11
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Disciplines and Ideas
in the Social Sciences
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
The Disciplines of Social Sciences
Subject Name – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 2: The Disciplines of Social Sciences
First Edition, 2020
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any
work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the
government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for
exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things,
impose as a condition the payment of royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand
names, trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective
copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to
use these materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and
authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.
Published by the Department of Education
Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio
Development Team of the Module
Writer:
Mervina B. Tagbar
Editors:
Maria Reina Mae M. Ablir and Maria Eula Pauline A. Elumir
Reviewer:
Divina May S. Medez
Illustrator:
Layout Artist:
Richie C. Naingue
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V
Rosela R. Abiera
Fay C. Luarez, TM, Ed.D., Ph.D.
Maricel S. Rasid
Adolf P. Aguilar, Ed.D.
Elmar L. Cabrera
Nilita L. Ragay, Ed.D.
Carmelita A. Alcala, Ed.D.
Printed in the Philippines by ________________________
Department of Education –Region VII Schools Division of Negros Oriental
Office Address:
Tele #:
E-mail Address:
Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
(035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
11
Disciplines and
Ideas in the
Social Sciences
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
The Disciplines of Social
Sciences
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences 11 Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on The Disciplines of Social Sciences!
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by
educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the
teacher or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore,
this also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while
taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:
Notes to the Teacher
This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the
learners.
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to
encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the
module.
ii
For the learner:
Welcome to the Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences 11 Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on The Disciplines of Social Sciences!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and
time. You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource
while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:
What I Need to
Know
What I Know
This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn
in the module.
This part includes an activity that aims
to check what you already know about
the lesson to take. If you get all the
answers correct (100%), you may decide
to skip this module.
What’s In
This is a brief drill or review to help you
link the current lesson with the previous
one.
What’s New
In this portion, the new lesson will be
introduced to you in various ways; a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener,
an activity, or a situation.
What is It
What’s More
What I Have
Learned
What I Can Do
This section provides a brief discussion
of the lesson. This aims to help you
discover and understand new concepts
and skills.
This comprises activities for independent
practice to solidify your understanding
and skills of the topic. You may check
the answers to the exercises using the
Answer Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to
process what you learned from the
lesson.
This section provides an activity which
will help you transfer your new
iii
knowledge or skill into real life situations
or concerns.
Assessment
This is a task which aims to evaluate
your level of mastery in achieving the
learning competency.
Additional Activities
In this portion, another activity will be
given to you to enrich your knowledge or
skill of the lesson learned.
Answer Key
This contains answers to all activities in
the module.
At the end of this module you will also find:
References
This is a list of all sources used in
developing this module.
The following are some reminders in using this module:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any
part of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the
exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other
activities included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through
with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind
that you are not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful
learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You
can
do
it!
iv
What I Need to Know
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY:
(Differentiate the nature and functions of Social Sciences Disciplines with the
Natural Sciences and Humanities – HUMSS_DISS11-IIIb-d-3)
In this module you will be presented with the various Disciplines in the Social
Sciences- Anthropology, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science,
psychology, sociology and demography.
These disciplines play a significant role in the society. Each discipline has its
own function and their functions would not intervene but should complement to each
other in order to attain the utmost effect for the better.
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. Identify the different Disciplines in the Social Sciences.
2. Differentiate the different functions of the different disciplines in our society.
3. Appreciate the importance of studying these disciplines in our daily lives.
1
What I Know
Directions: Read and answer the items below. Write your answers in your notebook.
Test A: True or False
Instructions: Write True if the statement is correct and false if otherwise.
_____1. Anthropology is the study of humans; it is the Social Science that seeks to
understand human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of cultures and
worldviews.
_____2. History is the study of the present; it describes/narrates and analyses
human activities in the present and the changes that they had undergone.
_____3. Political Science is the systematic study of politics.
_____4. Linguistics is the study of language and its structure.
_____5. Anthropology comes from the Greek word “anthropos” which means human.
Test B: Identification
Instructions: Identify the concept being described in each number. Write
your answers in your notebook.
_____6. The scientific study of human behavior and mental process.
_____7. A Social Science Discipline that deals with the optimum allocation of scarce
resources among its alternatives to satisfy the unlimited human wants and
needs of the people.
