DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

QUARTER 2 LECTURE Social Science Disciplines in the Society

Social Science The Basic question
LESSON 6: The Role of Social Science in our Society and relative to the discipline
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary as an Approach Sociology What are the functions of
to Study Society the various groups in
society and what factors
Introduction do people in these
Every day we use social science in our lives. It is groups have in common?
Anthropology What are the cultural
essential for us how we understand and interpret the
patterns that help define
world around us. It can determine what career path you
these societies and the
are going to choose in the future. In order to predict people in them?
where the human race might be heading, and taking the Psychology What is going on inside a
rest of the world with it, an understanding of the role of person’s mind that
social science is a must. causes them to behave
Social science offers an insight into society and this way?
the relationships between individuals within that Economics How have people
society. It is a broad field, encompassing sociology, organized the production
history, geography, political science, psychology, and distribution of goods
anthropology, and law. and services?
In our previous lessons, we understood that Political Science How are people
Social Science focuses on the activities of the physical governed?
and social environment. Basically, it deals with human Geography How has society been
behavior, community relations and utilization of various shaped by the use of the
land and its resources?
resources. It provides vital information for governments
and policymakers, local authorities, non-governmental
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary as an Approach
organizations and others.
to Study Society
A discipline refers to a specific branch of
Why Social Science is important?
learning or body of knowledge that has a different body
The Social Sciences are those disciplines that
of concepts, theories, framework, subject matter,
use research and analysis to examine human behavior.
perspectives, world views, assumptions, and research
There are techniques as collecting and analyzing
methodologies. Each of these disciplines or branches of
statistics, conducting experiments, and examining what
knowledge are different from the other branches of
people have written and created, in an attempt to
learnings.
understand why people, act the way they do.
There are four main clusters of traditional
It is important because its study helps us to gain
disciplines. These include the following:
knowledge of the society, we live in. Generally, Social
Clusters of Traditional Scope
Science focus on the relationships among individuals in
Disciplines
society. It is mixture of many subjects like History,
Natural Sciences Include the life sciences
Geography, Political Science, Economics, Sociology,
and physical sciences
Social Psychology and many more. Social Sciences Include sociology,
It is important to study social sciences because economics, political
they are about what it means to be human. When we science, geography,
better understand ourselves, we can better understand anthropology, history,
how the world works. Once we understand that, we are and psychology
able to identify root causes of society's problems and Applied profession Businesses,
find more effective solutions. communications, criminal
justice, education,
engineering, law, social
 work, nursing, and multidisciplinary perspective because a discipline –
medicine based approach to the problem will not provide a
Humanities Include art and art complete analysis of the social problem.
history, literature, music, Multidisciplinary approaches are important in
philosophy, and religious understanding and addressing social problems because
studies in the real world, policy researchers or proposals
drafted and implemented to solve social problems are
In the social sciences, each of the discipline not crafted through the use of a single discipline.
studies human society, human behavior, and their Raymond C. Miller (1981), a professor of social
culture in a specific lens or approach that is unique to science in San Francisco State University noted that a
that particular discipline. This is often referred to as discipline approach to address problems is a futile
disciplinarity because the focus of study and analysis is endeavor. According to Miller (1982, 6-7) this problem
limited only to particular field of study or specialization. was experienced by economist when they made several
Discipline – based studies and orientation of major recommendations to less developed countries were
branches of the social sciences started to disappear “irrelevant of erroneous due to their failure to consider
with the emergence of interdisciplinary social science. the social and political context or the applicability of
Through this major development in social science their culture – bound models”.
research, the various disciplines of the social sciences In the Philippines, the different fields of the
produced a vibrant interaction of diverse scholarly social sciences play important roles to help understand
researchers and teaching communities. and provide alternative solutions to the country’s
Interdisciplinary social science approach or present-day social problems. The use of the different
interdisciplinarity involves the application of two or approaches introduced by the social sciences is
more fields of study or disciplines to address and important to understand the social problems because
answer social problems and issues. In this approach, a all our current social problems are connected with the
problem can be solved through the analysis, synthesis, other problems. For example, poverty is a problem that
and coordination between and among the different can be connected with unemployment, overpopulation,
disciplines to form a coherent research. Most of the corruption, and underdevelopment. One field of the
researchers in the social sciences have shifted to the social sciences will not be able to fully grasp the nature
application of interdisciplinary approaches in the study and extent of the problem nor can it provide an
of the society. integrative solution unless a multidisciplinary or a
This new form of study provides a systematic multifaceted approach is used to understand the
way of providing answers to questions, solving problem and its solution.
problems, and addressing very broad complex topics Below are the examples of the different
through the application of the various social science Philippine social problems and the different social
perspectives and integrating data, information, science disciplines that can help examine the nature,
techniques, methodology, concepts, theories, and scope, and solution to the problem.
frameworks coming from two or more of its diverse
disciplines. Social Problem Multidisciplinary
approaches to address
What is Multidisciplinary Approach? the problem
To fully understand and address a problem, a Poverty Economic, Historical,
multidisciplinary approach can be utilized. The Sociological,
multidisciplinary approach involves the application and Anthropological, and
collaboration of several separate branches or disciplines Political approaches
of the social science to examine and solve present day Unemployment Economic, Historical,
problems that plague society from each discipline’s Sociological, and Political
perspective. Multidisciplinary researches are approaches
conducted in orders to fully grasp the nature, scope, Disasters Economic, Historical,
and magnitude of the social problem. Problems that Sociological,
Psychological,
deal with social and economic development require a
 Geographical,
Anthropological, and
Political approaches
Poverty Economic, Historical,
Sociological,
Anthropological, and
Political approaches
Unemployment Economic, Historical,
Sociological, and Political
approaches

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