Kinds of Questions Different Social Scientists Ask
Historians ask…
Source: http://magazine.oah.org/issues/222/TLHQuestionChart.pdf
Economists ask…
1.
Why are scarce resources are exchanged?
2.
How do consumers and producers behave as they interact with each other in
markets, in their attempt to achieve mutually beneficial exchange?
3.
What is the role of government in compensating for the limitations of markets in
achieving mutually beneficial exchange?
Methods used by economists…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Describe and measure the exchanges observed
Explain how interactions arise and create costs and benefits
Propose hypotheses, construct and apply models to test hypotheses
Gather data to put into the model
Predict behavior based on these models
Source: http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Competitive_markets/What_is_economics.html
Five Geographic Themes and Essential Questions
Geographers Ask**
1.
Location: Position on Earth’s Surface (Absolute & Relative)
Where and how will ten billion people live? (c) (e)
How does where we live affect our health? (a) (d) (f)
2.
Place: Physical and Human Characteristics
Where and how will ten billion people live? (c) (e)
How does where we live affect our health? (a) (d) (f)
How can we best preserve biological diversity and protect endangered ecosystems? (b) (d) (e) (f)
3.
Human/Environment Interaction: Shaping the Landscape
How can we best preserve biological diversity and protect endangered ecosystems? (b)
How are we changing the physical environment of Earth’s surface? (c) (d) (e) (f)
How are climate and other environmental changes affecting the vulnerabilities of coupled human/environment
systems? (c) (d) (f)
How are movements of people, goods and ideas changing the world? (a) (c)
How is globalization affecting income equality? (a) (c) (d) (e) (f)
How might we better observe, analyze and visualize a changing world? (b) (d) (f)
4.
Movement: Humans Interacting on the Earth
Where and how will ten billion people live? (c)
How will we sustainably feed everyone in the coming decade and beyond? (b) (c)
How are geopolitical shifts influencing peace and stability? (a) (b) (c)
5.
Regions: How they Form and Change
How are movements of people, goods and ideas changing the world? (a) (c) (d) (e) (f)
How are geopolitical shifts influencing peace and stability? (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) f)
How might we better observe, analyze and visualize a changing world? (b) (d) (f)
** Selected historians’ questions in parentheses: (a) cause & effect (b) change & continuity (c) turning points
** Selected economists’ questions in parentheses: (d) what will be produced? (e) for whom will it be produced? (f)
how will it produced?
Created by Dr. Paul Mack, Associate Professor (retired), Maryville University, for Parkway Social Studies
Professional Development, November 2014