_____8. The study of the earth’s surface; a specialized investigation of the physical
structure of earth, including its terrain and its climates, and the nature and
character of its contrasting inhabited portions.
_____9. The systematic study of human society.
_____10. The statistical study of human populations especially with reference to size
and density.
2
Test C: Multiple Choice
Instructions: Read each statement below and write the letter of the correct
answer in your notebook.
11. It is the quantitative study of populations in the past.
A. Social demography
C. Physical demography
B. Historical demography
D. Modern demography
12. It is a field in Political Science which focuses on the legal concerns between the
state and the people such as constitutional law and administrative law.
A. National Law
C. Private Law
B. Public Law
D. none of these
13. It is a field in Economics which focuses on small-scale market interactions that
transpire between individuals consisting of business firms and households.
A. Microeconomics
C. Applied Economics
B. Macroeconomics
D. Positive Economics
14. He is known to be the Father of Sociology.
A. Karl Marx
C. Marco Polo
B. Plato
D. Auguste Comte
15. A field in History which is concerned with the study of particular kinds of
phenomena such as family and marriage, adolescence and mass media, human
rights and inequality.
A. Social History
C. Intellectual History
B. Cultural History
D. Historiography
16. It is the study of human speech sound.
A. Semantics
B. Phonetics
C. Morphology
D. Syntax
What’s In
In the previous lesson, you learned about the basic concepts, subjects, and
methods of inquiry in Social Sciences. Furthermore, you also tackled on the
influential thinkers in Social Sciences, who have made a great impact in our society.
In this lesson, you will learn about the various disciplines in Social Science
and its contributions in our society.
3
Task 1: JUMBLE UNSCRAMBLE:
Directions: Unscramble the letters below to form the word being described in each
number. Write your answers in your notebook.
1. A N T H O R G O P O Y L- is the study of humans; the social science that
seeks to understand human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of
cultures and worldviews
2. E N C O O S M I C- a social science discipline that deals with the optimum
allocation of scarce resources among its alternatives to satisfy the unlimited
human wants and needs of the people.
3. G I N U S L T I I S C- study of language and its structure
What’s New
http://slideplayer.com/3532032/12/images/9/Different+Fields+of+Science.jpg
Task 2: Analysis:
Instructions: Study the picture above and answer the questions below. Write your
answers in your activity notebook.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What fields of Social Science can you see in the picture?
Which of these fields play a significant role in our lives and society?
How do these fields differ from each other?
Are these disciplines interrelated with Natural Science? Why or why not?
4
What is It
Social Science is engaged in the study of phenomena relating to human
groups and their socio-physical environment. The term social science implies two
important contexts: (1) it involves scientific process and (2) it seeks information
about the social space. As such, social science and the disciplines within its practice
involve a scientific and methodological study of humans and society.
In this module, you will be introduced to the various disciplines in the social
sciences and its relevant contributions and functions in the society.
1. Anthropology is the study of humans; the social science that seeks to
understand human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of cultures and
worldviews. The term anthropology comes from the Greek words anthropos (human)
and logos (study). This etymology relates to the scope of anthropology as a
discipline, which includes everything about humans – from their biological and
evolutionary past, to ways of life and traditions that they uphold.
The Development of Anthropology
In order to trace the history of anthropology as a discipline, one must consider
two historical events – the rise of the empires and states and the dawn of colonialism
and imperialism – that made a significant impact on the rise of scholars who built the
theoretical and methodological foundations of this field of study.
Important Personalities in Anthropology
Edward Burnett Tylor
Tylor (1832–1917) is regarded as the Father of Cultural Anthropology. He defined
anthropology as the “science of culture,” which was the first time that culture had
been declared as an object of study. He argued that just like any topic of science,
culture could be objectively studied with proper methodology and theoretical
framework. He said that “culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic
sense, is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of
society.
Lewis Henry Morgan
Morgan (1818–1881) was a lawyer by training and profession, who became
fascinated with the land disputes between the United States government and the
American Indian people as the Iroquois. What defined Morgan’s career as an
anthropologist was his success in documenting the kinship system of the Iroquois.
5
Franz Boas
Boas (1858–1942) was one of the key figures who did not use science to
justify racism. In his evolutionary stance on societal development, he argued that
culture is not a by-product of a human group’s physical characteristics, but of social
learning affected by the various factors like environment and history. This argument
became the foundation of human variation analysis that is based on cultural
differences, a far cry from the biological deterministic framework of the evolutionists.
