Understanding Culture, Society & Politics — Nature, Goals, & Perspectives in Social Sciences

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes: main concepts, disciplines, core terms, and notable personalities across sociology, anthropology, and political science.

Culture

Practices and traditions that characterize a group.

Society

Interactions and actions among people within a community.

Politics

Power and governance; how authority is organized and exercised.

Social Science

The study of human society and social relationships across disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, and political science.

Sociology

The study of society, including social structure, forces, change, and phenomena.

Anthropology

The study of the origin and development of human societies and cultures.

Political Science

The study of power and governance at domestic and international levels.

Auguste Comte

Coined the term sociology; known as the Father of Sociology; development began during the Industrial Revolution in Europe.

Emile Durkheim

Integrated systematic methods to investigate social forces; helped establish sociology as a field of social science.

Max Weber

Author of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism; explains how actions and behaviors make sense to people in society.

Charles Darwin

Proposed the theory of evolution; Origin of Species; universal descent.

Franz Boas

Father of Modern Anthropology; promoted cultural relativism.

Henry Otley Beyer

Father of Philippine Anthropology; proposed Wave Migration Theory; established UP Anthropology Department.

Plato

Wrote The Republic; discussed political and ethical justice and the idea of an ideal society.

Aristotle

Wrote The Politics; argued government exists to promote virtue; Father of Political Science; founder of democracy.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Social Contract Theory; government derives authority from the consent of the governed.

Social Forces

Influences within a society that shape behavior and social life.

Social Structure

The organized pattern of social relationships and institutions in a society.

Social Change

Transformation of cultural, social, or political institutions over time.

Social Phenomena

Observable social events or occurrences studied by social scientists.

Power

The ability to influence or control the actions of others; central to politics.

Government

The system or group that governs a community.

Law

A system of rules enforced to regulate behavior and maintain order.

Social Institutions

Structures such as family, education, religion, and economy that organize society.

Three main concepts of Social Science

Culture, Society, and Politics.

Purpose of studying Social Science

To understand and improve society and individuals; for societal progress.

Humans are social beings

Humans are inherently social beings; relationships enable thought, communication, and development.