Session 2 : Other Social Sciences

Dr. Abdul Baqee

Overlapping Perspectives Adjunct Faculty

of SOCIOLOGY

BANGLADESH STUDIES
Human 1103 : Bangladesh Studies
Other Social Sciences

Now that we know……

that SOCIAL SCIENCES Other than Sociology the main
in general refers to a social science branches;
related group of -- sociology
disciplines that study -- economics
various aspects of -- political science
human behavior. -- anthropology
-- psychology
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Sociology with other Sciences
Sociology overlaps with other
social sciences, but much of it
covers is UNIQUE.
Sociology and other Cousins
Distinctions are important, but
a lot of overlap exists between
the work done in different
academic disciplines.
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 The
integration
milieu of
SCIOLOGY

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Remember
Human behaviour does not have neat compartments.

Each one of these sciences

In reality the
is trying to preserve its
boundaries
distinctness.
between social
sciences are
The faculty of SOCIAL SCIENCES
very vague and
are interrelated and nobody
constantly
could possibly be an expert in all
shifting.
of them.
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Social Scientists are also aware that their sciences
overlap. This awareness has been responsible
for the development of what is
known as an …..

This approach stresses “interdisciplinary approach”.

the idea that each This approach at times gives
science is necessarily them a free hand to “invade”
related to, and each other’s territory
sometimes dependent whenever it seems useful to
on the each other. do so.
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1. Economics

Economics studies the It studies man as a

production, distribution wealth-receiver and
and consumption of wealth-disposer.
goods and services.
Economics is in many
Wealth constitutes the ways the most
central problem of advanced branch of
economics. the social sciences.
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Economics not only
measure how goods and The social aspects of
services do not produce, economic life are the
distribute and consume subject matter of
themselves. “SOCIOLOGY OF
ECONOMICS‘.
It gives stress on how
the society is being one of the major
benefitted. branches of SOCIOLOGY.

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 Political science has been
2. Political Science close allies of sociology.

In the recent years political science has been very

strongly influenced by one of the branches of
sociology, known as “political sociology”.

Political Sociology analyses political behaviour and

studies the social interaction involved in the process
of government.

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The interests of
political scientists and
political sociologists
have been gradually In many
converging. instances they
are now strongly
overlapping.

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 Anthropology has two main
branches;
3. Anthropology -- Physical anthropology
-- Cultural anthropology.
Anthropology is a
science of man and
his works. Sociology Physical anthropology deals with
and anthropology human evolution and studies the
are “twin sisters”. physical characteristics of man.

Cultural anthropology deals with the cultural

evolution. It studies the ways of life of different
communities, particularly, the primitive ones.
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Anthropology differs from sociology in that it usually
focuses on the simple, small-scale, primitive
societies.

Anthropology studies the society as

“whole”.
Sociology concentrates more on group
processes within larger modem complex
societies.
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 Social psychology is the
4. Psychology science of the
behaviour of the
Psychology is the science of individual in society.
human behaviour.
This science, focuses more on It studies the way in
the individual. which personality and
behaviour are
Psychology shares one major influenced by the
field of interest with sociology, social context.
namely social psychology.
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 As a discipline,
5. History history is the
study of the past.
History according to some belongs
more to the category of humanities
than to the group of social sciences. In other words,
historians study
For all practical and interpret the
purposes, it is also History is a past.
treated as social systematic
sciences. record of
human past.
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6. Geography
Geography is an all-
encompassing discipline that
seeks an understanding of
Earth and its human and
natural complexities.
In other words, not merely
where objects are, but also
how they have changed and
come to be.
... Geography has
been called "the
world discipline"
and "the bridge
between the human
and the physical
sciences".
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Sociology focuses on the
social aspects
of human behaviour,
and critically examines
social inequalities and Human Geography shows
social issues. how human beings adapt
to the environment and
that all behaviour is
shaped by its cultural and
spatial context.
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Communication Studies

Mass communication co In mass communication

ver all aspect of the sociology discuss the
society, i.e. social, behavior of human being
cultural, political, while living within the
economical and society, culture, tradition,
International relations. norms, religion, ethnic
aspect, linguistic etc.

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Major Perspectives
in Sociology
Sociologists analyze social
phenomena at different
levels and from different
perspectives.
From concrete
interpretations to
sweeping
generalizations of
society and social
behavior, sociologists
study everything from
specific events.
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The micro level of
analysis of small social
patterns.
Sociologists today employ
three primary theoretical
perspectives;
(a) the symbolic
interactionist
perspective
(b) the functionalist
perspective,
(c) the conflict perspective.
The “big picture”, that
is macro level of analysis
of large social patterns
and issues.
These perspectives offer
sociologists theoretical
paradigms for explaining
how society influences
people, and vice versa.
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