1. What are Social Sciences?

Americanization of the Social Sciences

-started in USA, university formal training programme, professionalization of the social sciences.

Social Experiment

-there are no controls -don't know for sure what effects happened, or will happen. -disagreement about causes

A theory is...

a set of statements that seeks to explain human problems, actions, or behavior in a causal fashion

Social sciences enable us to develop a greater awareness of the connection between (1). This promotes understanding and tolerance, as well as (2).

(1) your own world views and others'. (2) new ways of approaching and solving problems.

Why Study Social Sciences?

(filler)

Natural Science, Humanities, and Social Science questions on 'Homosexuals'

-Natural science: risk factor of spreading AIDS. Genetic? -Humanities: the life of a homosexual and their oppression -Social Sciences: homosexuality as deviance, linking to the arguments of power.

Epistemology

-The theory of knowledge. -The investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

Humanities

-deals with literature, music, art and philosophy; -closely related to social sciences in that both deal with humans and their culture, but deals with special aspects of human culture and is primarily concerned with our attempts to express spiritual and aesthetic values and to discover the meaning of life -more on the emotions and feelings

Social concepts are...

-generalized, abstract and precise ideas that are used to symbolize whole categories of people, behaviors, human issues, and social objects as well as processes - ways of classifying things and explaining characteristics of these things. (ex: poverty, racial discrimination)

Social Sciences

-more concerned with those basic elements of culture that determine the general patterns of human behavior; -systematic and scientific

French Revolution

-political changes -18th century -period of radical social and political upheaval in France.

Several types of Revolution and Societal Transitions in the 18th century include...

... the intellectual, political, and economic revolutions. Industrialization, urbanization.

Social sciences can equip you to...

...better understand yourself and the social world around you in an objective and comparative sense.

Scientific Methods are used to...

...investigate and take apart human behavior/social problems.

Encouraged by enlightenment, 3 great 'bodies of knowledge' evolved...

...natural sciences, humanities, and much later the social sciences.

Social sciences can convey an understanding and knowledge of...

...the process about the running of the social world in an integrative and systematic view.

Social sciences focus on Social relations and environmental features, which means...

...the ways interpersonal relations and environmental features influence human behavior, and vice versa.

Social sciences have limits to the Experimental Method because...

...they can't control the situations -involves too many variables, people, or even an entire society. -participants' consent to cooperate is essential.

Social sciences help you look beyond...

...your personal experiences, and to gain insight and knowledge about society and the larger social world as a whole.

1) Modern Science is based on the assumption that... 1) ____ are the major method of generating rules.

1) ...this is an orderly universe, ruled by the law of cause and effect. 2) Controlled experiments.

Political philosophy includes theories from... (3)

1) Hobbes: the state of nature before the formation of the political state was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, thus requiring a government 2) Locke: rights of citizens, and freedom 3) Rousseau: humans are good at heart; opposed to an absolutist government

Social Sciences History

1) Renaissance in Europe, 14th century, witnessed emergence of natural sciences and moral philosophy 2) Enlightenment in 18-19th centuries, Age of Reason, where scholars + social philosophers increased faith in critical reasoning/ etc.

The use of _(1)_ and _(2)_ to study and understand social issues and problems distinguishes Social Sciences from Humanities.

1) Scientific approach 2) Research methods

An effective theory may be both _(1)_ and _2)_. Can help us to see...

1) explanatory 2) predictive ...the relations among seemingly isolated phenomena; also how one change leads to other changes

What are Social Sciences? (2)

1)The scientific study of organized human groups, and the knowledge about the nature, growth, and, functioning of human societies. 2) To systematically and logically study all aspects of human problems, issues, behaviors, and conditions in order to change or enhance them for human betterment.

Political Economy (just names?*) (2)

Adam Smith, Karl Marx

Social Work

An organized work or activity intended to advance the social conditions of a community, and especially of the disadvantaged or at-risk. It focuses on problem solving and change. The aim is to help the clients to help themselves, with the use of an interrelated system of values, theory and practice.

Social Philosophy: Weber

German philosophical tradition*(wut), faith in progressive nature of the social order.

Good Society

Reasonably stable and prosperous society without an oppressive tyranny. Usually includes peace, respect, vibrant culture, and personal freedom to live the way one chooses.

Some Inter/cross-disciplines are...

Social Psychology and Political Anthropology

Social Sciences include the subjects...

Sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, political science, social work, and criminology. -common focus on social behavior and issues of people, different emphases.

Criminology

The scientific study of crime, criminals, criminal behavior, and corrections.

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen)

a life-span theory of motivation. As time horizons shrink, as they typically do with age, people become increasingly selective, investing greater resources in emotionally meaningful goals and activities.

Social Philosophy: Comte

We should treat society as a system of interacting parts (1830); a positive science of society

Pre-Scientific Understanding

acquire knowledge unconsciously, accept the world as it is, and call for supernatural explanations.

Natural Sciences

concern with the natural environment in which human beings exist

Scientific Understanding

knowledge that has been systematically gathered, classified, related, and interpreted.

Anthropology

more concerned with those basic elements of culture that determine the general patterns of human behaviour; a systematic and scientific way

Social Philosophy: Durkheim

objected historical analysis, and emphasized quantitative sociology; highly individual acts could be linked with the collective reality/ social factors

Psychology

studies mind, personality and individual behavior, e.g. emotion, memory, perception, intelligence

Political Sciences

studies social arrangements to maintain peace and order within a given society; international and regional political relations, the workings of government, and exercise of power and authority

Economics

studies the ways in which people produce and exchange goods and services, along with money and resources

Social Research is the use of...

the scientific method and logical inquiries as well as systematic analyses to study social problems, issues, and human behaviors