1. Areas of Knowledge HUMAN SCIENCES

2. Key Questions What are ‘Human Sciences’? Why are they important?
Why are they ‘Sciences’?
How do they differ from ‘Natural Sciences’?
How do Human Scientists investigate the world?

3. What are they? Anthropology Communication Criminology Cultural studies
Economics
Education
History
Human geography
International relations
Linguistics
Law
Political science
Psychology
Social psychology
Sociology
Social work

4. What similarities and differences can you find out about;
Why are they ‘Sciences’ and how do they differ from ‘Natural Sciences’?
What similarities and differences can you find out about;
Systems of enquiry?
Research methodologies?
Subject matter?

5. How do Human Scientists investigate the world?
3 main approaches to research;
1) Positivist
Scientific method (can be studied in the same way as the Natural Sciences)
Quantitative (counting and measuring)
Objective
Reproduceable experiments
Seeking ‘truth’, ‘laws’, ‘models’ & ‘prediction’

6. 2) Interpretivist
The process of interpretation
Human Sciences are more complex than Natural Sciences
Qualitative (interviews, photographs…)
Subjective
The importance of ‘context’
Seeking ‘insight’ and ‘understanding’

7. 3) Critical Theory
Looking for underlying patterns / themes
Human Sciences can only be understood if we look for underlying meaning
Structuralism
The importance of politics
Seeking ‘explanation’ through studying events as part of a wider process and pattern

8. Task
Match each of the following 3 paragraphs with the correct Human Science approach.
Briefly explain your decision.

9. Hong Kong (1)
Since the colonial power left Hong Kong in 1997 it has been able to overcome the post colonial challenges it faced and develop a more equal and productive economy and society. Its success is due to the enterprise and attitudes of the local people. Further development is threatened by its lack of democracy and Chinese interference but the liberal society allows the community to flourish. Hong Kong is a great place to live.

10. Hong Kong (2)
In recent years the GDP of Hong Kong has grown rapidly (on average by x % per annum ) and been based on growth in the financial sector (Hang Seng rose from y to z between 1997 and 2008) and trade. As a result, average incomes have risen by p% and the standard of living is now q% higher. Homeless numbers have dropped by r% in the last 10 years. Hong Kong is a great place to live.

11. Hong Kong (3)
The Chief Executive’s report shows us how much progress has been made in recent years in both the economy and society. He argues that the careful, light touch approach of his Government is working very well. We interviewed 10 Hong Kongers who told us that they were happy and that their lives had improved in recent years. Hong Kong is a great place to live.

12. Stanford Prison Investigate the Stanford Prison Experiment
Consider the reasons that these ordinary people behaved in this way. How could the findings be used to benefit society?

13. Key Questions Why/when are the theories ‘convincing’?
Why/when are the theories ‘less convincing’?
Why might a Natural Scientist be deeply critical of Human Science/Scientists?
What dilemmas are presented through pursuing qualitative and quantitative approaches in research?

14. Why might a Natural Scientist be deeply critical of Human Science/Scientists?
There is often a perceived battle for acceptance between the Natural and Human Sciences!
Caltech Professor of Theoretical Physics, Richard Feynman was an internationally renowned Nobel Prize winner who ‘championed’ Natural Science and was deeply critical of Human Sciences / Scientists.

15. His opinions about Social Sciences
Summarise some reasons for his opinions.
Why might Feynman be biased?

16. Quantitative vs Qualitative
Quantitative = of or pertaining to the describing or measuring of quantity.
Qualitative = pertaining to or concerned with quality or qualities.
Why does this tend to put Social Sciences ‘in conflict’ with Natural Sciences?

17. Problems with Qualitative research methods
Questioner
Interviewee
Question design
For each of the ‘characters’ involved in qualitative research, list as many possible sources of error or bias as you can - you can do the first few as a group

18. Are you a racist?
What do the findings suggest about you?
How might this affect society?
Does it matter?

19. The Milgram Experiment
Subjects were “employed” to help out at a psychology experiment.
As “Teacher” (T) they were instructed to administer electric shocks to a Learner (L) on the command of the Experimenter (E)
Shocks increased up to 450 volts (more than enough to kill a person) and the shocks were labelled – T knew what they were doing was dangerous and painful – a recording of shouting and distress, eventually leading to silence was heard from the other side of the wall.
How would you react? How do you know?

20. Results Is this what you would expect?
26 out of the 40 subjects were willing to deliver a fatal shock
REMEMBER that each shock was met with different feedback from the Learner

21. How would you react to these sounds?
Learner responses:
200V - blood-curdling screams
300 - refuses to answer, mumbles something about a heart condition
silence
Where would you stop?

22. So what? How would the findings of the experiment be useful?
In many States in the U.S. the death penalty is used as the ultimate punishment. How might these findings inform/change your opinions of the death sentence?

23. “Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal
suspended in webs of significance he himself has
spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the
analysis of it to be, therefore, not an experimental
science in search of laws but an interpretive one in
search of meaning” Clifford Geertz
Put Geertz’s quotation into your own words.
Do you agree? Explain.

24. Placebo Effect Questions
Watch this Guardian video on the phenomenon of the placebo effect.
What explanations does the video offer for why placebos work?
How is it possible to become addicted to placebos?
How could the Colombian government use the placebo effect in terms of health policy-making? Is this advisable in your opinion?

25. Placebo Effect Video

26. Questions to consider
If different methods of study produce contrasting results, how can we decide which is correct? In what ways is the Stanford Experiment an example of positivist method? Justify whether the complexity of studying Human Sciences make them a ‘richer’ area for research or just a ‘harder’ one ?

27. Use evidence from discussions and your wider understanding to explain why it is important to study the Human Sciences.
What are the Human Sciences able to contribute to knowledge?
What are the main difficulties with this AOK?