Social Science: Anthropology and Economics

Study Notes

Social science is the study of society, and the relationships among individuals within it
Social science has many branches, with each studying a specific area
It differs from natural science, which studies topics such as physics, chemistry, and biology

Anthropology studies humans and their societies in the past and present
Cultural anthropology examines cultural organization
Cultural anthropology focuses on kinship, political and legal systems, economics, religion, and art
Social anthropology studies patterns of behavior
Linguistic anthropology studies the role of language in social life
Biological anthropology studies the biological and behavioral aspects of humans, their extinct hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates
Archeology studies human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture

Economics studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
Microeconomics studies the behavior of basic elements in the economy, including individual agents and markets, their interactions, and the outcomes of interactions
Microeconomics analyzes market failure, where markets fail to produce efficient outcomes
Microeconomics describes the theoretical conditions needed for perfect competition
Macroeconomics studies the behavior of the economy as a whole
Macroeconomics examines economy-wide phenomena such as inflation, price levels, rate of economic growth, national income, gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, and unemployment rates

Geography studies the Earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena
Human geography studies the spatial organization of human activities and people's relationships with their environments
Physical geography studies the natural environment
Geography aims to understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time

Political science studies the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior
It examines the state and its organs and institutions
Political science includes political theory, public administration, public law, political economy, and public policy
Political science studies topics such as power, conflict, and governance

Psychology studies mental functions and behaviors
It explores topics such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, motivation, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships
Psychology studies the conscious and unconscious mind
It uses various methods, including experimentation, observation, and psychological testing
It is applied in various fields such as mental health treatment, education, business, and sports

Sociology studies society, social behavior, and social change
It uses empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order,disorder, and change
Sociology studies topics such as social stratification, social mobility, religion, secularization, law, sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, and crime
It studies the structure of organizations, social institutions, and social movements