1 BY: HOORYA JEELANI
ASSIGNMENT #1
DATE GIVEN: 25-JAN-2025
DUE DATE: 07-FEB-2025
SOCIAL SCIENCES
INTRODUCTION:
Social science is an academic discipline that systematically examines human
behavior and societal structures through social, cultural, psychological, economic,
and political lenses. It aims to formulate laws, generalizations, and predictions about
human actions within their social environment. The origins of social science trace
back to ancient Greece, where early scholars developed fundamental ideas
regarding social conventions, causality, and empirical inquiry. According to McDonald
(1993, p.19), by the fifth century B.C., there was already a sophisticated
understanding of many methodological issues, laying the foundation for the
disciplines that continue to explore human interactions today.
DEFINITION:
1- Young and Mack:
According to Young and Mack (1959), Social Science refers to, “the bodies of
knowledge compiled through the use of scientific methods which deal with the forms
and contents of man’s interaction.”
(Young, K., & Mack, R. (1959). Sociology and Social Life. New York: American
Book Company.)
★ Kimball Young and Raymond W. Mack were authors who wrote about
sociology and social life.
2- Obo and Adejumo & Otaha and Dickson:
According to the Authors Obo and Adejumo & Otaha and Dickson,
“The ‘social sciences’ are the disciplines which primarily study human behaviour and
society”
(Obo and Adejumo, 2014; Otaha and Dickson, 2014).
3-James High:
“Social Sciences are those bodies of learning and study which recognize
simultaneous and mutual action of physical and non-physical stimuli which produce
social reaction.”
(Teaching of Social Studies by Y.K. Singh)
2 BY: HOORYA JEELANI
4- Bayer (1992):
According to Bayer (1992),
“The social sciences are those fields of study that empirically study the human
society, societal groups, individuals in their relationships with others or institutions of
societies and material goods as expression of human cohabitation.”
(The Social Sciences: The Root and Route of Political Science, cited in
Dönmez and Domigall, 2011, p.3).
5- Charles Beard:
“Social Sciences are a body of knowledge and thought pertaining to human affairs as
distinguished from sticks, stones, stars and physical objects.”
(The Social Sciences: The Root and Route of Political Science)
Disciplines of Social sciences:
Social sciences encompass a wide range of disciplines, including geography,
Archaeology, Linguistics,Philosophy, Political science and Law.
1- Geography:
Geography, as defined by Ackerman (1965), is “The study of spatial distributions
and space relations on the Earth's surface. It explores the natural environment and
its influence on social and cultural development.”
Geography, one of the oldest social sciences, investigates spatial distributions,
environmental influences on human activity, and the complex interactions between
societies and their physical surroundings. The discipline was first formally identified
by the Greeks over 2,000 years ago, combining “geo” (earth) and “graphein” (writing)
to mean “earth description.”
(The Social Sciences: The Root and Route of Political Science)
(https://fac.umc.edu.dz/fll/images/cours/2023_Saliha%20Beleulmi.pdf)
2- Archaeology:
The word comes from the Greek (arkhaiologia, ‘discourse about ancient things’), but
today it has come to mean the study of the human past through the material traces
of it that have survived. It is the study of the ancient times with respect to society and
culture. (https://fac.umc.edu.dz/fll/images/cours/2023_Saliha%20Beleulmi.pdf)
3- Linguistics:
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, focusing on its structure, meaning, and
context. As a social science, it examines how language influences and is influenced
by social factors, exploring the intricate relationship between language and society.
This includes analyzing language form, meaning, and context, as well as the
interplay between sound and meaning.
(Essentials of Linguistics, 2nd Edition)
3 BY: HOORYA JEELANI
4- Philosophy:
According to Karl Marx
Philosophy is "the interpretation of the world in order to change it"
Philosophy, while traditionally categorized under the humanities, plays a crucial role
in the social sciences by examining the foundational principles, methodologies, and
ethical considerations that underpin social inquiry. The philosophy of social science
seeks to produce a rational reconstruction of social science, describing the
philosophical assumptions that guide the practice of social inquiry. (Social Science
Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" by Anol Bhattacherjee)
5- Political science:
Political science is the study of social arrangements to maintain peace and order
within a given society. It examines governmental systems, policymaking, and
international relations. It encompasses areas such as law, administration, and
governance, aiming to understand how power is distributed and exercised in
societies.
It has both a philosophical and a practical base. It examines the theory of systems
of government, but it also studies actual practices by which government:
■ Taxes
■ Prohibits
■ Regulates
■ Protects
■ Provides services
Law:
According to sociologist Max Weber, law is ‘a system of rules enforced by a
legitimate power structure,’ emphasizing its interactions with social class, culture,
and institutions.
REFERENCES:
1- (Young, K., & Mack, R. (1959). Sociology and Social Life. New York: American
Book Company.)
2- (Obo and Adejumo, 2014; Otaha and Dickson, 2014).
3- (Teaching of Social Studies by Y.K. Singh)
4- (The Social Sciences: The Root and Route of Political Science)
5- (https://fac.umc.edu.dz/fll/images/cours/2023_Saliha%20Beleulmi.pdf)
6- (https://fac.umc.edu.dz/fll/images/cours/2023_Saliha%20Beleulmi.pdf)
7- (Essentials of Linguistics, 2nd Edition)
8- (Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and
Practices.)
