Behavioral Sciences A Better understanding of the 3 main areas
Psychology Leads in popularity and will continue to increase as an elective and an AP course. Psychology’s growth in high schools reflects both the interest in media and fascination of the American Public with psychological topics such as self-help and personal advice. Psychology Standards, unlike other social studies standards, are limited to high school level 30 to 40% of test items focus on the 4 following themes: Research methods, biological bases of behavior, developmental psychology, and social psychology Popular undergraduate major: possible career opportunities offered by this field. Psychology can be taught in many different ways like designing questionnaires, controversial issues, debates between theories, etc.
Sociology Second in popularity as a high school course. Emphasizes how sociologist collect, assess, and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Sociology has a established a small role in the Social Studies high school curriculum. Main course focuses on: cliques, and networks form and behave; how gender roles change; how race is socially constructed; and how social inequalities influence life outcomes; gives attention to family, religion, education, polity, the economy, and the media. (pg259)
Anthropology Lacks a position as an elective in high school. Anthropology usually comes into the social studies curriculum only indirectly More so in elementary social studies programs where they begin to study different cultures. Global education has continued to stress the understanding of different cultural groups. Culture has been a major holistic concept in anthropology. Some anthropologist's believe that cultures have lost much of their usefulness to describe the wide diversity within society. Usefulness of culture as a concept have not yet influenced the K-12 curriculum. More states are beginning to require an anthropology course as part of a credential course so it can be integrated into the social studies curriculum.