Anthropology was developed as a discipline in response to the sociocultural
shifts and issues that transpired when people of various backgrounds came in
contact with one another. As the discipline progressed, various approaches in
understanding society were used by its practitioners. Today, anthropology remains
relevant as it attempts to address contemporary issues for the general public.
2. Economics is a social science discipline that deals with the optimum allocation of
scarce resources among its alternatives to satisfy the unlimited human wants and
needs of the people. Economics was first conceived as the study of the allocation of
resources within the household level. Its origin could be traced back to two ancient
Greek words: oikos (house) and nomos (custom or law), referring to the rules
implemented in the household to ensure its efficient management. Such idea
allowed for the inquiry of small-scale interactions among economic factors, which in
turn formed the microeconomic approach.
Fields of Economics







Microeconomics – focuses on small-scale market interactions that transpire
between individuals consisting of business firms and households.
Macroeconomics – focuses on analyzing the determinants of national income.
This approach allows for the aggregation of individual responses and behavior
within market systems.
Mainstream economics – focuses on understanding the interconnections
between the concepts of rationality, individualism, and equilibrium.
Heterodox economics – It focuses on the interconnection of concepts like
institutions, history, and social structure.
Economic Theory – an umbrella term that refers to the explanation and
understanding of the processes and interactions related to the production and
consumption of goods within a market system.
Applied Economics – utilizes economic theories and formulas to real-world
scenarios with the goal of predicting possible events that would affect the
individuals within the economic system.
Positive Economics – viewed as the descriptive form of economics wherein its
chief aim is to describe and explain economic phenomena and behavior.
6
Normative Economics – is often associated with welfare economics, as it is
focused on providing explanations and arguments on how economic policies
should be.
The discipline of economics was conceived to address the shift in production and
distribution of goods, as mechanized factories were instituted as replacement for
basic manual labor by the turn of the century. The issues and challenges of this shift
centered on topics like labor cost, values in production, price shifts and production
processes. The subdisciplines of economics are guided by the theoretical
approaches that range from highly macro perspective to a micro perspective.

3. Geography is the study of the earth’s surface; a specialized investigation of the
physical structure of the earth, including its terrain and its climates, and the nature
and character of its contrasting inhabited portions. The word geography comes from
the Greek word “geo” (earth, land or ground) and “graphia” (to write, an art, or a
study). The combination of the two words provides an elementary definition of
geography, which is the study of describing the earth. This study also accounts for
the people living in it and their interactions with the environment. As an academic
discipline, geography seeks to answer old questions such as “Where am I in this
world?” or “Where am I in the context of the world?”. As a social science, geography
examines the human or social aspects of these inquiries. Thus, we can say that
geography is an interdisciplinary study that explores the relation between Earth, its
human inhabitants, and the changes and interplay that occurred overtime.
Important Personalities in Geography
Anaximander (610–546 BCE) a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, biologist and
astronomer. He is also considered as one of the first, if not the first, geographer.
Strabo (64–20 BCE) a Greek geographer who coined the term Geographia, which
was also the title of his 17-volume series on geographical studies.
Eratosthenes (276–194 BCE) using geometry, he became the first to have
calculated accurately the circumference of Earth.
Ptolemy (100–178 CE) compiled and summarized in Geographike Hyphegesis
(Guide to Geography) all known information of geography of his time. One of his
most important contribution to geography was the formulation of map coordinates by
utilizing and developing the concepts of latitude and longitude.
Edrisi an Arab geographer and descendant of Prophet Mohammed, who collected
all known geographical information of his time.
7
Ibn Battuta (1304-1368 CE) was a Moroccan explorer who published his 30-year
journey in his book Rihla (Journey). He travelled farther and longer than Marco Polo
by visiting all the places in the known Muslim world, as well as non-Muslim lands.
Fields of Geography





Physical geography is a discipline which studies the changes in the natural
patterns and processes of Earth’s surface over time.
Human geography is a discipline which studies the relationship of people,
communities and cultures across space and place.
Integrated geography is a discipline which studies how human activities impact
the environment through the analysis of the shifts in landforms and cycles of
natural resources.
Geomatics is a discipline which focuses on the scientific management of
geographic data. It involves the methodology by which data are gathered,
processed, stored, and delivered to users using the aid of the latest computer
software and hardware.
