Social Science Disciplines: History, Methods, and Areas of Inquiry

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, and concepts from each major social science discipline introduced in the lecture notes.

Social Science

A broad field that studies, measures, and interprets human behavior, societies, and their interactions with natural environments.

Anthropology

The study of humans past and present, including cultural traditions, biological evolution, and social practices.

Physical Anthropology

Sub-branch of anthropology that investigates human biological evolution and physical variation.

Cultural Anthropology

Sub-branch of anthropology that analyzes cultural practices, beliefs, and social organization.

Archaeology

Field within cultural anthropology that reconstructs ancient societies through artifacts and material remains.

Anthropological Linguistics

Study of language evolution and use within cultural contexts.

Ethnology

Comparative study of contemporary cultures to identify similarities and differences.

Herodotus

Ancient historian whose travel narratives laid early foundations for cultural understanding despite ethnocentric bias.

Economics

Discipline that examines how societies allocate scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants.

Factors of Production

Land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship—the basic inputs used to produce goods and services.

Land (Economics)

All natural resources such as air, water, and minerals used in production.

Labor

Human effort, both physical and intellectual, employed in the production process.

Capital

Man-made resources—machinery, tools, buildings—used to produce other goods and services.

Entrepreneurship

Innovative ability to combine land, labor, and capital to create goods, services, and profit.

Microeconomics

Branch of economics focusing on individual markets, firms, and consumer decision-making.

Macroeconomics

Branch of economics examining overall economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, and employment.

Invisible Hand

Adam Smith’s concept that self-interested actions can unintentionally benefit society as a whole.

Geography

Study of Earth’s landscapes, environments, and the relationships between people and their surroundings.

Physical Geography

Branch of geography that investigates natural features like climate, vegetation, and landforms.

Human Geography

Branch of geography studying human activities—urbanization, migration, agriculture—and their spatial impact.

Eratosthenes

Greek scholar often called the “Father of Geography” for early systematic Earth measurements.

History (Discipline)

Systematic study of past events using primary and secondary sources for evidence.

Primary Source

Firsthand account or artifact created at the time under study (e.g., diaries, government records).

Secondary Source

Interpretative work analyzing or summarizing primary data (e.g., textbooks, scholarly articles).

Thucydides

Classical historian who emphasized critical source analysis and factual accuracy.

Linguistics

Scientific study of language, its structure, use, and evolution.

Phonetics

Branch of linguistics examining the physical production and properties of speech sounds.

Phonology

Study of sound patterns and systems within particular languages.

Morphology

Linguistic analysis of word formation from smaller units called morphemes.

Syntax

Study of how words combine to form grammatical sentences.

Semantics

Branch of linguistics that explores meaning in language.

Pragmatics

Study of language use in context, including speaker intent and social cues.

Political Science

Discipline that analyzes power relations, governments, and collective decision-making processes.

Politics

Activities, debates, and procedures through which societies formulate and implement policies.

Power (Political Science)

Ability to influence or enforce decisions within a social or political system.

Government

Formal institutions and structures that create and enforce laws to maintain social order.

Aristotle (Politics)

Ancient philosopher whose writings laid foundational concepts for classifying government systems.

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Clinical Psychology

Branch of psychology focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

Developmental Psychology

Study of cognitive, emotional, and social changes across the lifespan.

Experimental Psychology

Branch employing controlled experiments to investigate basic psychological processes.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founder of the first psychology laboratory; pioneered experimental methods.

Sociology

Systematic study of social behavior, institutions, and patterns of interaction.

Social Norms

Shared expectations about acceptable behavior within a group or society.

Auguste Comte

Thinker credited with founding sociology and advocating a scientific approach to society.

Jane Addams

Early sociologist who integrated social reform and empirical research in community studies.

Demography

Quantitative study of populations focusing on fertility, mortality, migration, and growth.

Fertility Rate

Measure of the number of live births in a population over a specific period.

Mortality Rate

Statistic indicating the frequency of deaths in a population within a given time.

Migration

Movement of people across regions, influencing population size and composition.

Population Pyramid

Graphical representation of age and sex distribution within a population.