Introduction to Social Sciences

1. Introduction to Social Sciences Social Sciences use research and data analysis to explain human behaviour – what people think, how and why they act the way they do

2. I can define and correctly use Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology terms and concepts Learning Goal

3. Scientific/ Inquiry Method

4. The Development of Social Sciences • In ancient philosophy, there was no difference between the applied studies of mathematics and the study of history, poetry or politics – i.e. Aristotle studied planetary motion and poetry with the same methods. • Only with the development of mathematical proofs, (i.e. Isaac Newton’s Physics – gravity, study of planets), was there a recognized difference between applied scientific disciplines(mathematics, physics, biology…) and the humanities or social sciences (sociology, psychology, economics…).

5. The Social Science Inquiry Method • Many disciplines in social sciences use the scientific method (called the Social Science Inquiry Method in our course) • The inquiry method is used to gather data and information when studying the behaviour, trends and statistics regarding society, individuals and groups

6. Definition of Social Sciences • The study of people as individuals and as members of groups (i.e. families, communities, societies, peer groups…). • Social Sciences are the systematic studies of people, their activities, customs and relationships – essentially it’s the study of human behaviour.

7. People have a tendency to exchange myths, misunderstanding, etc…or say that an understanding of humans is just “common sense.” • There is a complexity behind human behaviours and why individuals, groups and societies act the way they do • The social sciences include various areas of study – known as disciplines – such as history, civics, economics…

8. And those as the heart of this course: • Sociology: • examines human society and group behaviour (macro level) • Psychology: • studies the human mind, emotions, behaviours of individuals (micro level) • Anthropology: • considers the scientific study of humans throughout time (historical evolution) and space (cultural), especially of their origin, behaviour and physical, social, and cultural development (macro level)

9. Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology • These social sciences are known as behaviouralsciences or the scientific study of human behaviour through research and analysis • These social sciences each have a different emphasis but do not conflict with each other

10. Sociology • Examines the relationships between people and the social structures they develop • Study the actions and responses of individuals within a group in order to detect general patterns of human behaviour • Although each of us is unique, we also belong to different categories • Ex. Students, teenagers, teachers, brothers or sisters • Explore how the categories we belong to shape our experiences of the world • Try to understand how society as a whole can influence our thoughts, feelings and actions • Purpose: to predict and control social behaviour and interaction • Main methods used: statistical analysis, observation & surveys

11. An Example of an Sociological Question is: Why is obesity more likely to be a trend in lower income families? • Article: Why Low-Income and Food Insecure People are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity • http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-are-low-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-to-obesity/

12. Psychology • The study of an individual‘s behaviour based on mental processes • psyche = mind & logos = the study of • Psychologists study an individual’s feelings, thoughts, personality, mind & mental processes • They examine both overt actions and mental processes • Purpose: to predict and control human behaviour • Methods used: interviews, experiments, surveys & case studies

13. An Example of an Psychological Question is: • Why would pre-adolescent children commit suicide? • Article: Suicide among pre-adolescents • http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/10/suicide.aspx

14. Anthropology: • The study of the development of the human species and human cultures throughout the world and time • Purpose: to discover and predict patterns of human development and change • Main method used: observation • Observation is when researchers live and participate with humans in the cultural surroundings. They observe and record the information with the belief that the participants will carry on through daily activities

15. An Example of an Anthropological Question is: • Why is death celebrated in some cultures? • E.g. Day of the Dead in Mexico – Dia de los Muertos • Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUUAgEWeYeI

16. Culture & Society Culture & Thought Human Behaviour Society & the Individual Anthropology, Psychology & Sociology are related fields of study that each examine human behaviour

17. Comparison of the 3 Disciplines in HSB4M – Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology

18. Theoretical Perspectives in Social Sciences What are Theoretical Perspectives and How are they Useful?

19. Theoretical Perspectives in the Social Sciences are: • Ideas or ways of viewing situations that are used to explain and analyze how social actions, social processes, and social structures work • Aframework for organizing and explaining observations and evidence

20. Without evidence/facts, theories are just a educated guess as to how and why a situation might occur • Once information has been gathered (observation, experiment, survey, interview…) it lacks meaning without the theory to organize it

21. Social Scientists ask 4 Fundamental Questions: • What happens? • How does it happen? • Why does it happen? • How can people change what happens?