Regional Geography is a discipline which focuses on a particular region on the
surface of the earth.
The field of geography was developed as a response to the growing curiosity
of human groups to understand the variation in their environment and those people
that inhabit them. The interdisciplinary nature of geography allowed it to collaborate
with other disciplines in the social sciences through shared methods and topics. In
time when environmental crises are prevalent and the earth’s surface is experiencing
drastic changes due to natural and man-made causes, Geography all the more finds
its relevance as a field of inquiry in the social sciences.
4. History is the study of the past; it describes /narrates and analyses human
activities in the past and the changes that they had undergone. The word history
came from the Greek word historia which means “finding out,” “inquiry,” and
“narrative.” In some interpretations, historia means “knowledge acquired
investigation.” The American Historical Association defines history as “the neverending process whereby people seek to understand the past and its meaning.”
History, in many ways is a way for us to understand ourselves and make sense of
the world.
Important Personalities in History
Herodotus (484–425 BCE), a Greek historian, known to be the Father of History. He
compiled and systematically, arranged his collection of works in the Histories (440
BCE). Narrating the events which took place during the Greco-Persian War, he
presented his accounts by providing geographic and ethnographic information, which
was in part provided to him by people he had interviewed.
8
Thucydides (460–400 BCE), a Greek Philosopher, historian and general. He is
known as the Father of Scientific History as his History of the Peloponnesian War
(431 BCE) recounted events, based on evidence and analysis. His works, as he
described it in his introduction, narrated facts without becoming fictional by using
gods and deities as reference.
Ban Gu (32–92 CE) was a Chinese historian and poet. He became famous in
compiling the Book of Han, which contained the history of the Han Dynasty. It is
regarded as the first work to have covered a single dynasty in detail.
Leopold von Ranke (1795–1886) a German historian and founder of the modern
study of History. He was the first to have provided a historical seminar where he
elaborated on the methods and techniques in studying history.
Karl Marx (1818–1883) was, among others, a German Philosopher, Economist, and
Sociologist. Marx is often referred to as the Father of Communism. Marx stated in his
book The German Ideology his theory on the materialist conception of history. The
principle idea of this theory is that the material conditions or resources determine a
group’s social structure and social order-“it is not the consciousness of men that
determines their existence, but, on the contrary, their social existence that
determines their consciousness.”
Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) was a British Historian and Philosopher known for
his monumental 12-volume work titled A study of History. In this book, Tonybee
narrated the histories of 26 civilizations, describing how they overcame challenges
with the guidance and leadership of an elite group of leaders.
Fields of History
 Cultural history focuses on the study of belief systems, customs, social forms,
political systems, material traits, and economic activities of a group or community
usually for the purpose of cross comparison with others.
 Social history is concerned with the study of particular kinds of phenomena such
as family and marriage, adolescence, and work and leisure through the use of
sociological theories and approaches.
 Intellectual history looks into the history of ideas and theories. Historiography is
one of its primary subfields wherein the development of schools and approaches
are documented.
History is one discipline whose methods and approaches are highly used by
practitioners in other disciplines in Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and
9
Humanities. In earlier times, the value of history was centered in its system of
organizing data relating to significant events. Today, the value of history lies in its
ability to provide context in the trajectory of events and shifts in personalities.
5. Linguistics is the study of language and its structure. Linguistics is
interdisciplinary in nature, intersecting with the Humanities and Social Sciences as it
inquires on the basic element that allows societies to communicate ideas across
space and time. The term linguistics was derived from the Latin word “lingua”, which
refers to language. Since the late 1500s, individuals who study language have been
called linguists. Linguistics, as a discipline, deals with three principal components:
sound, structure, and meaning. Sound is divided into Phonetics and Phonology.
Phonetics, studies human speech sounds, while Phonology studies the principles
governing sound systems of languages. Structure is divided into Morphology and
Syntax. Morphology, studies language structure from its morphic units or root words,
while Syntax studies sentence structure such as grammar. Lastly, meaning is
divided into Semantics and Pragmatics. Semantics studies the logic and meaning of
words and phrases, while Pragmatics studies the use of language and its effects on
society.
The Fields of Linguistics




Historical Linguistics, otherwise known as diachronic linguistics, studies how a
particular language changed over time.
