering and analyzing data.
 The qualitative method analyzes qualitative
data such as interviews, narratives, and
literary texts.
 “The emphasis in qualitative analysis is
‘sense-making’ or understanding a
phenomenon, rather than predicting or
explaining. (Bhattacherjee, 2012, 113).”
 Qualitative and Quantitative:
 This method of analysis relies heavily on the
knowledge of the researcher of the social context
of the gathered data.
 Quantitative method, on the other hand, analyzes
quantifiable or numeric data and subjects them
to statistical analyses.
 While statistics or numerical data does not
provide an absolute measurement of human
ideals like happiness or quality education, it does
provide measurement of its indicators like the
size of the population of the country, the
presence or absence of corruption, or the levels
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
 Qualitative and Quantitative:
 One example of the use of quantitative method is the
United Nation’s World Happiness Report of 2016.
 The survey was conducted to measure the happiness
index.
 It had a sample size of 1,000 to 3,000 people from each
participating country around the world and had a
confidence interval of 95%.
 The six factors used to measure the level of happiness are
the levels of GDP, life expectancy, generosity, social
support, freedom, and corruption.
 The top 5 countries that scored the highest happiness
index are Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and
Finland.
 The study revealed that people are happier in countries
where there is inequality of happiness.
 Qualitative and Quantitative:
 It is also found that social support or the
presence of care and assistance during difficult
times raises the level of happiness of the people.
 This is the reason why countries with a very
strong social welfare program ranked the highest
in the survey.
 The survey also points the need to promote
prosperity, justice, access to health programs,
and not just economic growth in order to have a
“happy” society.
 Qualitative and Quantitative:
 In some cases, a research methodology may
employ a combination of both quantitative and
qualitative information and analysis.
 John Creswell, (2003, 4) describes the mixed
method as a research approach that “integrates
both quantitative and qualitative data in a single
study or in a sustained long-term program of
inquiry to address [the] research questions.”
 The data collection includes both numeric and
text information like interviews.
 How Social Science Shapes Lives:
 Government policies should ideally be based on
scientific studies conducted on real life social
issues and problems.
 Given the limited resources, conducting a study
before implementing a policy or a project will
minimize or even prevent wastage.
 A scientific study will reveal the necessity of the
project, the number of beneficiaries expected to
gain from the project, and may even provide
possibly more cost-effective alternatives.
 How Social Science Shapes Lives:
 In addressing poverty for instance, the
government came up with Pantawid Pamilyang
Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
 This was formerly known as the Conditional Cash
Transfer (CCT) Program started under the
presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
 The program aims to break the cycle of poverty
by providing immediate monetary assistance to
the poorest of the poor in the shortest and
investing in human capital, like nutrition and
education, in the long term.
 How Social Science Shapes Lives:
 The program should not be construed as a mere
dole-out since it is designed to induce socially
responsible behavior from its beneficiaries through
the conditions that it sets in the contracts.
 Conditions are set among its beneficiaries before
financial assistance is given.
 Eligible households are given 500 pesos a month for
health and nutrition while 300 pesos per month per
child is given as educational assistance.
 A household can enroll a maximum of 3 children
under the educational assistance program.
 Instructions:
 Examine the photo shown to the class. Each
group should identify key issues or problems
in society as reflected in the photo. Answer
the question: How can the social sciences
perspective be used to examine/address said
key issue or problem? Make sure that the
steps by which the social issue is addressed
follows the scientific methods.
 Video presentation entitled: What are the
World’s Most Corrupt Countries?
 Process Questions:
 What is the relevance of the video
presentation to social science?
 How do we solve corruption in the
Philippines?
 Quiz through GENYO e-Learning
 Mechanics:
 Examine the photo shown to the class. Identify key
issues or problems in society as reflected in the
photo. Consolidate all the responses and see how the
social sciences perspective can be used to
examine/address said key issue or problem. Make
sure that the steps by which the social issue is
addressed follows the scientific methods. Complete
the following table and then share your answers to
the class.
 Photo Analysis of Social Issues
 Based on the picture on the next slide, identify one
major social issue or problem that greatly affects the
Philippine society. Explain how the social sciences can
be used to address this issue or social problem.
 Criteria:
 Objective – 40 pts.
 Knowledge – 10 pts.
 Interpretation – 10 pts.
 Focus and diligence – 40 pts.
 Total – 100 pts.
Emergence of the Social Sciences
Social Science Disciplines: History, Methods, and
Areas of inquiry
 Pre-test through GENYO e-Learning
 Mechanics:
 Identify the appropriate discipline applicable in the given situation. Explain your answer.


 Situation
 Appropriate Social Science Discipline
 1. Evaluation of the career path with respect to the qualifications of the individual employees in your company


 2. An analysis of the consumption patterns among housewives in a middle-income community



 3. A description of the different cultural practices of the Igorots



 4. An analysis of the voting behaviour among young adults



 5. An analysis on the causes of fraternity wars and gang violence



 6. A policy recommendation on how to raise the incidence of birth in countries that have an aging population


 7. A study on what causes severe depression which leads to suicide



 8. An inquiry on how colonial occupation has changed the values of the native population


 9. An investigation of areas or locations where the incidence of earthquakes are most likely to occur


 10. An inquiry on the causes of juvenile delinquency among adolescents


 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Social science studies the historical, cultural,
sociological, psychological, and the political
forces that shape the actions of individuals
and their impact on society.
 The different disciplines under the social
sciences are Anthropology, Demography,
Economics, Geography, Linguistics, History,
Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Anthropology is the study of the ancient societies and
their cultural traditions.
 Anthropology came from the Greek word anthropos
meaning “humankind” and logos meaning _______?
 Its emergence as an area of inquiry can go as far back as
the time of Herodotus of Halicarnassus.
 It has two broad fields, physical and cultural.
 According to Ember and Ember (2002, 3-4), physical
anthropology, which is also called biological anthropology,
studies the biological evolution of man.
 Cultural anthropology, on the other hand, investigates and
seeks to understand the cultural features of societies.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Cultural anthropology is further divided into
three sub-branches: archaeology,
anthropological linguistics, and ethnology.
 Archaeology seeks to reconstruct the past life
of ancient societies.
 Anthropological linguistics involves the study
of language in societies or communities.
 Ethnology uses data gathered through
observations and interviews with living
people.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Economics is the study of the efficient allocation
of scarce resources in order to satisfy unlimited
human needs and wants.
 The word economics came from the Greek words,
oikos meaning “home” and nomos meaning
“management.
 Economic resources that can be used to produce
goods and services are called factors of
production.
 It is classified into four categories: land, labor,
capital, and entrepreneurship.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Economics is classified into two scopes:
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
 Microeconomics is the “study of the choices made by
economic actors such as households, companies, and
individual markets,” whereas Macroeconomics
“examines the behavior of entire economies.”
 Macroeconomics tackles the aggregates or total
values that describe the whole economy.
 One very important aggregate is the Gross Domestic
product (GDP).
 GDP measures the total output or the market value of
goods and services that a country produces in one
year.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Geography studies the interaction between
the natural environment and the people living
in it.
 It acts as a bridge between natural science
and social science.
 It comes from the two Greek words: geo
meaning “Earth” and graphos meaning
“charting or mapping”
 Geography is divided into two main branches:
physical and human.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:
 Physical geography studies the natural
features of the earth, like climate, water,
vegetation, and soil.
 We can either look at it in two ways: provider
of natural resources or hazard to human life.
 Human geography studies human population
and the impact of its activities on the planet.
 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences:

Eratosthenes, Father of Geography

 Disciplines or Branches in the Social Sciences: