DISS Q1 Lesson 24 PDF

Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences HUMSS GRADE 11 Week 1-2: THE EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Topic: ▪ Definition of Social Science ▪ Social Science vs Natural Science vs Humanities ▪ Disciplines of the Social Sciences...

Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences HUMSS GRADE 11 Week 1-2: THE EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Topic: ▪ Definition of Social Science ▪ Social Science vs Natural Science vs Humanities ▪ Disciplines of the Social Sciences ▪ Social Science Essentially, it is defined as the body of knowledge concerned with the methodical study of various aspects of our society, numerous social phenomena, and the impacts of these occurrences on people’s lives. It is characterized as the area of study that deals with the human behavior in its cultural and social facets. Also, it is considered as the branch of science that focuses on the interpersonal relationships among people living in a society. Elements of Social Sciences Two words represent the two substantial elements of Social Sciences: society (social) and the empirical analysis (science). Society puts the entire body of knowledge in individuals as social beings and their social backgrounds or environments. It situates Social Sciences in people and social issues that are affecting them. On the other hand, empirical analysis places the Social Sciences in an academic mode of investigation about human society using the scientific method – the systematic and rational process of obtaining knowledge. Thus, learning about society and understanding the things that are happening in it need to be conducted experimentally through observation, critical analysis, and interpretation of social facts. Brief History of Social Sciences Importance of Studying Social Sciences 1. Knowledge of Social Sciences can help us improve our societies. 2. Social Sciences are all about an objective study (science) of people and their interactions. 3. Studying the social sciences can provide us with so many important answers and observations that may help improve the understanding of our lives, and thus help us to improve our interactions with each others. 4. Studying social sciences means to acquire more knowledge and help us know the mystery of the society and improve our interactions with each other. 5. It is important to study social sciences because they are about what it means to be human. Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities Natural Sciences, or the sciences of nature, give attention on investigating every single natural phenomenon that occurred, or is currently happening, in our world using tangible evidences like natural forces, fossils, and artifacts. These areas of study explore the laws of nature that rule our world through objective and empirical approaches. It can be further categorized into Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences and many more.  Humanities deals with the study of numerous human conditions and the manners in which human experiences are treated and recorded. It aims to comprehend the human perspective of individuals’ social existence and the responses these people are displaying on different occurrences. For instance, the literary works of Jose Rizal, such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, aim to educate the Filipinos on the persecutions experienced by our countrymen during the Spanish regime. What makes Social Sciences unique from these areas is that it concentrates on analyzing and explaining the different aspects of social life of the individuals including their behaviors. It also focuses on observing and interpreting various social phenomena. Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities similarly employ the scientific method in producing knowledge; Though this systematic process is more common in Social Sciences and Natural Sciences since Humanities is more focused on the creative expressions of human experiences. Disciplines of the Social Sciences Social Sciences explore the different factors, such as cultural, demographic, economic, geographical, historical, linguistic, political, psychological, and social factors, that mold the actions of the people and their societal implications. Social Science disciplines, although independent and different from one another, share the same goal and that is to define the essence of being a human. These disciplines allow us to analyze the human behavior from a variety of perspectives, to deeply understand the controversial issues and complications surrounding our society, and, most significantly, to empower ourselves as democratic citizens of the fast-changing world. ❖ Anthropology. Derived from the Greek words anthropos meaning “human” and logos meaning “word” or “study of”. Therefore, it is “the study of man”. Anthropologists study humans and their societies in the past and present. ▪ Physical Anthropology. The study of the past and present evolution of the human species and is especially concerned with understanding the causes of present human diversity. ▪ Cultural Anthropology. The branch of anthropology concerned with the study of human societies and cultures and their development. ❖ Economics. Its origin could be traced back to two ancient Greek word: “oikos” (house) and “nomos” (customor law). Aims to