2. Effects of Applied Social Sciences Processes
The applied social sciences have various effects in our lives. Some of these are
discussed as follows:
Awareness and knowledge: i.e., Social Media
Social Media
Positive Impact
- you can communicate to your friends fast over the internet
- you can search nearly anything online
- you can purchase products online which makes it easier, can save time, money,
and effort.
Negative Impact
- creates a generation barrier where different generations can rarely communicate
- makes people vulnerable to hackers, viruses and identity thefts
3. Social Media is just like a HALF GLASS of water. It depends on us what we see. In
other words, it’s a matter of choice on how we use it.
(AsapScience 2015)
Through the applied social sciences, people have developed ways to
understand one’s self and the other people around.
Counseling allows us to understand one’s personality including various
problems and issues that may affect an individual. The applied social sciences also
allow us to understand better and probe deeper into the different problems and issues
affecting an individual, group, and society through social work.
4. Social work provides awareness and understanding of community
organizing issue and mobilization. They also inform communities
about the important political, social, and economic issue that is
affecting them. Trainings conducted by social workers on
community capacity building provide members with successful
strategies and skills for personal and community development.
The applied social sciences, particularly communication helped
people to become more discerning about the problems of country.
Television, radio, and newspaper provide people information on the
different issues faced by the country. Through media, people also
became more aware of the social realities.
5. Attitude and value change: i.e., disaster risk reduction and the
bahala na habit
Disaster Risk Reduction
- People’s perceptions of natural, spiritual, and social
phenomena are socially constructed.
- Disaster risk reduction is not a completely individual effort as it
can also be fostered by social networks.
The Bahala na Habit
It’s a habit of Filipinos to say it especially when they don’t have
a choice left to gain that boosts their ego to do something that
you need, and most of the times it is effective.
6. Positiveness of “Bahala Na”
- highlighting one’s courage to willingly face difficulty and possible
failure
- it leads to hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and courage
- willing to accept responsibilities in situations which he cannot control
- unstructured situations where the person has to have a strong sense
of pakiramdam as well
Negativeness of “Bahala Na”
- For some, it may just be a lame excuse to do nothing
- a sign of laziness for some students who refuse to prepare for
upcoming exams out of fear or laziness.
7. In summary, “bahala na” mentality has two meaning among Filipinos. For
hardworking Filipino, this mentality reflects an optimistic attitude that good things
will come since they have done their best. If not, they will not worry so much
about the result. The attitude revolves around a healthy dose of faith in God and
a realistic acceptance that life is not perfect.
The applied social sciences allow us to understand various social
phenomena and because of this, people can make significant changes in their
attitudes and values to prevent the occurrence of various natural and social
problems.
Example, risks of disasters can be prevented and mitigated through the use
of the applied social sciences because it can provide us information on what to
do when disasters happen in a community. Community social workers provide
people with information that can help them to make important attitude and value
changes so that the impact of disasters can be reduced.
8. Another example is the impact of climate change to society and its overarching
effects on our country has become clearer and can easily be understood through the
information communication to us by media. Disasters, climate change, and its other
adverse effects are now clear to society because it has been effectively discussed and
communicated in different forms of media like, television. radio, internet, and social
media. Applied social scientists can communicate to the people impact of these social
environmental phenomena through their understanding of the interaction of society,
culture, and environment. Because of our knowledge of climate change, people have
developed a new perspective and change of attitudes and values about the
importance of climate change.
Social workers provide people affected by disaster training on how to become
vulnerable to hazards on what they should do before, during, after a disaster. These
trainings and programs that were done and implemented by applied social sciences
practitioners changed the people’s attitudes, values, and ideas towards disasters.
Through the help of social workers, people affected by disasters become more
resilient and prepared in times of disasters.
9. Directions:
1. After studying the course, Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences,
you will write your thoughts and learnings in color coded papers.
GREEN: Best Learning
YELLOW: Best Feelings
WHITE: Personal Realizations
ORANGE: Further Questions
2. Each paper must contain at least 3 paragraphs and must contain not less than
300 words.
3. Your performance will be graded using the rubrics for individual work attached
below.
4. Note: 5% of the total score will be automatically deducted if your essay is less
than 300 words.
