Review: Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on social sciences and related disciplines.

Social Science

A large body of knowledge that uses diverse lenses to understand and explain human society, its origins, development, interactions, and welfare of its members.

Anthropology

The study of human development, ancient societies, and their cultural traditions.

Demography

The study of human population, focusing on fertility and mortality.

Economics

The study of the efficient allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited human needs and wants.

Geography

The study of the interaction between the natural environment and the people living in it.

History

The study of the recorded past.

Linguistics

The study of the nature of language, including its formal properties, grammar, and language acquisition.

Political Science

The study of politics, power, and the government.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior, mental processes, and personality.

Sociology

The study of how people relate to each other and function in the larger society.

Natural Science

Investigates, predicts, and describes natural events on Earth and in the universe using the scientific method to understand the world.

Earth Science

Branch of natural science dealing with the Earth and its processes.

Physical Science

Branch of natural science focusing on matter and energy and their interactions.

Biological Science

Branch of natural science studying living organisms.

Chemistry

Branch of science concerned with substances, their properties, and reactions.

Genetics

Branch studying heredity, genes, and variation in organisms.

Oceanography

Branch studying the Earth's oceans and their processes.

Zoology

Branch studying animals.

Botany

Branch studying plants.

Humanities

Academic discipline studying the human condition through analytical, critical, or speculative methods, reflecting human life and culture.

Social Science vs. Natural Science

Social sciences rely on observation and study of human behavior; natural sciences use the scientific method; both seek to improve the human condition by understanding society and natural phenomena.

Structural Functionalism

A theory that views society as a system of interrelated parts (institutions, services, people) that work together to maintain stability; manifest and latent functions of institutions contribute to social order.

Marxism

A system of socialism emphasizing public ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, with reform aimed at equal access to resources and power for the common good.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class that owns the means of production.

Proletariat

Workers engaged in industrial production whose income comes from selling their labor.

Symbolic Interactionism

A framework focusing on the meanings individuals attach to objects, people, and interactions, and how these meanings guide behaviors and norms vary by values.

Psychoanalysis

A theory of personality explaining how patterns of behavior develop, using concepts like Id, Ego, and Superego to describe mind function and personality formation.

Rational Choice Theory

The idea that individuals make rational calculations to pursue personal objectives, with self-interest interacting with norms and constraints.

Bounded Rationality

The idea that cognitive limits, heuristics, and environmental constraints shape decision-making and outcomes.

Feminism

Movements and ideologies aiming to define and advance political, economic, personal, and social rights for women, addressing gender oppression and promoting equality; includes multiple waves.

Institutionalism

The study of how institutions affect how society functions; formal and informal institutions provide rules that constrain and enable actions, maintaining social order.

Formal Institutions

Institutions established by governing bodies.

Informal Institutions

Socially embedded practices and norms outside formal rulemaking.

Hermeneutical Phenomenology

The approach of understanding and interpreting human experience as it is lived, elucidating meanings in texts, art, culture, and social phenomena.

Human Environment System

The study of reciprocal interactions between humans and the environment, also known as environmental social science or sustainability science, examining how human and natural subsystems connect.