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Chapter 3
The Social Sciences
1. SOCIOLOGY
Auguste Comte was the first to utilize the term,
also Max Weber.
Comte as a positivist considered that the study of
social phenomena should employ the same
techniques as the Natural Sciences: observation
and measurement, to describe social laws.
1. Sociology can be defined as: the systematic
study of social groups and their interrelations.
The first person to use that term was Auguste
Comte.
As a positivist Comte considered that the study of
social phenomena should use the same
techniques as the natural sciences: observation
and measurement.
2. Economics
is a Social Science that helps
humans in their decision to satisfy their material
needs with available resources and the process
of production.
It also studies the laws of economic behavior.
In Economics, the attention is centered in the
material needs of society:
 Food
 Clothing
 Shelter
 Health
 Education
 Recreation
 Furniture
 Cars
 Etc.
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
Microeconomics: Concerned with how supply and
demand interact in individual markets for goods
and services. Example: The market of
electronics.
Macroeconomics: Concerned with how the overall
economy works. Example: Employment, GDP,
inflation, etc.
3. Political Science:
The study of
government and power exercised in a society by
the State.
 Domestic policies
 international affairs
 public health
 the environment
 civil rights
 Law
 political parties and elections, etc.
Political science deals not only with exercising
power over society, but it also deals with other
matters like:
 Elections
 Levels of government
 Political parties
 People participation
4. History:
The narration and exposition
of past events. It tells what happened and the
repercussions for the present.
Historiography:
Historical
interpretation. The written register of those
events and the different points of view of
historians to explain them.
Object of study: Everything done by man in society
in the past that affects an important number of
people and has repercussions or influence.
Something relevant would be that which produces
economic, political or social change.
Examples: An electoral process or an epidemic.
History is also important because it forms the
collective consciousness, and the knowledge of
a common past provides unity to a people or a
nation.
Famous Historians
Herodotus (400 B.C.).- He
considered the father of history.
is
5. Anthropology: Investigates
how human beings have
produced their culture*.
*Culture: Lifestyles, customs, knowledge, and
artistic, scientific, industrial development in a
social group.


Anthropology is also interested in finding out
about biological and physical evolution of
humanity, their behavior, along with their
cultural manifestations.
In your notebook, copy the conceptual map from
page 61.
6. Law: The study of law is
important because as a social
discipline it studies the established
norms that regulate the social
conduct of individuals.
The law regulates the behavior of
people in a society so the State can
maintain social order.
Respect and application are two
things we need to do with regards
to the law.
In your notebook, copy the conceptual map from
page 66.
7. Social Psychology: The scientific study of
human behavior and the ideas that determine
their social behavior.
So, the object of study of Social Psychology is the
human being but as he or she interacts in society
and how the group action influences their
individualities.
8. Human Geography: Studies the relation of
people to the environment. So, it studies soil,
climate, water, relief and population centers.
It also studies: cultural differences,
communication networks, migratory processes
and the changes people make in their physical
environment.