All truths are easy to
understand once they are
discovered; the point is to
discover them.
Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
- Social sciences are disciplines that use
research and analysis to examine human
behaviour
- To understand human behaviour social
scientists:
- Collect and analyze “statistics”
- Conduct experiments
- Examine the writings and creations of humans
- Social sciences consist of a variety of different
areas of study including:
-
Anthropology
Economics
Geography
History
Politics
Psychology
Sociology
Why study the social sciences?
• We can understand the basis of human
behaviour and various links and relationships
• For example:
– By studying history, we can understand the
relationships between Aboriginals and nonAboriginals
– By studying economics, we can understand the
connection between lower taxes and job creation
– By studying geography we can balance economics
with protecting the environment
Anthropology
• Anthropology is the study of the customs and
culture of humans
• Anthropology consists of several subdisciplines such as:
– Linguistics
– Cultural anthropology
– Physical anthropology
– Archaeology
Psychology
• Psychology is the systematic study of people’s
thoughts, feelings and behaviour
• There are several fields of psychological study
including:
– Cognitive Psychology studies how people perceive
& deal with their environment & how they learn,
remember & forget
– Behavioural Psychology studies how to predict and
control human behaviour
Sociology
• Sociology is the scientific study of the
development, structure & functioning of
human society
• Sociology studies how groups of people who
share common characteristics function
Critics of Social Science
‘The only possible conclusion the social
sciences can draw is: some do, some don’t’
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)
• Their primary problem is that many of the
social sciences are deemed “soft sciences”
since they do not always rely on strict
scientific methodology or rigorous, repeated
data.
Example
• Think back to a time when a friend with a
problem came to you for advice, and then
later on, another friend came to with you the
same problem. Did you give the same
advice? Well, maybe so, maybe not…it
probably depended on the friend right?
Response
• Most social scientists would argue that
humans (and their problems) are too complex
to boil down to a single, simple solution, and
so variation is necessary.
• Moreover, many of the social sciences do
employ quantitative and qualitative research
and data collection strategies, as well as an
adoption of the scientific method.
Other Criticisms…
• Another criticism is that the social sciences
are more heavily influenced by of-themoment political agendas and societal
pressures and influences.
However...
• Social science attempts to understand
ourselves. As with any theory, sometimes
there is success, oftentimes there is not, and
occasionally the search yields unconsidered
questions.
Discussion...
1) What area of the Social Sciences
(Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology) do
you know the most about and which do you
know the least about?
Discussion…
2) Briefly share what you know. Is Ernest
Rutherford correct in his criticism of the social
sciences? Why / Why not?
Discussion…
3) What are the top 3 social science based
questions you would want answers to?
Unit 1 Vocabulary List
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social Sciences
Statistics
Anthropology
Psychology
Sociology
Culture