Sociolinguistics examines how language is used in relation to people’s
sociocultural environment. It considers the following: (1) the social background of
the addresser and the addressee; (2) the relationship of the addresser and the
addressee; and (3) the context and manner through which the communication
transpired.
Developmental Linguistics analyzes the development of language acquisition,
language retention, and language loss and bilingualism. It studies the
development of linguistic ability among children and the stages by which they
gradually come to use language.
Neurolinguistics studies the physiological mechanisms by which the brain
processes information in relation to language. It investigates how the human
brain functions when used in communication and how it uses information to
experiment and elaborate on linguistic and psycholinguistic theories.
Language enables humans to communicate more efficiently so they can
collaborate and survive in their environment. As various forms of languages
developed, there was a need to understand and document these languages to
promote cross-cultural dialogues and understanding. With the initial goal of
uncovering the historical roots of languages, Linguistics later transformed to a field
studying more complex inquiries on the nexus of human nature and the development
of language.
10
6. Political Science is the systematic study of politics. It is the study of political
power relations, behavior, and activities as well as systems of government from a
domestic, international, and comparative perspective. Traditionally, the study of
political science focuses primarily on the state and its institutions. The contemporary
study of political sciences, however, has a broader and more encompassing
approach as it deals with societal, cultural, and psychological factors that affect the
political system.
The term politics is derived from the Greek word politikos which means “of,
for, or relating to citizens,” or in Aristotelian terms, “affairs of the cities.” In the
broader sense, politics is the theory and practice of influencing other people; in the
narrow sense, it is the theory or principle of organizing control or governance over a
people, community, or state.
The Fields of Political Science
 Comparative Politics studies the differences and similarities of the political
systems of the world in an empirical manner. It is not focused on analyzing countries
but is more of a method of analysis.
 Political Philosophy is the root from which Political Science sprouted from. The
most notable concepts in Political Philosophy include justice, law, rights and
government. Political Philosophy as a field of study covers theories from the ancient
past to postmodern thoughts on politics.
 Public Law is a field in Political Science which focuses on the legal concerns
between the state and the people such as constitutional law and administrative law.
The discipline of Political Science was conceived due to the need of
transparency in the governance of individuals within a society. Various theorists in
this discipline engaged in the production of knowledge and guidelines that could
guide leaders in their governance. Today, Political Science remains relevant as it
continues to provide conceptual tools in understanding the interplay of power and
politics among nations and their leaders.
7. Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental process.
Psychology is an interdisciplinary study which involves disciplines in the Social
Sciences, Natural Sciences, and even Humanities and Philosophy.
The root word of PSYCHOLOGY comes from the Greek word psyche which
means “soul”; hence, Psychology is the study of the soul.
Psychology seeks to answer why the human mind works the way it does and
how it functions and operates. Due to the depth and breadth of these questions,
scholars opened up Psychology to partake and accept theories and principles
utilized in other disciplines. Psychologists inquire about concepts related to
11
personality, behavior, cognition, and perception. The application of Psychology is not
simply confined within the treatment of mental health problems but encompasses
even other areas of human activity. Psychology is applied to sports, media,
organizational development, human resources, marketing, law enforcement, and
even military warfare.
Fields of Psychology

Biological Psychology studies Psychology from a biological perspective. It
examines how thoughts, feelings, and behavior physically affect human beings
or animals.

Behavioral Psychology or behaviorism determines psychological processes
through the use of observable data. Behaviorism is essentially a learning theory
as it inquires the developmental aspect of behavior and analyzes quantitatively
the changes that occurred overtime.

Cognitive Psychology analyzes how sensory data are interpreted and are used
by the mind to produce behavior. It is a field focused on how information and
knowledge is gained, selected, stored in memory, retrieved, and internally
manipulated.
Social Psychology interprets the behavior of groups in the presence of others. It
is the area of Psychology that inquires on the changes in behavior, emotions,
thoughts, and feelings of individuals in a group or as a group, in relation to other
groups or the community.
Psychoanalysis is an area of Psychology that can be philosophical and practical
inquiry, such that ideas and concepts which are metaphysical in nature can only
be theorized but not experimented on.
Humanistic Psychology is a field that focuses on how a person can better
achieve self-actualization through the development of his or her abilities. It is a
holistic approach to Psychology as it aims to maximize one’s self-awareness and
behavior.



