An overview of the course

Introduction to Social Sciences SS 1201

Session 1: January 29
Spring 2018
 Weekly Schedule
Week Chapters Session Topic
Lecture Introduction
1 slides
Course overview
2 Slides What is History?
3 Slides Introduction to Archeology
4 Slides Introduction to Geography
5 Slides Introduction to Economics
6 Slides Introduction to Political Science
7 Mid Term
 Weekly ………
8 Introduction to Sociology
9 Introduction to Psychology
10 Chapter 13 The functions, forms of Government
11 Chapter 16 The organization of Eco ;Activities
12 Chapter 18 International Political Relations
13 Chapter 19 International Economic Relations
Chapter 21 International Institutions and the
14
search for peace
15 Review and wrap up
 Assessment
• 3 quizzes, 10 marks each;
– 1 with the lowest marks will be exempted
• Total marks = 20
• Class behavior and participation
– Habitual late comers will lose marks (5 marks)
– Participation in Class discussion is must (5 marks)
 Social Science
• • Social Science is the field of sciences concerned
with the studies of the social life of human groups
and individuals
• It includes subjects like;
– History
– Geography
– Economics
– Political Science
– Sociology.
– Psychology,
 History
• From the Greek word “historia” meaning “inquiry,
knowledge acquired by investigation.
• History is the branch of knowledge that records and
analyzes past events
– Deals with the study of collective experiences of human
societies within the context of the passage of time.
• It is the continuous, systematic narrative and research
of the past events as relating to the human species; as
well as the study of all events in time in relation to
humanity.
 Anthropology
• Anthropology is from the Greek;
–“anthropos” meaning “man”
• understood to mean mankind of humanity
–“logia” means “discourse” or “study”
• was first used in 1501 by German philosopher Magnus Hundt.
• It attempt to provide explanation for the historical , cultural, and
biological influences of societies across culture and time.
• The purpose is to;
–understand the complexity of cultures across all of human
history
• Anthropology draws knowledge from the social and biological
sciences as well as the humanities and physical sciences.
 Geography
• From Greek “geographia” which means “earth
describe-write”
• As a discipline it can be split into two main sub
fields:
– physical geography
– human geography
• Deals with cultural and physical factors that shape
economic, social, political, and environmental
patterns of diverse regions and people.
 Economics
• Economics is the social science that studies
economic activities
• The purpose is to gain an understanding of the
processes that govern the;
– Production
– Distribution
– Consumption
• of goods and services in a country.
 Political Science
• Concerned with the power – its exercise and
restraint within the formal institutions of the
government.
• It is an academic and research discipline that
deals with the theory and practice of politics
and the description and analysis of political
systems and political behavior.
 Sociology
• The word ‘Sociology' is a combination of Two
words;
– ‘Socio’ means ‘ Society’
– ‘logy’ means ‘to study’.
• Thus sociology means the study of society
– It involves both formal and informal behaviors of
people.
– It studies the social relationships of people in
society
 Psychology
• Psychology is an academic and applied
discipline that involves the
– scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.
– the understanding of the mind, thought, and
behavior
• Psychology also refers to the application of
such knowledge to various spheres of human
activity, including problems of individuals’
daily lives and the treatment of mental illness.