Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, disciplines, subfields, and notable figures from the lecture “Introduction to the Social Sciences: Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences.”

Discipline

From Latin disciplina (instruction); an area of systematic study or learning.

Natural Sciences

Branches of science that systematically study natural phenomena through experimental investigation.

Formal Sciences

Fields that study abstract structures described by formal systems, e.g., mathematics, logic, statistics.

Humanities

Broad disciplines that explore human responses and reactions to events (art, literature, philosophy, etc.).

Social Sciences

Sciences that examine human society, interactions, and social worlds.

Earth Science

Natural-science branch focusing on Earth’s physical constitution and processes.

Biology

Natural science concerned with living organisms and life processes.

Chemistry

Study of matter, its properties, composition, and reactions.

Physics

Science of matter, energy, motion, and the fundamental forces of nature.

Mathematics

Formal science of numbers, quantities, shapes, and their relationships.

Logic

Formal study of valid reasoning and argument structure.

Statistics

Formal science dealing with data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation.

Art and Art History

Humanities disciplines that create and study visual arts and their historical development.

Religious Studies

Academic study of beliefs, practices, and institutions related to religion.

Literature

Humanities field analyzing written works and their aesthetic, cultural significance.

Music

Artistic discipline concerned with sound, rhythm, and composition.

Philosophy

Discipline that investigates fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, and ethics.

Society

Large group of people sharing persistent social interaction, territory, authority, and culture.

Anthropology

Holistic study of humanity’s origins, customs, beliefs, and diversity—the “science of humankind.”

Goals of Anthropology

Understand/preserve diversity, view cultures objectively, produce new knowledge, and find universal human traits.

Socio-cultural Anthropology

Subfield studying living peoples, their cultures, and environmental interactions, emphasizing variation and change.

Physical Anthropology

Subfield exploring human biological origins, evolution, diversity, and distribution.

Linguistic Anthropology

Subfield examining how language influences and reflects social life.

Archaeology

Study of past human societies through material remains to reconstruct cultural change.

Herodotus

Ancient Greek historian; considered a prominent early figure in anthropology and the “Father of History.”

Charles Darwin

Naturalist whose evolutionary theory influenced anthropological understandings of human origins.

Franz Boas

Founding figure of modern American anthropology; championed cultural relativism.

Henry Otley Beyer

Pioneer of Philippine anthropology, known as the “Dean of Philippine Anthropology.”

History

Study of the recorded past, interpreting events through sources and evidence.

Father of History

Title given to Herodotus for systematic historical inquiry.

Historical Inquiry

Use of opsis (eyewitness), akoe (hearsay), ta legomena (tradition), and gnome (reason) to understand the past.

Geography

Science that maps Earth’s surfaces, analyzes spatial relationships between people, places, and environments.

Human Geography

Branch focusing on how humans create cultures, populations, and impact environments.

Physical Geography

Branch studying Earth’s natural features—climate, land, water, vegetation, atmosphere.

Political Science

Study of politics, power, and government; examines decision-making in the polis.

Politics

Process of exercising power within government to make collective decisions.

Power (Political Science)

Means by which government rules and influences people.

Government

Authority or bureaucracy providing a system of rule over territory and people.

Economics

Study of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (from Greek oikos + nomos).

Linguistics

Scientific study of language structure, grammar, and acquisition.

Sociology

Systematic study of human society, relationships, and social structures.

Father of Sociology

Auguste Comte, who coined the term and promoted positivist study of society.

Emile Durkheim

Founding sociologist known for work on social facts and solidarity.

Demography

Statistical study of human populations, their size, structure, and movements.

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes; bridges natural and social sciences.