The discipline of psychology progressed from the simple inquiry of reasons
behind human actions to the analysis of the clinical factors that define human
behavior, cognition, and consciousness. This progression allowed Psychology to
traverse across the disciplines of the social sciences and the natural sciences. One
chief contribution of psychology in the 21st century society is its capacity to improve
the quality of life of individuals through the examination and betterment of their
mental health and general sense of well-being.
12
8. Sociology is the systematic study of human society. The term sociology was
coined by the French Philosopher Auguste Comte, who is also considered as the
Father of Sociology. The term was derived from the French word sociologie which is
a combination of the Greek words socious, which means “companionship” or
“friendship,” and the suffix -ology, which means “the study of.” Thus, sociology is
simply defined as “the study of society.”
As an academic discipline, sociology inquires into social behaviour and
historical development of social institutions. It makes use of empirical methods to
investigate the different facets and functions of the society. In line with this pursuit,
the important aim of Sociology is to provide an understanding of ourselves and
others as members of society. Sociological perspective provides us with the ability to
systematically differentiate and assess fundamental social issues.
The definitions of sociology vary depending on a sociologist’s perspective.
Like other disciplines of the social sciences, confining sociology in a strict and formal
definition is still up for debate. Emile Durkheim defined sociology as “the science of
social institutions.” Moreover, Max Weber defined sociology as “the science which
attempts the interpretative understanding of social action in order thereby to arrive at
a casual explanation of its course and effects.” On the other hand, Morris Ginsberg
defined the discipline as “the study of human interactions, their conditions and
consequences.”
From these definitions, one can deduce that Sociology is an inquiry of the
human condition- how individuals live and interact with society and how that
relationship transcends into individual perspectives. Society – including the groups
where we belong and the community we live in – is part and parcel of what defines
us.
Important Personalities in Sociology
Auguste Comte
Sociology is the youngest of all social sciences. Developed in 1838 by August
Comte in his series of text titled A Course on Positive Philosophy (1830-1842),
wherein his theory aimed to make the structural components of the society
(government, family, and economics) comprehensible through systematic, empirical
observation and classification.
Herbert Spencer
The English Social philosopher applied biological concepts into the field of
Sociology with his theory of organic analogy. In his work Principles of Sociology
(1876), Spencer compared the development and activity of the society to a living
organism. He said that like organisms, society grows and develops in a gradual
process and passes through stages of complexity. Just as the organs in the body
have different purposes, society has institutions that have specific functions.
Lester F. Ward
13
He introduced Sociology as an academic discipline in American higher
education institutions. Ward theorized that a society’s progress could be controlled
and cannot be simply driven by deterministic forces like evolution.
Emile Durkheim
A French sociologist, social psychologist, and philosopher, who focused his
study on the phenomenon of suicide. He was credited for being one of the founding
fathers of modern sociology. His findings suggest that an individual is less likely to
commit suicide when he/she connects more with society.
Max Weber
A German Sociologist is credited for being one of the founding fathers of
modern Sociology. Weber’s inquiries revolved around his idea of social action. For
him, Sociology must aim to determine the motivation behind these actions, and why
and how these actions are done.
Karl Marx
A German Sociologist and Philosopher credited for being one of the founding
fathers of modern Sociology. For Marx, the truth about society is not found in
abstract ideas or principles but is found instead in the observable and knowable
world.
Fields of Sociology



Human Ecology studies the society in relation with its environment. This
discipline also considers how the environment is affected by society and how it is
utilized for production and habitation.
Penology or penal science studies how punishment is conducted on the
offending members of the society. As an interdisciplinary approach between
Sociology and Criminology, this field involves laws and the implementation of
policies and procedures.
Sociology of work was historically used as an inquiry into the effects of the
Industrial Revolution on societies. Today, however, this field shifted its inquiry on
how individuals, groups, communities, and societies relate to and interact with
different industries.
The field of sociology, in its most basic sense is the study of society. The shifts in
the social structures brought about the French Revolution in the 18 th century, created
a need to have a scientific discipline that could address the variance in behavior of
humans in groups and organizations. With the advent of new technology and media,
the distance between societies and cultures became smaller. However, interpersonal
14
relationships-considered as the foundations of society-seemed to dissipate due to
these technologies. In the 21st century, sociology brings out the dysfunctions
inevitably associated with the progress of society.