study how to manage the limited resources to satisfy the unlimited wants of individuals. It is also seen as the production, consumption, and transfer of goods. It is how people interact with the market to attain or accomplish their certain goals. ▪ Microeconomics. The part of economics concerned with single factors and the effects of individual decisions. ▪ Macroeconomics. The part of economics concerned with large-scale or general economic factors, such as interest rates and national productivity. ❖ Geography. “geo” (earth, land or ground) and “graphein” (to write or to describe). Deals with studying the lands and features of the earth. ▪ Physical Geography. The branch of geography dealing with natural features and processes. ▪ Cultural/Human Geography. The study of the many cultural aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the spaces and places where they originate and then travel as people continually move across various areas. ▪ Regional Geography. Branch of geography that studies the world's regions. ❖ Linguistics. “lingua” (tongue, language). The scientific study of languages and focuses on the three aspects of language: language form, language meaning, and language in context. ❖ History. The word history came from the Greek word historia which means “finding out,” “inquiry,” and “narrative”. ❖ Political Science. The term politics is derived from the Greek word politicos which means “of, for, or relating to citizens,”. A social science which deals with the system of governance and the analysis of political activities, political thoughts, and political behavior. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics which is commonly thought of as determining of the distribution of power and resources. ❖ Psychology. The root word of psychology comes from the Greek word psyche which means “soul”. The scientific study of the mind and behavior. ▪ Social Psychology - Social Psychology is about understanding individual behavior in a social context. ▪ Abnormal and Clinical Psychology- These fields cover the other aspects of psychology that are well known in society. Conducting tests to assess mental health and need for treatment is an important role of clinical psychologists, and essentially what clinical and abnormal psychology focus on. ▪ Educational Psychology - a branch/ field of psychology that studies children in an educational setting and is concerned with teaching and learning methods, cognitive development, and aptitude assessment. ▪ Behavioral Psychology - is a field of psychology that studies motivation and how to manipulate motivation. (ex. Behavioral Modification is a method of changing someone’s, or an animal’s, behavior from an undesirable action, like scratching on furniture, to a more desirable action, like scratching on a cat post.  ▪ Developmental Psychology- is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change, and consistency through life span. Developmental Psychology looks at how thinking, feeling, and behavior change throughout a person’s life ❖ Demography. The term demography comes from the Greek word demos (people) and graphia (a description of). From this etymology, we may derive that demography is a study of describing people. The study of human population and dynamics which include components such as population size (actual head count of people in each place of location), population composition (age, sex, religion), population growth, population distribution. ❖ Sociology. Described as “the study of society” and derived from the Latin word “socius,” which means “companion," and the suffix “-logy,” which means “the science or the study of”. This area of study is the systematic analysis of the various developments, systems, structures, and functions of human society. It examines how individuals behave and interact with each other as members of a certain social or cultural group and how these people work as a whole in the larger society. Shaping the Future of Social Science The enlightenment paved the way for reason and observation to be united and that traditional authority and superstition must give way to theories that could be tested through observation. The philosophers theorized that one way to do this is to look at the pattern in observations. Just as the physical world or natural science seemed to be governed by certain laws, it was assumed that the social world could also be governed by certain laws. Aside from the radical change during the Enlightenment period, there was also a change in the assumption about “man.” Interpretations about what is man were discussed and debated. While the Judeo-Christian view was that man by nature is good, he had been eventually corrupted by nature. This “being good” by man encouraged the belief in the idea of progress that means, if society were perfected, so would be the people in it. Therefore, by using the scientific method as a tool, the thinkers can discover how society could be improved. A. SOCIOLOGY AUGUSTE COMTE. “We are evolving in the direction of a world dominated by science”. - Social Philosopher who believed that the methods and techniques of the natural sciences could be applied to the study of society. The first scholar to use the word, “Sociology” from the French “Sociologique”. EMILE DURKHEIM. “The modern world offers less moral cohesion than earlier societies.” - Founding father of