Introduction to the Social Sciences
Historical Background of the Social Sciences: European to Post-colonial Social Sciences
The social sciences as an academic field was only instituted during the late 18th and late 19th century in European
universities. It was influenced by pioneers from different fields
The rise of the social sciences was also influenced by ideas and philosophies from classical Greek thinkers like
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Thucydides, and the moral and the political philosophies of the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance. Notable events in European history also provided the historical context that prompted the need for a branch of
knowledge that examined society.
The age of industrialization along with the Enlightenment period and the French Revolution refocused the area of
interest from the divine to human rationality and from monarchy to democracy, and thus began the proliferation of moral and
political philosophies that became the foundation of the social sciences.
The social sciences as a field of study eventually reached other parts of the world through the imperial expansion of
Europe (16th-20th century). The discovery of different cultures and groups of people also prompted the growth of social
science disciplines such as anthropology) history, and regional studies.
The advancement in the social sciences in Germany eventually inspired Jose Rizal to write about the culture of the
Philippines and provide a counter-narrative against the various misconceptions about the Philippines propagated by the
Spanish colonizers in the country. Jose Rizal even mentioned that Germany is his scientific mother country.
Various eastern cultures like the Chinese and Southeast Asians also have different moral and political philosophies
to guide how they organize their societies. The Europeans only had the advantage of instituting and forcing their world view
through expansion.
Social Science as a Study of Society
What is Social Science?
Social Science is the study of human society; study that relates to human behavior and society (Miriam-Webster
Dictionary).
Social Science, in its broadest sense, is the study of society and the manner in which people behave and influence
the world around us (Hunt, 2002).
What do you think is the goal of Social Science?
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Why do you think we need to understand this field?
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Fields Related
Social science is being related to the fields of Natural Science and Humanities because of some concepts. The
Social Sciences main concern is to deal with aspects of human condition.
Natural Science main concern is to explain natural and environmental phenomena.
Humanities, in the other hand, is more on the philosophical side which aims to answer and interpret big questions
like, “what is the meaning of life?”
Sometimes, these fields are interchanged, because there are some content that fits the characteristics of natural
sciences and humanities.
Both natural and social sciences use a systematic way in explaining a certain theory. This systematic way is called
____________. Social scientists use this method in understanding certain behavior.
Humanities and social science are closely related to each other because this two fields both deal with “humans and
its culture.”
What is social research and how important is the use of scientific method in social research?
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In a social research, a social scientist or a group of social scientists following a systematic plan, explore, describe,
examine, explain and predict human behavior or a social issue or social problem.
Through a research, a social scientist or groups of social scientists try to find answers to questions like, What is
poverty? Who are the poor? Where are the poor? Why does poverty exist in society? How to address poverty in the society?
To pursue a quality research, the use of scientific method is a prerequisite. Scientific method then, refers to the
systematic, organized series of steps that ensures maximum objectivity and consistency in an investigating phenomenon,
acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.
For a social research to be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable, empirical
and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning.
Other Disciplines under Social Science
ANTHROPOLOGY, Study of man; derived from the Greek words, anthropos, human existence and logos, meaning study.
Anthropology has two main fields:
 Physical or biological anthropology, mainly concerns about how humans emerged and evolved.
 Cultural Anthropology basically concerns the difference of cultures from time to time.
GEOGRAPHY, is the study of the description of the earth. It seeks to understand where things are found, why they are there
and how they develop and change over time. From the Greek word, geo, meaning earth and graphein, meaning to write.
Two types of geography:
 Physical Geography. Focuses on geography as an earth science, it mainly focuses on the physical structure or
attributes.
 Cultural Geography. Focuses on the visible human imprint of human activity. Like political, economic and cultural
aspects.
ECONOMICS, A social science concerned with the factors that determine the production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services. It focuses on the behavior and interactions of economic agent and how economies work.
Two major fields:
 Macroeconomics
 Microeconomics
LINGUISTICS. The scientific study of language. Specifically, language form, language meaning, and language in content.
PSYCHOLOGY, it is the study of behavior and mind embracing all aspects of consciousness and unconscious experience as
well as the thought; in other words it is the study of behavior and mental processes.
Psyche, from the Greek word soul and logos, meaning study.
SOCIOLOGY, is the study of relationships among people. It is the study of society and the behavior of people in the society.
Three approaches in Sociology:
 Structural Functionalism
 The Conflict Theory
 The Symbolic-Interaction Perspective
HISTORY, is the study of past events; record of the past; the study of the past and its records about events. From the Greek
word, historia, meaning inquire knowledge through investigation.
DEMOGRAPHY, is basically the study of human population and dynamics which include the components such as population
size, population composition (characteristics of people based on age, sex, marital status, religion, nationality, etc.), population
growth, and population distribution.
POLITICAL SCIENCE, this is the study of the state, politics and government. Aristotle is considered as the founder of political
science. He said that everything that happens in the society is based on politics. Politics is the study of power. Power is the
source of influence. So when a person has the power, it means he can influence you.
Subfields of Political Science:
 Comparative Government
 International Relation
 Political Theory
 Public Administration
 Constitutional Law
 Public Theory