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Class_5_Social_Science_Disciplines_and_Approaches_

The document outlines the various disciplines within social science, including sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology, highlighting their definitions and areas of study. It discusses the historical development of social sciences, particularly during the Enlightenment, and the contributions of key figures like Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of social science in addressing contemporary issues and improving society through interdisciplinary approaches.

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isabel
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11 views

Class_5_Social_Science_Disciplines_and_Approaches_

The document outlines the various disciplines within social science, including sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology, highlighting their definitions and areas of study. It discusses the historical development of social sciences, particularly during the Enlightenment, and the contributions of key figures like Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of social science in addressing contemporary issues and improving society through interdisciplinary approaches.

Uploaded by

isabel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOCIAL SCIENCE:

DISCIPLINES AND
APPROACHES
Flashback
Reflection#1 What did you gain What do you
What were your main most from the remember about how
takeaways from that Time Management se defined the social
assignment? class? science in the first
class?
Core
MAIN SOCIAL SCIENCE disciplines
Economics

DISCIPLINES
Political Science
Differentiation subject to
debate!
Sociolog
Disciplines linked to Natural Science y
Disciplines close to
Psycholog humanities
y Histor
y
Geography
Philosophy

Anthropology Anthropology
Other Fields within Social Science

Business/Commerce Criminology

La Communication
w Studies

Linguistics Gender
Studies

Religious
Education
Studies
Discipline Reminder
Sociology: Rundown
The study of human social relationships, and the rules and ideas that guide these
relationships.

Economics:
Deals with theory concerning the production and distribution and consumption of
goods and services and their management. A sub-branch of this is ‘Business’
which is when economic theory is applied to business management.

Political Science:
The study of government and political units.
History:
The study of human past using primary sources as evidence to
analyse and evaluate historical events and figures.

Anthropology:
Studies the origin and varieties of human beings and their societies –
our physical characteristics as animals, and our non-biological
characteristics, called culture.

Psychology:
The study of behaviour and thought processes.

Geography:
The study of the earth’s surface and human responses to
environment, both past and present.
IN GROUPS PICK THE BEST
DISCIPLINE FOR THE HEADLINE
AND EXPLAIN WHY...

POINTS GO TO GROUPS WITH THE


MOST CONVINCING ANSWERS
HISTORY OF THE SOCIAL
SCIENCES
THE ENLIGHTENMENT (MID 17TH CENTURY)
Philosophers in Europe (men AND women)
started to focus on understanding society*
through scientific observation, and empirical
evidence.

Their scientific approach made these studies


distinct from previous ones.

Many works focused on moral philosophy


(ethics) in a secular framework.
*They were not the first to do this, Greek, Islamic and Chinese philosophers had been
writing on such issues prior to the Enlightenment.
REVOLUTION OF THE
MEANING OF SCIENCE
Mathematical understanding of humans

Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Johannes Kepler,


Gottfried Leibniz, used mathematical examples to
understand human behaviour.

1767 - French economist Marquis de Mirabeau


coined the term “social science”
“DEMOCRATIZATION OF
KNOWLEDGE”
Encyclopédie of Diderot, published 1751 -
1772
• First major publication that pulled together social
sciences for purposes of educating the public.
• Aim was to secularise knowledge of the world and
disseminate it to the whole public.
• To train the public “how to think” - and move them
away from religious (esp. Jesuit) thinking.
• Major French intellectuals of the Enlightenment
published in it.
• Went underground due to provoking the Ancient
Régime and the church.
The 19th Century saw some figures that
brought major developments to the social
sciences.

Who were they and what did they claim?


AUGUSTE COMPTE AND ÉMILE
DURKHEIM
Positivism and the emergence of Sociology

Compte (1798-1857):
• Founded philosophical school known as positvism: claims knowledge comes
from direct experience; observation and experiment will lead to “truth”.
• So, disciplines can only work around experience and observable data (which
he calls “positive facts”). Such scientific analysis will lead to understanding
social pathologies.
• Compte said history, economics and psychology could be unified under
scientific method and called this Sociology.
Durkheim (1858-1917)
• Furthered the discipline through "the science of social facts:"
• Social facts are created from collective social forces (e.g cultural norms and
social structures), not from the individual.
• Work on suicide.
KARL MARX AND MAX WEBER
History, economics and social theory
Marx (1818–1883)
• Historically, human behaviour has been driven by economics,
(materialism) which led to class conflict.
• The working class were and would be the most effective in
achieving revolution.
• Marxist theory has been applied in other realms of the social
sciences to understand oppression and resistance.
Weber (1864–1920)
• Anti-positivist - interpretive approach to social science, from
an observer.
• Social action theory - look at interaction between individuals,
who are active and reactive. Led to notion of human
“agency”.
• Contrary to Marx, it was not economics but cultural forces
and religion (Protestantism) that led to capitalism.
Now you’ve had this
brief history, assess in
groups why social
science is important?

Give examples.
By assessing what is going on now (or in the past)
social scientists offer ideas of how society could
improve.

They work with government, social services,


NGOs, the UN, funding agencies and the media to
help make decisions that would benefit humanity
socially and economically.
Example...
Should (UK debate) the
trains be nationalised?
• History:
• When were they privatised and why? When was the railway most successful

and why? What were the socio-economic consequences post privatisation?


• Economics:
• What would the cost be to fully nationalise? How would this impact

taxpayers? Would this be more costly than the impact of inefficient private
financing?
• Political Science :
• Why is government so anti-nationalisation, despite still owning some

networks?
• Philosophy:
In-class
activity
Lets brainstorm (and then
select) a current social issue that
could be approached from multi-
disciplines...
Instructions
• I have coloured poster boards which will be placed around
the room. :
• Each poster will have a different discipline written on it.
• In groups of max 5 students, write on each poster how that
discipline could approach/investigate our topic. For
example, what issues could they raise, or what questions
could they ask/answer?
• Once each group has written on each poster, you will
rotate the posters again to read what everyone has
written, and you will decide as a group which discipline
Next
class...Quick activity – match quotes
to the social scientist!

How to study/do
homework/prep for tests

Come with your questions!

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