AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIAL SCIENCESThe Human Way Chapter 1

We will learn:

How to identify the Social Sciences

Techniques used by social scientists

Why the Social Sciences are important

Let’s think first, what comes to mind when you hear:

Social? Science?

In General:

Social Sciences (Social Studies) are disciplines that use research and analysis to examine human behaviour.

Examples include: Anthropology Economics Geography History Politics Psychology Sociology

Techniques used:

Collecting and analyzing statisticsConducting experimentsExamining what people have written and created

Purpose: to try to understand why people act as they do.

Social Sciences and The Humanities (they are related…)

Humanities

Study the products of human culture

Focus: the creative side of being human

E.g., literature, art, music; English, Drama, Philosophy…

Social Sciences

Use research & analysis to explain human behaviour

Want to understand the ways we act as individuals and in/as groups

E.g., Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology

Psychology

Systematic study of one’s thoughts, feelings & behaviour

Largely determined by one’s personality i.e., relatively unchanging personality

characteristics

ASSUMPTION: your personality is moulded by biology and prior experiences.

KEY QUESTION: Why is this person acting this way?

Sociology

Study of the development, structure & functioning of human society How groups of people who share common

characteristic(s) function

ASSUMPTION: a person’s acts can only be understood when compared to the acts of similar individuals.

QUESTION: What common factors are there in the lives of people…? Why do people in this group act this way?

Anthropology

Focus on humans in general, their customs and cultures

Interested in humanity as a whole

ASSUMPTION: there are factors in general (e.g., Canadian) culture, & in the “sub-culture” (e.g., workplace)

QUESTIONS: Why do humans behave as they do? What were/are the values of the culture in which…?