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AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE SOCIAL
SCIENCES
The Human Way Chapter 1
We will learn:
How to identify the Social
Sciences
Techniques used by social
scientists
Why the Social Sciences are
important
Let’s think first, what comes to mind when you hear:
 Social?
 Science?
In General:
 Social Sciences (Social Studies) are disciplines that use
research and analysis to examine human behaviour.
 Examples include:
 Anthropology
 Economics
 Geography
 History
 Politics
 Psychology
 Sociology
Techniques used:
Collecting and analyzing statistics
Conducting experiments
Examining what people have written and
created
Purpose: to try to understand why people
act as they do.
Social Sciences and The Humanities (they are related…)
Humanities
Social Sciences
 Study the products of
human culture
 Use research & analysis
to explain human
behaviour
 Focus: the creative side
of being human
 Want to understand the
ways we act as
 E.g., literature, art, music;
individuals and in/as
English, Drama,
groups
Philosophy…
 E.g., Anthropology,
Psychology, Sociology
Psychology
 Systematic study of one’s thoughts, feelings &
behaviour
 Largely determined by one’s personality
 i.e., relatively unchanging personality characteristics
 ASSUMPTION: your personality is moulded by
biology and prior experiences.
 KEY QUESTION: Why is this person acting this way?
Sociology
 Study of the development, structure & functioning of
human society
 How groups of people who share common
characteristic(s) function
 ASSUMPTION: a person’s acts can only be
understood when compared to the acts of similar
individuals.
 QUESTION: What common factors are there in the
lives of people…? Why do people in this group act
this way?
Anthropology
 Focus on humans in general, their customs and
cultures
 Interested in humanity as a whole
 ASSUMPTION: there are factors in general (e.g.,
Canadian) culture, & in the “sub-culture” (e.g.,
workplace)
 QUESTIONS: Why do humans behave as they do?
What were/are the values of the culture in which…?