Thinking Like a Social Scientist Lesson 2 PDF

THINKING LIKE A SOCIAL SCIENTIST HSP3U  There's no map to human behaviour. ~ Bjork That is why we find the study of how humans behave so fascinating. Social scientists ask: Why do we act...

THINKING LIKE A SOCIAL SCIENTIST HSP3U  There's no map to human behaviour. ~ Bjork That is why we find the study of how humans behave so fascinating. Social scientists ask: Why do we act Why do we act Why do we act the way that the way we do the way we do we do in groups? as a society? individually?  ◦ We are learning to create questions like social scientist that will guide the exploration of key ideas in social science topics Learning ◦ I know I am successful when I can: Identify key ideas in the three social sciences (anthropology, Goals and psychology and sociology) Distinguish between questions Success that anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists would ask to Criteria facilitate their research and inquiry Create effective questions that will help guide my research and inquiry in each of the three social sciences.  ◦ Organization ◦ The student: Thinking ◦ Devises and follows a plan and process for completing work Like a and tasks Social ◦ Establishes priorities and manages time to complete Scientist- tasks and achieve goals ◦ Identifies, gathers, evaluates Learning and uses information, technology, and resources to Skills complete tasks  ◦ Collaboration Thinking ◦ The student: ◦ Accepts various roles and an Like a equitable share of the work ◦ Responds positively to the Social ideas, opinions, values and traditions of others Scientist- ◦ Shares information, resources and expertise and promotes Learning critical thinking to solve problems. Skills  ◦ Self-Regulation ◦ The student: Thinking ◦ Seeks clarification when needed Like a ◦ Identifies learning Social opportunities, choices and strategies to meet personal Scientist- needs and achieve goals ◦ Perseveres and makes an Learning effort when responding to challenges Skills What Shapes Human Behaviour? ◦ Why do people act the way they do? ◦ How have they been shaped by their past and present cultural and physical contexts? ◦ What motivates their behaviour and ways of thinking? ◦ How do their interactions influence their own identities and the society in which they live? Approaching investigations from different viewpoints of anthropology, psychology, and sociology allows scientists to gain deeper insight into human nature MINDS ON  WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?  WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?  WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?  WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? ACTION  Our Focus today INQUIRY PROCESS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES: EXPLORING Asking Lots of Questions ◦ Investigating anything starts with curiosity and asking lots of great questions, from multiple viewpoints. The issue of homelessness, for example, is one that can be studies from many different viewpoints. With a Partner One minute to create as many questions as you can from the viewpoint of an anthropologist. Please record each question on a separate sticky note. Remember an anthropologist studies human societies, cultures, and behaviours across time and space. They explore various aspects of human life, including social structures, languages, traditions, and biological evolution. With a Partner ◦ One minute to create as many questions as you can from the viewpoint of a psychologist. Please record each question on a separate sticky note. ◦ Remember, a psychologist studies mental processes and behaviour to understand how people think, feel, and act. With a Partner ◦ One minute to create as many questions as you can from the viewpoint of a sociologist. Please record each question on a separate sticky note. ◦ Remember, a sociologist studies social behaviour, institutions, and structures to understand how societies function and change. They examine patterns of social relationships, interactions, and culture. In Groups of 4-6 ◦ Examine and discuss the questions that your pair have created in a larger group of 4-6 students. ◦ Organize your questions into similar themes ◦ From which viewpoint were your questions most difficult for your group to create? Inquiry ◦ Of the questions that you created, which ones do you think could work best to guide an inquiry into the topic of homelessness? Why? ◦ Which one might limit you the most? Why?  A Good Inquiry Question ◦ A really good inquiry question for social scientists acts as a guide for research. It keeps the researcher focused on what kinds of sources to use and helps shape the results of an inquiry. It often inspires new questions that allows one to probe even more deeply into a topic, once the inquiry has begun. It shouldn’t be too narrow or too broad and provide the space necessary to go deeply into the topic.  Please respond to the following prompt in your journal: ◦ What are some of the ways in which people respond when they see a homeless person on the streets? Why do you think people respond the way they do? Class Discussion Homelessnes ◦ Share one way in which people might respond to a homeless person on the street and suggest a reason why people might have been motivated to s respond in a particular way? ◦ What is it about the culture where a homeless person lives that might have influenced people’s responses? ◦ What thought processes do people go through when they decide to walk by a homeless person? ◦ What structures in our society have contributed to homelessness? To our response to homelessness?  Social scientists develop and refine their thinking skills is by interacting with other social scientists in respectful, academic discussion. They not only share their own ideas and Give and what they are learning, but they also use discussion with their colleagues to think more deeply about them. Get in Discussions Effective academic discussions include: 1. Focused attention on other people’s ideas 2. Prompt others to think more deeply about their ideas DISCUSSION SELF- ASSESSMENT  Social scientists can look at issues from a macro perspective or a micro perspective. When we ask about how people in general respond to the issue of homelessness in our society, we are looking at the Macro or issue from a macro, or broader, perspective. When we study an issue from a micro perspective, we focus Micro? Big or instead on one individual or small group. As we examine the story of Leah Denbok, a teenager Small Picture? who photographed homeless people on the streets of Toronto, we are conducting a micro study. Read the following article and then watch the video to learn more about her work. Click here for the article CONSOLIDATION Leah Denbok Which questions would a social scientist ask when studying Leah’s response to homelessness? You can use the template provided to you to help you organize your work. 1. Write at least 2 questions from the perspective of each of the three social sciences, guided by the way in which Leah has responded to the issue of homelessness. 2. Make sure to use key words or concepts that would make it clear that you understand the difference between the kinds of questions social scientists might use to guide their inquiries in anthropology, psychology and sociology. 3. For each social science grouping, explain clearly in a sentence why you grouped these ideas as belonging to that particular social science.