modern sociology who utilized empirical investigation in the study of suicide in France, the division of labor in society, and the elementary forms of religious life. KARL MARX. - He anchored his theory on the class conflict. Capitalism is based on the exploitation of the workers by the capitalists. He viewed society in a constant flux of change by passing through a series of class struggles. Without conflict, there is no progress. MAX WEBER. “The modern world is an iron cage of rational systems from which there is no escape.” - He contributed to an understanding of the role of ideas in social change. Social change is attainable through the world of ideas. Such ideas become more realistically achieved if people gifted with charisma can initiate change. GEORGE HERBERT MEAD. “People’s minds and their conceptions of themselves are shaped by their social experiences.” B. ANTHROPOLOGY FRANZ BOAS. The "Father of Modern Anthropology". - He introduced the concept of cultural relativism which is a point of view that sees all cultures to be equal with each other. There is no such thing as superior or inferior culture (Riodique, 2016, p. 67). He is also one of the pioneers who fought discrimination against immigrants, blacks, and indigenous peoples of America. He believed that through anthropology, people would have a wider understanding of human interaction by studying its culture. His social reforms and theories were adopted by anthropologists today. C. DEMOGRAPHY THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS. An economist and writer of An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). - Declared that population increases at a faster rate than the food supply. As a result, humanity is never far from starvation (Perry, 1989, p. 531). JOHN GRAUNT. The founder of demography. His book Natural and Political Observations Made Upon the Bills of Mortality (1662) laid the foundation for modern statistics and demography. D. ECONOMICS ADAM SMITH. Father of Economics is credited for creating the field of Economics. - His book entitled An Inquiry  to the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) lay the foundations for economic theories and doctrine. He advocated the doctrine of laissez faire (let-alone policy) which means that government should not interfere with business. This paved the way for the creation of a free-market economy. E. GEOGRAPHY ERATHOSTHENES. (276-194 BC) Chief librarian of the Alexandria Library, pioneered the study of geography. - He is the first person to use the term "geography" and is also regarded as the "Father of Geography". He is also best known for being the first person to calculate the circumference of the earth. He also created the first global projection of the world using parallels and meridians based on the available geographic knowledge during his time (Britannica, 2020). He also wrote the three-book volume Geographika, a compilation of his study on the nature of the surface of the earth focusing on the inhabited portions and the people living in it (dela Cruz et al., 2016, p. 27). His book became the inspiration for the consequent works and studies of other geographers. F. HISTORY HERODOTUS. (484-425 BC) Considered as the "Father of History". - He is credited as the first historian to employ historical methods in writing history. His vivid account of the Greek-Persian Wars set a new standard then for reporting. THUCYDIDES. (born 460 BC or earlier?—died after 404 BC?) greatest of ancient -Greek historians and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC. His “History of the Peloponnesian War” set a standard for scope, concision and accuracy that makes it a defining text of the historical genre. G. LINGUISTICS NOAM CHOMSKY (1928- ) regarded as the Father of Linguistics has published books in linguistics and became a dominant model of formal linguistics in recent decades (Britannica, 2020). H. POLITICAL SCIENCE PLATO. (427-347 BC) The first thinker to analyze political systems. - He expressed his political ideas in his book, the Republic, which is a description of an ideal state (Perry, 1989, p. 89). While, Aristotle (384-322 BC) is regarded as the Father of Political Science, Plato is considered a pioneer in the field of political inquiry. His book entitled Politics looked at different forms of government in terms of how they were run and what benefits and responsibilities their citizens had. THOMAS HOBBES. (1558-1679) Author of Leviathan. - He believed that a strong ruler is needed to impose order in the state. JOHN LOCKE. (1632-1704) Author of Two Treatises of Government. - He believes that the purpose of the government is to protect the “natural rights” of its citizens. To him, all people are born free and equal with a right to life, liberty, property and pursuit of happiness. He also believed that if a government fails to protect the rights of its citizens, the people have the right or duty to overthrow the government and establish a better one. I. PSYCHOLOGY WILHELM WUNDT. (1832-1920) A German psychologist and is considered as the Father of Modern Psychology. - He distinguished psychology as a science from philosophy and biology and the first person to call himself a “psychologist”. He founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research (dela Cruz, 2016, p. 33). IVAN PAVLOV. (1849-1936) A Russian experimental scientist who studied the behavior and nervous system of animals. - He found that an animal’s involuntary actions – its reflexes – could be changed or conditioned through training. SIGMUND FREUD. (1856-1939) An Austrian neurologist pursued to understand the workings of an unconscious mind, which he deemed to be the source of human actions. - He developed the method known as psychoanalysis, in which mental and emotional problems and disorders are treated by trying to discover their sources in the unconscious mind (Perry, 1989, p. 627).  Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences HUMSS GRADE 11 Key Concepts and Approaches in the Social Sciences – Part 1 Topics: Major Theories in Social Sciences o Structural Functionalism o Marxism o Symbolic Interactionism The Application and Importance of the Major Social Sciences Theories What is a Theory /School of thought / Approach/ Paradigm? A set of general assumptions about the nature of society. A set of fundamental assumptions about society that guides sociological thinking and research and allows us to analyze effectively virtually any dimension of society. Major Theories in Social Sciences Theory 1: Structural Functionalism/ Functionalism ✓ This theory is guided by the assumption that society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability. Each part of the society – the family, school, economy, state – perform certain functions for the society as-a-whole. All parts are interdependent. All elements of the society have important functions that help perpetuate society. (Emile Durkheim) ✓ It focuses on social order: If something happens to disrupt this social order, its parts will adjust in a way that produces new stability. ✓ Social Functions – The effects of social structures or their purpose. Robert K. Merton perception of Functionalism (all standardized social and cultural beliefs and practices are functional for both society as a whole as well as individuals in society). Two types of Functions Manifest Function – is predicted, intended, expected, and knowable effect of a social structure. For example, people go to churches in order to pray and to hear mass. Latent Function - is the unintended outcome of social structure. So, if the manifest function of going to church is to pray and hear mass, its latent function is to gather people together in one place to reinforce the sense of community. Two types of Dysfunction Manifest Dysfunction – is the predicted, expected, and knowable disruptions of a social structure. For example, a large gathering of people such as concerts and other events disrupts traffic flow within the vicinity of the event, even though it was not intended to do so. Latent Dysfunction - is the unpredicted and unexpected disruptions of social structures. For example, there are customers who usually take pictures of their food in social media. But since these customers are not the ones doing so, the average time by customers in their table increased. Weaknesses of Structural Functionalism o It focuses only on the positive functions of social events, ignoring the negative. o It is inherently conservative, justifies the status quo. o By emphasizing social integration, it tends to pay less attention to divisions based on social class, race, ethnicity, sex and downplays how such divisions generate tension and conflict. The main idea in structural functionalism is that the society is made up of different components such as institutions, services, and people that work together and allow the society to function. As body parts have specific function, functionalism implies that all structures in society have their own purpose and specific functions. Theory 2: Marxism/ Conflict Theory ✓ This theory assumes that society is a complex system characterized by inequality and conflict that generate social change. Groups and societies have conflicting interests and values, and they compete for values and scarce resources such as wealth, education, power, prestige, leisure, healthcare, and life expectancy. Powerful groups gain more than the less powerful. They continue to seek more wealth and power; the less powerful group continue to struggle for more resources. (Karl Marx) ✓ Conflict exists because the powerful/ dominant oppress the less powerful/ subordinate. It highlights division based on social inequality: rich vs. poor, white vs. colored, men vs. women, young vs. old, government leaders vs. citizens etc. The social order is forcibly imposed by the powerful on the weak. ✓ This theory criticizes the status quo. This originated largely from Marx’ writings on class conflict between the capitalist and the proletariat. It also uses the macro perspective. Two Classes in Society (Industrial Capitalism) Bourgeoisie (The factory owners or capitalists) – controls the means of production (factories, machine, and land) Proletariat (The industrial workers or laborers) – does not have access to such means of productions, exchanges labor for wages. Weakness of Marxism/ Conflict Theory o It highlights power struggles as the dominant traits of societies, giving little attention to social unity based on functional interdependence and shared values. o It explicitly advocates change Theory 3: Symbolic Interactionism ✓ This theory undertakes that society is continuously recreated as human beings construct reality through interaction. It is