Social Sciences: Introduction and Disciplines

Overview of Social Science Disciplines

• Social Sciences investigate human interactions, behaviors, and societal influences, distinguishing them from natural sciences that focus on the physical world.
• Emphasis on understanding societies and cultural practices through various disciplinary lenses.

Anthropology

• Originates from Greek "anthropos" (human) and "logos" (study of).
• Encompasses the study of humans, considering both biological and cultural aspects.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Cultural Anthropology: Focus on contemporary cultures and social practices.
  • Archaeology: Examines ancient societies through material remains.
  • Physical Anthropology: Studies biological and physiological traits of humans.
  • Linguistic Anthropology: Investigates language's role within cultural contexts.

Economics

• Derives from Greek "oikonomia" (household management).
• Analyzes resource allocation, emphasizing how scarcity affects decision-making.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Microeconomics: Looks at individual and business decisions.
  • Macroeconomics: Explores broader national and global economic systems.
  • Development Economics: Focuses on growth and development in low-income contexts.
  • Behavioral Economics: Examines psychological influences on economic choices.

Geography

• From Greek "geo" (Earth) and "graphein" (description).
• Investigates the relationships between people and their environments.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Physical Geography: Studies Earth's natural features and processes.
  • Human Geography: Analyzes human societies and spatial dynamics.
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Utilizes technology for spatial data analysis.
  • Environmental Geography: Focuses on human-environment interactions.

History

• Stems from Greek "historia" (inquiry).
• Aims to understand past events through recorded documents, assessing their impacts.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Ancient History: Focus on early civilizations.
  • Medieval History: Studies the Middle Ages.
  • Modern History: Examines events from the Renaissance to present.
  • Historiography: Analyzes how history is documented and interpreted.

Linguistics

• Originates from Latin "lingua" (language).
• Scientific study of language structure, meaning, and usage.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Phonetics: Investigates physical speech sounds.
  • Syntax: Examines structure and grammar of sentences.
  • Semantics: Focuses on meanings of words and phrases.
  • Pragmatics: Studies contextual language use and its implications.

Political Science

• Derives from Greek "politika" (affairs of cities).
• Examines governmental systems, political behavior, and policy dynamics.
• Focuses on the analysis of power distribution and political activities.

Sociology

• Comes from Latin "socius" (companion) and Greek "logos" (study of).
• Studies human social relationships and institutions, encompassing aspects of social change.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Social Stratification: Focuses on class structures and inequalities.
  • Family Sociology: Analyzes family dynamics and structures.
  • Urban Sociology: Investigates urban life and related issues.
  • Sociological Theory: Develops theories explaining social behaviors.

Psychology

• Originates from Greek "psyche" (mind) and "logos" (study of).
• Investigates behavior and mental processes for individuals and groups through empirical research.

Demography

• From Greek "demos" (people) and "graphein" (description).
• Analyzes human population statistics to reveal trends related to births, deaths, and migration.
• Sub-disciplines:
  • Population Dynamics: Focuses on changes in population size and composition.
  • Fertility Studies: Investigates birth and reproductive patterns.