INTRODUCTION TO

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Social Science and Its Disciplines
BEFORE WE START…
• WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY THE
SUBJECT UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
SOCIETY AND POLITICS (UCSP)?
• WHY IS THERE A NEED TO UNDERSTAND
CULTURE SOCIETY AND POLITICS?
WHY STUDY UCSP?
• to develop students’ awareness of cultural,
social and political dynamics, and sensitivity
to cultural diversity
• provide an understanding of how culture,
human agency, society and politics work; and
engage them in the examination of the
country’s current human development goals.
WHAT IS SOCIAL SCIENCE?
2 Latin Words:

“Socious” - a member of a trading partnership

“Societas” - partnership or association between

merchants
WHAT IS SOCIAL SCIENCE?
Social Science is called the “Science of
Society” It focuses on studying the following:
• Changes in human relationship
• Interactions between humans
• Effects and implications of past events to the present time; and
• Social systems, processes, and institutions
 SOCIAL SCIENCE
SOCIAL SCIENCE
• Relating to human • The study of the physical
society and how it is natural world and
organized phenomena, especially
by using systematic
observation and
experiment
DISCIPLINES OF
SOCIAL SCIENCE
ANTHROPOLOGY
• SCIENCE OF MAN
• Study of humankind in
all aspects:
CULTURE AND
DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNICATION STUDIES

• Focus on the
processes of human
communication:
VERBAL, WRITTEN,
AND NON-VERBAL
ECONOMICS

• SCIENCE OF WEALTH
• Study of production,
distribution, and
consumption of goods
and services
GEOGRAPHY

• Study of the Earth

and its lands,
features,
inhabitants, and
phenomena
HISTORY

• Study of the past,

especially the study
of humans and their
past.
JURISPRUDENCE

• SCIENCE OF LAW
• Includes the
principles and
theories behind laws
and legal systems
LINGUISTICS

• Study of language –
its forms, meanings,
and contexts
POLITICAL SCIENCE

• Study of the systems

of the government
and political behavior
of humans when face
with power
PSYCHOLOGY

• Study of the behavior

and mind, with the
goal of understanding
individuals and
groups
SOCIOLOGY

• Study of society
and human social
action
POINTS TO PONDER
 Social Science is a science of society

Social Science has ten (10) disciplines

Anthropology Jurisprudence Linguistics
Communication Studies Economics History
Geography Political Science Psychology
Sociology