Applied Social Sciences Semester 1 Quiz

Overview of Social Science

• Social Science studies individuals, communities, and societies, focusing on behaviors and interactions with built, technological, and natural environments.
• Originates from ancient philosophy, blending various disciplines like history, mathematics, poetry, and politics.

Major Disciplines in Social Sciences

• Anthropology

  • Derived from Greek "anthropos" (man) and "logos" (study).
  • Examines all aspects of human life and culture.
  • Includes cultural (study of cultures), linguistic (nature of languages), archaeology (past societies through material remains), and physical anthropology (origin and diversity of people).

• Economics

  • Comes from Latin "oikonomia" (household management).
  • Analyzes production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods and services.
  • Subdivided into microeconomics (individual economic factors) and macroeconomics (overall economy).

• Geography

  • Derived from Greek "geo" (Earth) and "graphein" (description).
  • Studies the distribution and arrangement of elements on Earth's surface.
  • Includes systematic geography (individual and cultural aspects) and regional geography (unique combinations of physical and cultural features).

• History

  • From Greek "historia" (to inquire).
  • Explores past events, primarily their relationships and impacts on present circumstances.

• Linguistics

  • Stemming from Latin "lingua" (tongue).
  • Scientifically studies language structures, origins, and acquisition processes.

• Political Science

  • Derived from Greek "polis" (city) and Latin "scire" (science).
  • Investigates government systems, political activities, and behaviors.

• Psychology

  • Combined from Greek "psyche" (spirit) and "logos" (study).
  • Addresses behaviors and mental processes with goals to describe, explain, predict, and change behaviors.

• Sociology

  • Comes from Latin "socius" (companion) and "logos".
  • Focuses on human social interactions and group life.

• Demography

  • Derived from Greek "demos" (people).
  • Interdisciplinary study of population size, growth, and distribution, analyzing statistics related to birth, death, income, and disease incidence.

Key Concepts and Goals

• Social sciences aim to understand and analyze human behavior through various lenses, ensuring in-depth insights into individual and societal dynamics.
• Each discipline offers unique methodologies and perspectives that contribute to a holistic view of human interaction and societal development.