DISS Q1-M3: Social Science Disciplines

Summary

This video explores the key disciplines within social science, including anthropology, demography, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology. It highlights the importance of each field, offering insights into how they contribute to understanding human behavior, societal issues, and cultural evolution. The video also discusses different research methods used in social sciences, such as mixed methods, qualitative research, and case studies. Through various examples, it demonstrates how each discipline plays a crucial role in addressing real-world problems and enhancing our understanding of social dynamics.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social sciences help explain major events and their contributions to human society, as well as understand burning societal issues.
• 😀 There are nine major disciplines in social science: anthropology, demography, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology.
• 😀 Anthropology studies all aspects of human life, focusing on culture, behavior, and biological adaptations.
• 😀 Demography is the study of human populations, examining their size, structure, and movements over time, and is useful for understanding social and economic trends.
• 😀 Economics, derived from 'household management,' focuses on the study of production, consumption, and resource allocation, with sub-disciplines like macroeconomics and microeconomics.
• 😀 Geography bridges social and natural sciences, studying the relationship between people and their environments, and can be applied to predict climate and landscape changes.
• 😀 History is the systematic study of past human events and natural phenomena, using primary and secondary sources to reconstruct and understand the past.
• 😀 Linguistics, a branch of anthropology, studies the structure of human languages, focusing on features such as creativity, uniqueness, and cultural transmission.
• 😀 Political science focuses on the study of government, political institutions, power, and authority, analyzing how political systems function and influence society.
• 😀 Psychology investigates human behavior, mental states, and cognitive processes, with a focus on understanding, predicting, and treating mental health conditions.

Q & A

What is the main objective of Module 3 in the social science disciplines course?

The main objective is for students to explain the major events and their contributions to the emergence of social science, recognize various social science disciplines, compare and contrast them, and appreciate their importance in addressing burning societal issues.

Which research method did Mrs. Aziz use in her study involving both qualitative and quantitative data?

Mrs. Aziz used the mixed methods research approach, which combines both qualitative and quantitative data to answer research questions.

What type of research design is most suitable for investigating a phenomenon over a long period of time in real-life settings?

The most suitable research design is the case study, which allows for in-depth analysis of a specific issue or phenomenon in real-life contexts over time.

What are the two major sub-disciplines in economics?

The two major sub-disciplines in economics are macroeconomics, which studies the economy as a whole, and microeconomics, which focuses on individual consumers, groups, and firms.

How does demography contribute to social and economic planning?

Demography studies human populations, including their size, structure, and movement. It helps forecast demographic changes, such as aging populations, which can inform policies for addressing societal challenges, such as workforce planning and healthcare needs.

What is the primary focus of cultural anthropology within the field of anthropology?

Cultural anthropology focuses on understanding human culture by analyzing communication systems, behaviors, values, traditions, and the cultural changes that occur over time in different groups.

What is the significance of historical research in the study of human societies?

Historical research allows us to reconstruct past events and analyze their impact on the present and future. It helps to understand societal transformations, cultural practices, and the roots of modern institutions.

What does the field of political science study?

Political science systematically analyzes political processes, government institutions, political behavior, power sources, and types of political authority, with a focus on understanding the systems that govern societies.

How does sociology differ from anthropology in terms of its focus?

Sociology focuses on understanding the structure and dynamics of society, social institutions, and individual behaviors within the society, while anthropology places a greater emphasis on culture and its role in human life, including both social and biological aspects.

Which social science discipline would be most appropriate for studying the impact of anxiety and depression among teenagers, and why?

Psychology would be the most appropriate discipline as it studies human behavior, including mental health issues like anxiety and depression, and aims to understand the causes, effects, and potential treatments for these conditions.