Nature and Functions of Social Science Disciplines

Science vs. Social Science

• Science: systematic study of physical & natural world via observation, experimentation, theory-testing.

• Social Science: scientific study of human society & social relationships; multiple disciplines, no single unified theory expected.

Nine Core Social Science Disciplines

• Anthropology

• Demography

• Economics

• Geography

• History

• Linguistics

• Political Science

• Psychology

• Sociology

Etymology & Concise Definitions

• Anthropology – anthropos + logos: scientific study of humans & societies, past–present.

• Demography – demos + graphein: study of population size, structure, dynamics.

• Economics – oikanomia: study of rational allocation of scarce resources to satisfy needs/wants.

• Geography – geo + graphein: examines Earth-people relationships & spatial patterns.

• History – histoire: systematic study of past events & records.

• Linguistics – lingua: scientific study of language form, meaning, use.

• Political Science – polis + politika: analysis of power, governance, institutions, policy.

• Psychology – psyche + logos: scientific study of mind, affect, behavior.

• Sociology – socius + logos: study of social groups, interaction, structure, change.

Key Functions (sample highlights)

• Anthropology: document & interpret human conditions; inform development/action solutions.

• Geography: explain physical systems (e.g., earth\text{-}sun, water cycle) & spatial interactions for global interdependence.

• History: furnish context for present decisions; train analysis useful in many careers.

• Sociology: analyze power, economy, movements; connect society–environment interactions.

• Political Science: evaluate power allocation, governance systems, public policy.

• Economics: focus on production, consumption, growth; guide resource management.

• Linguistics: enable social uses of language (requesting, describing, expressing).

• Demography: measure population, identify drivers of change, forecast trends.

• Psychology: investigate observable behavior & mental processes to understand individuals.

Essential Nature Highlights

• Anthropology: modern focus on complex issues; employs developmental & action subfields.

• Geography: concerned with accurate, orderly description of Earth’s surface; adopts spatial viewpoint.

• History: studies present through past; emphasizes causality, continuity, objectivity, relevance.

• Sociology: independent, pure, abstract, empirical & rational; generalizes about social life.

• Political Science: views politics as mechanism for societal goals; studies state, institutions, theory.

• Economics: both science (positive) & art (normative); integrates math/statistics.

• Linguistics: academic discipline, scientific field, & social science focusing on language.

• Psychology: scientific yet practical; targets individual behavior/mental processes; symbol \psi.

Representative Research/Analytical Methods

• Positivism: evidence-based explanation of past.

• Narrative Chronology: sequence-focused storytelling.

• Biography/Hagiography: “Great Man” perspective.

• Dialectics: thesis–antithesis–synthesis cycle.

• Meta-Narrative/Total History (Annales): integrates long-/mid-/short-term factors.

• Negativism: rejects human agency & sources.

Major Schools in Psychology

• Structuralism (Wundt, Titchener): analyze basic mental components via introspection.

• Functionalism (James et al.): study mental life as adaptation to environment.

• Psychoanalytic (Freud): behavior driven by unconscious id, ego, superego.

• Behaviorism (Watson, Skinner): behavior explained by environmental conditioning.

• Cognitivism: examines mental processes—thinking, memory, learning.

• Gestalt Psychology: perceives mind/behavior as unified wholes – “whole > sum of parts.”

Science vs. Social Science

• Science: systematic study of physical & natural world via observation, experimentation, theory-testing.
• Social Science: scientific study of human society & social relationships; multiple disciplines, no single unified theory expected.

Nine Core Social Science Disciplines

• Anthropology
• Demography
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• Linguistics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Etymology & Concise Definitions

• Anthropology – anthropos + logos: scientific study of humans & societies, past–present.
• Demography – demos + graphein: study of population size, structure, dynamics.
• Economics – oikanomia: study of rational allocation of scarce resources to satisfy needs/wants.
• Geography – geo + graphein: examines Earth-people relationships & spatial patterns.
• History – histoire: systematic study of past events & records.
• Linguistics – lingua: scientific study of language form, meaning, use.
• Political Science – polis + politika: analysis of power, governance, institutions, policy.
• Psychology – psyche + logos: scientific study of mind, affect, behavior.
• Sociology – socius + logos: study of social groups, interaction, structure, change.

Key Functions (sample highlights)

• Anthropology: document & interpret human conditions; inform development/action solutions.
• Geography: explain physical systems (e.g., earth\text{-}sun, water cycle) & spatial interactions for global interdependence.
• History: furnish context for present decisions; train analysis useful in many careers.
• Sociology: analyze power, economy, movements; connect society–environment interactions.
• Political Science: evaluate power allocation, governance systems, public policy.
• Economics: focus on production, consumption, growth; guide resource management.
• Linguistics: enable social uses of language (requesting, describing, expressing).
• Demography: measure population, identify