Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology The Social Sciences

What are the Social Sciences? The systematic studies of people, their activities and customs in relationships with others Use research and analysis to examine human behaviour in order to understand why people act the way that they do Subjects include history, geography, anthropology, psychology and sociology

How was the field created? 18th century – Age of Enlightenment Leaders wanted to shine a “light” of reason on the world and eliminate the darkness of the Dark Age Isaac Newton discovered law of gravity This discovery led to the belief that reason and science could also be used to discover laws about humans and their behaviour

Philosophers such as John Locke & Thomas Hobbes concentrated on abstract moral criticisms of ignorance, intolerance, superstition and political oppression Reason & observation became scientific cornerstone of 18th century – observation of social and individual behaviour became the job of social scientists

Example: Stress Scientists, doctors will show the medical consequences of stress such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and death Social scientists will analyze factors that lead to stress such as absenteeism, substance abuse

3 Types of Social Sciences

Anthropology

The study of human beings as a species and as members of different cultures Interested in: Ways humans are similar to and different from other species Biological development of humans over time How culture shaped the way people lived in the past and how they live today How certain factors in a culture that influence behaviour Problems studied deal with the comparison of different cultures and societies

Psychology

The study of human behaviour and mental processes such as thinking, feeling, remembering & learning Draws conclusions about how the individual behaves in social settings Assumes an individual’s personality is shaped by a combination of biological factors & life experiences Problems studied explore people’s actions in certain situations and as well as their emotions Interested in : The individual and why he/she behaves in a certain way Nature vs. nurture

Sociology

The study of human social life, groups, origins and relationships in society Examine: -How membership in a group shapes our experiences of the world -Actions and responses of individuals within a group in order to detect general patterns of human behaviour -How categories (i.e. teens, male, female) we belong to shape our experiences of the world Relationships between people and social structures

Examples Anthro Psych Socs -How chimps find food and make tools -How families differ from culture to culture - Personal problems - How a person relates to his/her friends -How a person’s group spends their spare time -Education system