Download Introduction to the social sciences

Introduction to the social
sciences
Antropology
• it is the study of cultural factors—the arts, beliefs, habits,
institutions, and other endeavours—that are characteristic of a
specific community, society, or nation.
• Uses naturalistic observation
• Cultural anthropologists study contemporary societies to determine
cultural patterns and regional or national variations.
Anthropological studies highlight the diversity of behaviours that
fulfill the functions required by all societies.
• By reading anthropological studies of other cultures, people learn
to understand that all cultural behaviour is “invented” and, as a
result, they will develop an ability to observe their own culture
objectively.
Sociology
• is the social science that explains the behaviour of individuals as
they interact in social groups such as in family settings and in
differently organized communities.
• Sociological studies are more concerned with the patterns of
behaviour observed in large numbers of people or groups rather
than with the behaviour of individuals.
•
Sociologists investigate social facts, the social sources of behaviour
that are used to determine rates of behaviour.
• Determining patterns and rates of behaviour of groups facilitates
planning and policy decisions within a society, but may not
necessarily explain the behaviour of individuals.
Psychology
• is the study of behaviour based on mental processes.
• Its focus is how the individual thinks.
• Psychologists use an understanding of mental
processes and the characteristic patterns of motivation
that they call the personality to explain individual
behaviour.
• They also examine how individuals interact and
influence one another.