founded on the premise that we respond based on the meanings that we attach to the surrounding world; people assign meaning to each other’s words and actions. (George Herbert Mead) ✓ The most important conceptual building block on which symbolic interactionists have based their analysis of human conduct is the concept of the symbol. Symbol is a vocal or other kind of gesture that has the same meaning and solicits the same reaction between the one using it and to whom it is directed. ✓ It focuses on how people make sense of the world; on how they experience and define what they and others are doing, and on how they influence and are influenced by others. ✓ This theory directs our attention to the details of a specific situation and of the interaction between individuals in that situation. It uses the micro perspective. Herbert Blumer concept of Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic Interactionism, for Blumer has three premises: o “Humans act toward things on the basis of the meanings that things have for them.” o “The meanings of things derive from social interaction.” o “These meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he or she encounters.” Weaknesses of Symbolic Interactionism o It ignores the larger issues of national and international order and change. o It ignores larger social structures, highlighting only what is unique in each social scene, and risks overlooking the widespread effects of our cultures, as well as factors like class, sex, race etc o In SI, symbols may be interpreted incorrectly or differently among different groups or people. The Application and Importance of the Major Social Science Theories Sociologists utilize three major theoretical perspectives namely: (1) Structural functionalism; (2) Marxism, and (3) Symbolic Interactionism. These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical models for clarifying how society impacts individuals or vice versa. A. The Structural-functionalism perspective of society is a structure with interrelated parts intended to meet the gradual and social needs of the people in the society. Hebert Spencer (1820–1903) claimed that various parts must work together to keep society functioning. These parts of society were social institutions such as government, education, family, healthcare, religion, and the economy. Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) assumed that society was composed of interdependent and interconnected parts that were put together to keep instability held collectively by shared social construct which served to regulate social life such as laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, and rituals. 🙢 Socio-Cultural. An example of socio-cultural aspect of examining society through Structural functionalism is the situation when the Philippine government responded to COVID-19 Pandemic, by providing financial aid to poor families through  the Social Amelioration Program or SAP. The agency in charge of the distribution is the DSWD with the help of the LGU’s. The implementation of this program gained a lot of controversies because of some issues about the proper distribution and corruption related cases. The government program's manifest function to help the poor is not fully realized, because of the negligence and personal interest of some local government officials. The latent functions arise upon the situations, the government investigated the cases and call up the attention of barangay officials who committed unlawful actions. With all the issues related to SAP distributions resulted to dysfunction in the society. 🙢 Economic. An example of economic aspect of examining society through Structural-functionalism is during the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic and the panic buying of goods and healthcare products happened. The people were overwhelmed and bought volumes of medical supply, specifically facemask and alcohol disinfectant. The spread of coronavirus determined a high demand of these products. The panic buying may be driven by an extremely low supply which can make the price high and led to price inflation. This happened because some institutions failed to adapt quickly enough to the changing social conditions which can have economic implications. 🙢 Political. An example of political aspect of examining society through Structural functionalism is when President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed the Philippine Anti-Terror Bill into a law, despite of many criticisms about its implementing guidelines. The government assumed that they acted upon their function and purpose such as planning and directing society for maintaining law and order. The government stands for their beliefs that this law is created to prevent terrorism as early as possible before the bombing or an incident might happen. This shows the functionalism view of government and politics to enforce laws for the safety of the people. B. Marxism or conflict theory of Karl Marx (1818–1883), who considered society consist of two classes: (1) the bourgeoisie or the capitalist who owns the production, and (2) the proletariat or the working class. Max Weber (1864-1920) added that aside from economic inequalities, there were also inequalities of social structure and political power that caused struggle. The people’s state of inequality was influenced by class