Nature and Functions of Social Science Disciplines

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts from the lecture on social science disciplines, their nature, and functions.

Science

The systematic study of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and theory-testing.

Social Science

The scientific study of human society and social relationships.

Anthropology

The scientific study of humans and their societies, past and present.

Demography

The study of human populations and their dynamics.

Economics

The study of rational human behavior in the endeavor to satisfy needs and wants through production, distribution, and consumption.

Geography

The study of the relationships between Earth and its people, emphasizing spatial patterns and place characteristics.

History

The study of past events and their records to understand human development over time.

Linguistics

The scientific study of language, focusing on its structure, use, and development.

Political Science

The study of political institutions, processes, behavior, and governance.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind, behavior, and mental processes of individuals.

Sociology

The study of social groups, their formation, change, and influence on individual behavior.

Positive Economics

A branch of economics that describes ‘what is’ without making value judgments.

Normative Economics

A branch of economics that prescribes ‘what ought to be,’ involving value judgments and policy goals.

Pure Science (in sociology)

Research aimed at acquiring knowledge without immediate concern for practical application.

Applied Science

Research focused on applying scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

Positivism (historical method)

An approach that seeks accurate and comprehensive visions of the past through empirical sources while acknowledging human agency.

Narrative Chronology

A historical method that constructs chronological stories where accidental events are emphasized over analysis.

Biography-Hagiography

A ‘Great Men’ historical method focusing on individual agency through chronological narratives.

Dialectics Analysis

A historical method where competing theses clash, producing syntheses that become new paradigms.

Meta-Narrative/Total History

An Annales-inspired approach aiming to integrate long-, mid-, and short-term factors into comprehensive explanations of human history.

Negativism (historical method)

An outlook that rejects human agency, sources, and empathetic understanding of the past.

Structuralism (psychology)

The first school of psychology, aiming to break mental processes into basic elements via introspection.

Functionalism (psychology)

A school that views mental life and behavior as adaptive functions helping individuals adjust to their environments.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Freud’s school emphasizing the influence of the unconscious mind—id, ego, and superego—on behavior.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach focusing on observable behavior explained by environmental factors and learning laws.

Cognitivism

The branch of psychology studying mental processes such as thinking, memory, and perception.

Gestalt Psychology

A school asserting that psychological phenomena are best understood as structured wholes rather than the sum of parts.

Interdisciplinarity of Social Sciences

The idea that social science disciplines use varied methods and will not converge into a single unified theory of society.

Household Management (oikonomia)

The Greek root of ‘economics,’ signifying the management of household resources.

Spatial Interaction

A core concept in geography concerned with how and why objects, people, and ideas move across space.