9. Demography is the statistical study of human populations especially with
reference to size and density. The term demography comes from the Greek words
demos (people) and graphia (a description of). From this etymology, we may derive
that demography is a study of describing people. As an academic field under Social
Sciences, demography is the study of human populations through the use of
statistical analysis and mathematical modelling. Demography describes the
composition of a population according to its basic and socio-economic features. A
population’s basic features include age, sex, family, and household status. On the
other hand, the socio-economic features of a population are religion, language,
ethnicity, education, income, and wealth. However, beyond these statistical
descriptions is an inquiry on the causes and effects of population change and what
they mean for the future.
Concerns and issues that are researched and studied by demographers
range from migration patterns, economic problems that affect population, birth
control, urban and rural congestion, to all other phenomena (spatial and temporal)
that directly or indirectly affect populations.
Fields of Demography


Historical demography is the quantitative study of populations in the past.
Historical demographers use, among others, censuses conducted by
governments, historical records, church registries, genealogies, and family trees
to establish an approximation of demographic data.
Social demography uses demographic data to describe and explain social
phenomena. It investigates social phenomena that affect the distribution, growth,
migration, and settlement of populations. Social demography also studies social
status distribution within a population.
Demography is the study of human population and its trends. Demography
allows us to study different aspects of people, communities, and societies across
borders. This discipline allows us to track progress, patterns, and trajectories by
providing empirical data of the components that make up society. As human
populations continue to grow, demography can trace and accurately predict
movements within communities, regions, and countries. Demographic data and their
resulting analysis enable developers, planners, engineers, and even policy makers
to understand and address the needs of the population.
15
What’s More
Task 3:
Directions: Answer the following questions below, write your answer in your Activity
Notebook.
1. Enumerate the different disciplines under Social Sciences.
2. What do you think is the role of these disciplines in the real world?
3. Among the disciplines in the Social Sciences, select three disciplines you think
has impacted your life most.
Task 4:
Directions: Write T if the statement is TRUE and F if the statement is FALSE. Write
your answers in your activity notebook.
______1. The term demography comes from the Greek words “demos” (animal) and
“graphia” (a description of).
______2. August Comte was considered as the Father of Sociology.
______3. Psychology seeks to answer why the human mind works the way it does
and how it functions and operates.
______4. Economics is a discipline in Social Science that deals with the optimum
allocation of abundant resources among its alternatives to satisfy the
unlimited human wants and needs of the people.
______5. Linguistics as a discipline deals with four principal components: sound,
structure, texture and meaning.
______6. Geography seeks to answer old questions such as “Where am I in this
world?”
______7. History is the statistical study of human populations especially with
reference to size and density.
______8. Language enables humans to communicate.
16
______9. In order to better understand human behavior and mental process, we
must study Psychology.
______10. Anthropology seeks to understand human origins and adaptation, and the
diversity of cultures and worldviews.
What I Have Learned
I have learned that ________________
I have realized that ________________
I will apply ________________________
What I Can Do
Task 1:
Directions: Read the quote below and answer the questions that follow. Write your
answers in your activity notebook.
“Social Science means inventing a certain brand of human we can understand.”
Nassim Nicholas Tale
Process Questions:
1. What was the quote all about?
2. What do you think is the relationship between social science and humanity?
Task 2:
WORD ASSOCIATION
Directions: From the word pool below, choose the words that can be associated
with Social Sciences. Write your answers in your Activity notebook, using the
diagram found below.
Geography
Saturn
Anthropology
Demography
Airplane
History
Planet
17
Homo Sapiens
Political Science
Oxygen
Sociology
Psychology
Economics
Linguistics
Cornea
Social Science
Assessment
Directions: Read each item carefully and write your answers in your activity
notebook.
Test A. True or False: Write True if the statement is correct and False if otherwise.
_____1. Anthropology is the study of humans; it is a discipline in Social Science that
seeks to understand human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of
cultures and worldviews.
_____2. History is the study of the present; it describes /narrates and analyses
human activities in the present and the changes that they had undergone.
_____3. Political Science is the systematic study of politics.
_____4. Linguistics is the study of language and its structure.
_____5. Anthropology comes from the Greek word “anthropos” which means human.
Test B. Identification: Identify the concepts described in the statements below.
Write your answers in your activity notebook.
