Social Science Subjects

The term Social Science was first coined by American educators around the turn of the twentieth century as a catch-all for these subjects, as well as others that did not fit into the traditional models of lower education in the United States, such as philosophy and psychology. Social studies aim to train students for informed, responsible participation in a diverse democratic society.

The content of social studies provides the necessary background knowledge in order to develop values and reasoned opinions, and the objective of the field is civic competence. In this article, we will explain the social science subjects.

Table of Contents

• What are Social Science Subjects?
• Additional Fields of Study in Social Science

What are Social Science Subjects?

Social Science is a field of study that focuses on understanding human interactions with its environment in a society. Social Science is an umbrella term including a wide array of disciplines like anthropology, archaeology, human geography, linguistics, economics, management science, media studies, political science, psychology, musicology, welfare and nursing studies, and social history.

As we proceed, we will understand the subjects that are part of Social Sciences.

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Economics
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Law
• Philosophy
• Media studies
• Geography

Anthropology

Also known as the 'Science of Humanity,' anthropology covers a wide range of topics from human behaviour to cultural relations and how this evolution of humanity has influenced society's structure. Since this study has various aspects, it is categorized into four categories: physical, cultural and social, linguistic, and psychological anthropology. It is often described as scientific as well as humanistic in nature.

Physical anthropology deals with biology and the evolution of humanity. Cultural and social anthropology emphasizes the cultural systems that distinguish one group from the other. Linguistic anthropology focuses on communication skills through articulate speech and the diverse languages of humankind.

Archaeology

Archaeology is quite similar to anthropology, though research is based more on material evidence in this field of study. This is done through excavation, analysis, and survey. These excavations have helped modern society understand the lives of kings and civilizations with the help of artefacts, tools, architecture, and many others.

Archaeology has helped the world find the greatest treasures in history and lost civilizations. This study is more descriptive, and its main aim is to conserve these collections to understand the past. Archaeologists use many scientific techniques to understand environmental artefacts. Carbon dating, which has revolutionized archaeological chronology, is one of the products of scientific methods. Hence, a lot of people believe that archaeology is science and art.

Economics

Economics looks at the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services through the transfer of wealth. It can be observed at an individual as well as at a global level. After analyzing production, distribution, and consumption, it outlines an economic policy that the people have to follow.

Economics is the science that studies the relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. The countries worldwide are ranked from developed to under-developed with the help of economics using per capita income. It also helps us to understand how businesses work and under which sector they are categorized. The fundamentals of this field are the inflow and outflow of transactions happening between two parties.

Political Science

Politics plays a very important role in an individual's life. Every decision that the political system has taken affects every decision of an individual. It is often divided into three parts - Political Philosophy, Comparative Politics, and International relations. The subject allows the study of past and current events. This study's basic aspect is to understand the system of governance and the institutes that govern these bodies. Although political philosophy overlaps with political science, the two are quite distinct. Political Philosophy is the ideals and values, whereas political science studies institutions and behaviour.

Sociology

Sociology is a social science subject that studies society at both- individual and structural levels. It studies human interactions and the processes that preserve and change them. It does this by examining the dynamics in parts of society such as institutions, organizations, and communities.

Sociology also studies social status, social movements, and social change, and social disorder in the form of crime and violence. Some sociologists work solely on research, whereas others intend to use their findings in policies or welfare. This field's broad nature tends to overlap with other social sciences like economics, political science, anthropology, psychology, education, geography, and law.

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behaviour; it uses studying both social behaviour and neurological processes. The human mind is a broad area of study. Henceforth, many professionals choose to specialize in any one area, such as child development, interpersonal relationships, or social psychology. A highly popular field known as social cognitive neuroscience has been the recent development in psychology.

Social cognitive neuroscience tries to understand the interactions between social behaviour, cognition, and brain mechanisms. The main aim of this field is to understand the various factors that influence the mind to process a situation and predict an individual's reaction in response to these stimuli.

Linguistics

All over the world, we have people speaking their mother tongue and the globally acknowledged English language. The world has also been gifted with many talented artists who have created brilliant art pieces in literature. To understand this form of art, we need first to make sure that we understand its linguistics.

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It is not about learning a language but rather about how the language itself works. Thus, there is more focus on its form, context, or meaning. This field has been divided into three dichotomies: synchronic v/s diachronic applied v/s theoretical and micro linguistics v/s macro linguistics. These dichotomies' goal is to find the time at which it is taking place, whether it is constructed or applicable and if it has a narrower or broader view of the scope.

Law

This study is concerned with the customs, practices, and rules of conduct of a community recognized as binding. A controlling authority undertakes enforcement of these rules. Law and political structures have always complemented each other. However, these two are distinct.

The law covers every aspect- whether it is a personal, business, or communal dispute- so that the people's rights are not violated and are given justice. It allows us to look at the various legal systems and understand our rights. Since this field has a broad scope, one can focus on a particular criminal law, international law, contract law, etc.

Philosophy

Philosophy is the rational, abstract, and methodical consideration of reality as a whole or fundamental dimension of human existence and experience. In layman terms, it means to have a belief or ideology that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour. Thus, anyone interested in philosophy will first introduce its two parts: Eastern and Western philosophy. The role of this field is to question one's reasoning for the existence of a particular problem.

Media Studies

Media studies is an academic discipline that deals with the history, content, and effects of various media. Today, in every household, we can see that one or the other form of media is available, be it a newspaper, television, or internet. People studying this field have become a medium that delivers the news and keeps people informed of worldwide events. It teaches a student to use the various tools of communication. It monitors the delivery of news and its impact on the mindset of people.

Geography

Many of us remember geography as a subject taught in school using maps; However, that's just not it. Geography goes way beyond that. It is studying diverse environments, places, and spaces on the Earth's surface and their interactions.

An area's geography usually refers to its topography- its relief and drainage patterns and predominant vegetation and climate and weather patterns- together with human responses to that environment in agricultural, industrial, and settlement and urbanization patterns.

Additional Fields of Study in Social Science

Few interdisciplinary or additional fields related to the social sciences include studying human cultures, behavioural disciplines, environmental studies, etc.

Below are the list of additional fields of study in Social Science.

• Behavioural Science: It is the study of activities and interactions among organisms in the natural world.
• Demography: It is the statistical study of all human populations.
• Gender Studies: It integrates several social and natural sciences to study gender identity, femininity, masculinity, transgender issues, and sexuality.
• Legal Management: It is the study of state and legal elements.