Week 1: Discipline and Ideas in the Applied Social Science

Comprehensive flashcards covering the definitions of social science branches, applied social science career tracks, and the goals and principles of counseling.

Social Sciences

A body of scientific knowledge made of several disciplines that provide a diverse set of lenses to help understand and explain the different facets of human society.

Economics

The study of the allocation of scarce resources and the production and exchange of goods and services in society.

Environmental economics

A subfield of economics that studies the allocation of natural resources.

Labor economics

Focuses on the study of the decision-making and behaviors of employees and the relationships between employers and their employees.

Business economics

Examines the behavior of companies and firms by studying factors such as profit maximization, price setting, production goals, and the role of incentives.

Monetary economics

Studies a nation’s production, inflation, income, interest rates, and monetary policies.

Anthropology

The scientific study of humans and their cultures in the past and present time.

Cultural anthropology

Studies the development of human culture based on ethnologic, linguistic, social, and psychological data analysis.

Physical anthropology

Studies human biological nature, particularly its beginning, evolution, and variation in prehistory.

Archeology

The study of human life in the past through the examination of things left behind by the people.

History

The systematic study of human past events to understand the meaning, dynamics, and relationship of the cause and effects of events in the development of societies.

Political Science

The study of human behavior in relation to political systems, governments, laws, and international relations.

Psychology

Studies how the human mind works in consonance with the body to produce thoughts that lead to individual actions.

Sociology

A systematic study of people’s behavior in groups.

Geography

The study of interaction between people and their environments.

Demography

The scientific study of human populations across time, as defined by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research ($2016$).

Linguistics

The study of language and of the way languages work.

Counseling

A field of applied social sciences that provides guidance, help, and support to individuals who are distraught by a diverse set of problems in their lives.

Social work

An applied social science where practitioners help individuals, families, groups, and communities to improve their individual and collective well-being.

Communication studies

An applied social science providing training for careers in journalism and mass communication through multidisciplinary knowledge and skills.

Development Goals

Counseling goals aimed at meeting and advancing the client’s human growth and development including social, personal, emotional, cognitive and physical wellness.

Preventive Goals

Counseling goals intended to help the client avoid some undesired outcomes.

Enhancement Goals

Counseling goals focused on developing special skills and abilities.

Remedial Goals

Counseling goals that assist the client to overcome and treat an undesirable development.

Exploratory Goals

Counseling goals involving the examination of options, testing skills, and trying new and different activities.

Reinforcement Goals

Counseling goals that help the client recognize that what they are doing, thinking, and feeling is fine.

Cognitive Goals

Counseling goals involving the acquisition of basic understanding and habits for good health.

Physiological Goals

Counseling goals that facilitate behavioral changes towards the society.

Psychological Goals

Counseling goals that aid in developing good social interaction skills, learning emotional control, and developing a positive self-concept.

Reassurance

A principle of counseling that provides clients with courage to face a problem or confidence that they are pursuing a suitable course of action.

Clarified Thinking

A counseling principle where talk encourages a client to accept responsibility for problems and be more realistic in solving them.

Reorientation

A counseling principle involving a change in the client’s emotional self through a revision of basic goals and aspirations to align with realistic attainment.

Empathy

A principle requiring the counselor to listen and understand the feelings and perspective of the client.

Unconditional positive regard

An aspect of respect defined by Carl Rogers where clients are treated with respect regardless of their values or behavior.

Transference

A principle where helping clients understand their reactions empowers them to gain understanding of important aspects of their emotional life.