_____6. The scientific study of human behavior and mental process.
_____7. A discipline in Social Science that deals with the optimum allocation of
scarce resources among its alternatives to satisfy the unlimited human wants
and needs of the people.
18
_____8. The study of the earth’s surface; a specialized investigation of the physical
structure of earth, including its terrain, its climates, and the nature and
character of its contrasting inhabited portions.
_____9. The systematic study of human society.
_____10. The statistical study of human populations especially with reference to size
and density.
Test C. Multiple Choice: Read each statement below and choose the letter of the
correct answer. Write the letter of your answer in your activity notebook.
11. It is the quantitative study of populations in the past.
A. Social demography
C. Physical demography
B. Historical demography
D. Modern demography
12. It is a field in Political Science which focuses on the legal concerns between the
state and the people such as constitutional law and administrative law.
A. National Law
C. Private Law
B. Public Law
D. none of these
13. It is a field in Economics which focuses on small-scale market interactions that
transpire between individuals consisting of business firms and households.
A. Microeconomics
C. Applied Economics
B. Macroeconomics
D. Positive Economics
14. He is known to be the Father of Sociology.
A. Karl Marx
B. Plato
C. Marco Polo
D. Auguste Comte
15. A field in history which is concerned with the study of particular kinds of
phenomena such as family and marriage, adolescence and mass media, human
rights and inequality.
A. Social History
C. Intellectual History
B. Cultural History
D. Historiography
16. This is a branch of Linguistic that deals with the study of human speech sounds.
A. Semantics
C. Morphology
B. Phonetics
D. Syntax
19
Glossary
Anthropology – the study of humans; the social science that seeks to understand
human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of cultures and worldviews.
Demography – the statistical study of human populations especially with reference
to size and density
Discipline – a field of study.
Economics – a social science discipline that deals with the optimum allocation of
scarce resources among its alternatives to satisfy the unlimited human wants
and needs of the people.
Geography – the study of earth’s surface; a specialized investigation of the physical
structure of earth, including its terrain and its climates, and the nature and
character of its contrasting inhabited portions.
Humanity – the totality of human beings; the human race
History – the study of the past; it describes/narrates and analyses human activities
in the past and the changes that they had undergone.
Iroquois – an American Indian confederacy originally of New York
Kinship – the quality or state of being kin
Language – the words, their pronunciation, and the methods combining them used
and understood by a community.
Linguistics – the study of language and its structure.
Methodological – relating to the system of methods used in a particular area of
study or activity.
Politics – the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing government
policy.
Political Science – the systematic study of politics.
Psychology – the scientific study of human behavior and mental process.
Sociology – the systematic study of human society.
20
Additional Activities
Directions: Make a concept map of the difference branches under Social Sciences
including its sub-disciplines or sub-fields. Draw it on a bond paper and attach it to
your activity/quiz notebook.
Source: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IhmmKVYm-Fo/VRrDdox-2hI/AAAAAAAACBo/uXpnlgpeRlM/w968h1046-no/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-31%2Bat%2B8.52.29%2BAM.png
21
TRY THIS!
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. T
22
6. Psychology
7. Economics
8. Geography
9. Sociology
10. Demography
11. B
12. B
13. A
14. A
15. B
What I can do!
Task 1:
Q 1: Answers may vary
Q 2: Answers may vary
TASK 2:
Geography
Anthropology
Demography
History
Political Science
Sociology
Psychology
Economics
Linguistics
What’s New
Q 1: Chemistry, Biology, Botany, Physics, Zoology
Q 2: Answers may vary
Q 3: Answers may vary
TASK 4:
Q1: Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political
Science, Psychology, Sociology and Demography
Answers may vary
Answers may vary
Q 2:
Q 3:
TASK 5
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T
9. T
10. T
ASSESS WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
1.
2.
3.
4.
T
F
T
T
6. Psychology
7. Economics
8. Geography
9. Sociology
11. B
12. B
13. A
14. A
Answer Key
References
Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., and Elizabeth T. Urgel. DIWA Senior High
School Series: Discipline and Ideas in Social Sciences. Makati City, Philippines:
DIWA LEARNING SYSTEMS INC, 2016.
“Department
of
Education
-
Commons.”
Accessed
August
2020.
https://commons.deped.gov.ph/melc.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/. “Methodological,” n.d. Accessed
August 2020.
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Oriental
Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
Email Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net
23