Social studies is a broad word with different undertakings. It has played a huge
role in unraveling mysteries that holds answers and that of with great importance and
contribution to how we understand society as it is in today’s time. Social studies as we
know it has different branches under its umbrella. Among which are, Anthropology,
Sociology, and Political Science. Each have different lenses used to understand a concept
or a theory about an aspect of a society and its people. These three important branches
have served a foundation to how we look and study society, and here’s why;
For Anthropology…
As we know it, Anthropology attempts to study people and society through the
means of culture and how they organize themselves through social groupings which thus
leads to understanding why and how people behave in their proximity. If we try to review
the definition of social studies, Anthropology somehow unlocks to the understanding of a
certain part where the term Social Studies is somewhat vague or too complex.
Also, Anthropology as discussed in the previous meetings has two major divisions.
Social Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology. In my TEDxTalks stint, I put a limelight
on Cultural Anthropology. Cultral Anthrolopy is the study of individual cultures. It usually
involves more ethnology than social anthropology and is usually more focused on using
artifacts or living people to understand how societies and cultural perception works, (ideas
about family, marriage, clothing styles, religious preferences). Social anthropology on the
other hand tends to focus more on how society structures. And how people evolve and
behave within social structures. It’s kind of like sociology. Social Anthropology studies
how society structures affect culture. How the systems that rule a particular society will
influence it’s cultural methods and ideologies. For example, how a government structure
might effect the farming practices.
All of these concepts such as Human Natures and Cultures are important in
understanding the behaviors of other people. In that way, we establish this so-called
“cultural sensitivity” which is very important in the adaptation of us human beings.
For Sociology…
Sociology is the study of the social relationships of people and organizations.
Teachers and students do not function in a vacuum, but in the social relationships of their
milieu. Therefore, sociology is of profound importance to a teacher. First, a good teacher
needs to understand how his or her own students' sociological backgrounds have an
impact on their educational experience, second, the teacher needs to attend to the
Martinez, John Patrick S.
SS101
sociology of the classroom as an organizational entity, and third, the teacher is
empowered by having insight into the sociological environment of the school and the
school district.
Students come from a variety of sociological backgrounds, and in order to connect
and engage with each student, the teacher must have some understanding of those
backgrounds. This enables the teacher to best tailor learning to meet each student's
particular needs. A student from an impoverished home and a student from a wealthy
home are likely to have significant differences, for example. A student from an
impoverished home might have some serious learning deficits and need more time and
care, while a student from a wealthy home might very well need greater challenges than
the regular curriculum. (I realize this sounds off-putting, but the statistics bear it out.)
Students who are from different cultures might have a hard time acclimating to the
dominant culture in the classroom, and students from different races often have different
ways of showing respect, for example, having been taught it is rude to make direct eye
contact with those in authority. A teacher who has no knowledge or insight into sociology
is not going to be able to do a very good job of understanding or engaging any student.
For Political Science…
Political science is also a social studies subject. Political science involves the study
of people within a society as well abroad, and the type of system they live and work in,
how they socialise and the economic, education, legal systems, and how these can best
be organised, regulated and governed based on chosen political system, which are
determined by the choice of the people.
Some political systems, are called the liberal democratic systems, operating under
a freer market system, the leaders of which are chosen by the citizens of the country.
Other political systems are planned and operated predominantly by a few leaders, which
may operate a socialist or communistic system, where the economic system is planned
by a group of leaders, compared to a capitalist system, operated by the market forces of
demand and supply and profit motives.
Martinez, John Patrick S.
SS101