FIRST SEMESTER-WEEK-WEEK 1
DISCIPLINE AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
Objectives:
1. defined Social Science, and Natural Science;
2. demonstrated understanding of the emergence of Social Sciences as the study
of society; and
3. distinguished Social and natural Sciences.
Social Science as the Study of Society
Basically, Social Science refers to the systematic study of various aspects of
human society. It is a major category of academic disciplines, dealing with society and
the relationship among people within a society. Social science is also occasionally used
to refer specifically to the field of Sociology, “the original science of society, established
in the 19th century.
Branches of Social Science:









Anthropology
Economics
Geography
History
Linguistics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Demography
As you would notice, these are branches of study which deals with humans in their
social relations. Some of them are academic disciplines that also study how society
develops and how culture evolves.
In a broader sense, social sciences are academic disciplines that deal with human
society, societal groups, individuals in their relationships with others or institutions of
societies and material goods as expression of human cohabitation (Bayer as quoted in
“Social science,”). This broader definition displays the relative difficulty of comprehending
all aspects of social sciences as opposed to natural sciences, which have a common
perspective rather than a common subject of study.
Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Humanities
To further understand what social sciences are, let us compare and contrast them
to the natural sciences and humanities.
Natural Sciences
Natural science is a major branch of science that deals with the description,
prediction, and understanding of natural phenomena, basically based on observational
and empirical evidence. It includes a variety of academic disciplines which, often in
combination with each other, focus on the various aspects of nature and the natural world.
The natural science comprises many disciplines that deal with the study of
processes that occur in nature. The disciplines under natural sciences are usually divided
into two main branches: life science (or biological science) and physical science. Physical
science is subdivided into branches, including physics, astronomy, chemistry, and Earth
science. The various branches of natural science may be further divided into more
specialized branches, also known as fields.
Natural science is one of the three major divisions of science, the other two being
the formal sciences and, the focus of this book, the social sciences. The natural sciences
also used tools from formal sciences such as mathematics and logic. The social sciences
also employ such method, but depend more on qualitative research, which is why they
are sometimes called soft science, whereas natural sciences, insofar as they stress
quantifiable data produced, tested and confirmed through the scientific method, are
sometimes called the ‘hard science.’
Social Science vs. Natural Science










Both sciences employ the scientific model in order to gain information.
Both sciences used empirical and measured data evidence that can be seen and
discerned by the senses.
In both sciences, theories can be tested to yield theoretical statements and general
applications.
Both have general laws that each science applies in its numerous applications.
Differences
Natural sciences started during the 16th and 17th century, whereas the social
sciences arose some 300 years later.
Natural sciences deal with objects, whereas social sciences with subjects, that is
with human beings.
Natural science is characterized by exactness, controlled variables, and
predictability. Contrariwise, social science is marked by the opposite- it is
spontaneous, unpredictable, or uncontrollable, as it deals with human emotions
and behavior.
The basis of natural science is experimental data while social sciences rely on
experiential data.
With respect to experimental data, the typical method of science is doing repetitive
and conventional laboratory equipment. In contrast, social science, in lieu of
experiential data
Natural sciences work within a closed system while social science work within an
open system
Prepared by:
MR. RODULFO E. CAÑETE JR.
DISS Teacher
FIRST SEMESTER-WEEK 2
DISCIPLINE AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
Objectives:
1. defined Humanities, and Wisdom;
2. demonstrated understanding of the emergence of Social Sciences as the study
of society; and
3. distinguished Social and Humanities.
Humanities
The humanities refer to the study of the ways in which the human experience is
processed and documented. It encompasses the fields of philosophy, literature, religion,
art, music, history, and language.
Humanities are branches of learning that examine human constructs and
concerns, as opposed to natural processes. Meaning, they have overall goal of the
exploration and explanation of human experience. The humanities use methods that are
principally critical, or speculative, and have significant historical element, as distinct from
the chiefly empirical approaches of the natural science.
The academic discipline under humanities seek to understand, appreciate, and
critique the human condition in all its depth and range of meaning. As democracy
demands wisdom and vision in its citizens, the humanities seek to yield wisdom.
Compared to other discipline that seek to understand the human condition, the
approaches and methodologies of the humanities are mainly interpretative, as
distinguished from the chiefly empirical approaches of the natural sciences, and the
creative approaches in the arts.
Written texts are enormously important in most disciplines in the humanities,
especially in philosophy, history and literature. Mainly, through writing, historians attempt
a systematic documentation and investigation of events related to certain people, country,
or periods. Philosophers, literary authors, and artists try to capture for others their
respective experiences and perceptions of the world.
Fields under humanities involve probing into consciousness, values, ideas, and
ideals as they seek to describe how human experiences from our understanding of the
world. Some would include the fine arts (music, art, dance, and drama) in the humanities,
while others consider the arts as a distinct category.
Humanities as a study can be traced back to ancient Greece. During the Roman
times, the concept of seven liberal arts-rhetoric and logic, grammar, music, astronomy,
arithmetic, and geometry-developed. In the 15th century there was, however, a great shift
to the study humanities. After 15th century, humanities were considered as a subject to
be studied rather than practiced. Subjects under humanities aim to bring into focus the
human or social aspects of sciences.
Social Science vs. Humanities
If humanities emerged in the 15th century, the social science was influenced by
and developed after the French revolution and the industrial revolution.








Social science as developed from the “perspective practices that were related to a
group’s social improvement, or through applied and experimental sciences, or
through methodical knowledge of bases.
Both the humanities and social sciences are concerned with human aspects like
law, politics, linguistics, economics, and psychology.
Both concern themselves with human lives and human nature. But one key
differences between them is that ‘humanities involve a more critical and analytical
approach whereas social science deal with more of a scientific approach.
One of their major differences lies in their methodology.
Social sciences as science adopt a more scientific approach. Humanities, on the
other hand, are not necessitated to use the scientific method.
Humanities use the descriptive approach as well as the prescriptive methodology,
such as the case of ethical philosophy and religion. The subjects under humanities
also move ahead through analysis but use some intuitive speculation.
humanities are deemed to be more philosophical than social sciences. Humanities
are more concerned with the heritage and the question of what makes us human.
Very much philosophical in nature, humanities deal with philosophy, history,
religion arts, law, and even with ancient languages.
Social science involves application of an empirical, rational, and objective
methodology to present facts. Conversely, humanities comprise application of an
interpretative methodology to render something meaningful for others.
Humanities function:
1. To better appreciate the meaning and purpose of the human experience-both
broadly in the nature of the human condition, as well as within each unique
individual, his or her identity and purpose; and
2. to reveal wisdom, that is, to better explore and address the big questions and meet
the challenges in the human condition.
Social Science function:
1. To analyze, explain, and possibly predict human behavior as groups or as
individuals; and
2. To generate and produce new knowledge or factual information.
As there is a specific approach to social sciences, it is considered to be a branch of
study between humanities and natural sciences. Anthropology, criminology,
administration, archaeology, education, economics, psychology, linguistics, political
science, law, and history come under the purview of social sciences.
Prepared by:
MR. RODULFO E. CAÑETE JR.
DISS Teacher