stratification, social immobility, and representation of the powerful elite. Karl Marx believed that conflict and struggle between groups happen to attain wealth and power which was inevitable in a capitalist society. Also, conflict was the only way for the underprivileged to eventually gain some measure of equality. Conflict Theory is a macro-sociological perspective exploring the conflict among social groups over resources in the society. Groups compete for status control, money, territory, and other resources for economic, political, and other social gains. Max Weber added that there were disparities of social structure and political power that caused struggle. He noticed that various gatherings were influenced diversely dependent on training, race, and sex and that individuals' responses to imbalance were directed by class disparity and social immobility. 🙢 Socio-Cultural. An example of socio-cultural aspect of examining society through Marxism is when the Philippine government released to the public the implementing guidelines of the SAP subsidy for the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue of disparity between the middle class and the poor has elevated. Because the government priorities the poorest of the poor which includes the member of the 4P’s or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for financial aid. While the families belong to the middle class were exempted, since they were still earning even in pandemic. With these, some members of the middle class aired their grievances about the situation and claimed that they are the ones who are taxpayers in the country. That’s why they are the ones who deserve of the help from the government. This situation shows the social structure as inherently unequal resulting from the differences in social class, education, income, and other social factors. Culture reinforces issues of "privilege” groups and their status in social categories. 🙢 Economic. An example of economic aspect of examining society through Marxism is the Rice Tarrification Law which negatively affects the Filipino farmers. Since this allows cheaper foreign rice imports without restrictions and competes with the production of local rice. The government should make a necessary intervention on economic decision that should be carefully made and accomplish by the state to ensure that it is beneficial to all. 🙢 Political. An example of political aspect of examining society through Marxism is the two distinct political ideologies of Filipinos which is very evident in social media posts and tweets. They are called “Yellowtards” or dilawan and “Dutertads” known as DDS. Philippine politics is greatly affected by these two opposing parties in our government and their supporters keep on expressing their thoughts and contradictions with one another. Marx’s concepts of politics coined as the power elite to describe his thoughts on what he saw in the society wherein the small group of powerful people controls much of society. C. Symbolic Interactionism is a smaller scale level theory that focuses on the studied human interactions within a society or human communication through the exchange of language, symbols, and meaning. Humans interact based on the meanings attributed to those interactions. The recognized meaning comes from our interactions with others and society. George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) was considered as the founding father of symbolic interactionism. His commitment was true to the advancement of the self, particularly in youth, which we will examine in more detail when we address speculations of socialization. The continue socialization throughout a child’s life is the means by which the norms and values of society are learned by individuals. His student, Herbert Blumer (1900-1987), coined the term and characterized it with basic premises: (1) human beings communicate based on the meanings they attributed to things; (2) the attribute meanings are based from our interactions with others and society; and (3) the meanings are interpreted through a process used by a person based on his/her experiences. 🙢 Socio-Cultural. An example of the socio-cultural aspect of examining society through Symbolic Interactionism is in this time of pandemic crisis, some Filipinos are using social media applications like TikTok as a platform to show their gestures and symbols of love and support to the front-liners. Just like the Front-liners Dance Challenge, the dance moves have specific message and meaning which been popular way of showing message of love and care for the front-liners. 🙢 Economic. An example of economic aspect of examining society through Symbolic Interactionism is a situation when a child of the businessman/ businesswoman may learn the standards and ideals that will help him/her succeed in business and since the parents’ model a career path to follow. The child may find business interesting and a money- making opportunity for him/her. 🙢 Political. An example of political aspect of examining society through Symbolic Interactionism is the Seal of the Philippine President, which a symbol that signifies the history and dignity of the president. The seal is composed of the coat of arms of the president. Some symbols in the arms are derived from the Philippine national flag and there is a sea lion in the middle part of the seal