DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

SOCIAL SCIENCE a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of
human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society

8 Disciplines in Social Sciences

History
The study of man's past and past events

Political science
The study of man's politics and government systems

Geography
The study of man's interaction with his environment.

Economics
The study of man's production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services

Psychology
The study of man's behavior individually

Sociology
The study of man's behavior in groups

Anthropology
The study of man's development physically and culturally.

Archaeology
The study of man's prehistory through excavation and analysis of artifacts (physical remains)

Functionalism, also called structural-functional theory, sees society as a structure with interrelated parts
designed to meet the biological and social needs of the individuals in that society. Functionalism grew out
of the writings of English philosopher and biologist, Hebert Spencer (1820–1903), who saw similarities between
society and the human body; he argued that just as the various organs of the body work together to keep the body
functioning, the various parts of society work together to keep society functioning (Spencer 1898). The parts of
society that Spencer referred to were the social institutions, or patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on
meeting social needs, such as government, education, family, healthcare, religion, and the economy.

Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that attempts to explain why society functions the
way it does by focusing on the relationships between the various social institutions that make up society
(e.g., government, law, education, religion, etc).

Marxism is a social, political and economic philosophy that examines the effect of capitalism on labor,
productivity and economic development. Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes,
specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers, defines the
development of the state, and the bourgeoisie seek to gain control of the production from the "masses."
Only by eliminating the control of the economy from private ownership will the economy continue to grow.

Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people
impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Subjective meanings are given primacy because it is
believed that people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. Thus,
society is thought to be socially constructed through human interpretation. People interpret one another’s
behavior and it is these interpretations that form the social bond. These interpretations are called
the “definition of the situation.”

For example, why would young people smoke cigarettes even when all objective medical evidence points
to the dangers of doing so? The answer is in the definition of the situation that people create. Studies find
that teenagers are well informed about the risks of tobacco, but they also think that smoking is cool, that
they themselves will be safe from harm, and that smoking projects a positive image to their peers. So,
the symbolic meaning of smoking overrides that actual facts regarding smoking and risk.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalysis is a type of therapy that aims to release pent-up or repressed emotions and memories
to lead the client to catharsis, or healing (McLeod, 2014). In other words, the goal of psychoanalysis is to
bring that which is at the unconscious or subconscious level up to consciousness.

This goal is accomplished through talking to another person about the big questions, the things that
matter, and diving into the complexities that lie beneath the simple-seeming surface.

Rational Choice Theory

Rational choice theory is an economic principle that assumes that individuals always make prudent and
logical decisions that provide them with the highest amount of personal utility. These decisions provide
people with the greatest benefit or satisfaction — given the choices available — and are also in their
highest self-interest. Most mainstream academic assumptions and theories are based on rational choice
theory.

Rational choice theory assumes that all people try to actively maximize their advantage in any situation
and therefore consistently try to minimize their losses. The theory is based on the idea that all humans
base their decisions on rational calculations, act with rationality when choosing, and aim to increase either
pleasure or profit. Rational choice theory also stipulates that all complex social phenomena are driven by
individual human actions. Therefore, if an economist wants to explain social change or the actions of
social institutions, he needs to look at the rational decisions of the individuals that make up the whole.

Institutional theory attends to the deeper and more resilient aspects of social structure. It
considers the processes by which structures, including schemas, rules, norms, and routines,
become established as authoritative guidelines for social behavior. It inquiries into how these
elements are created, diffused, adopted, and adapted over space and time; and how they fall into
decline and disuse. Although the ostensible subject is stability and order in social life, students of
institutions must perforce attend not just to consensus and conformity but to conflict and change
in social structures.

Feminist sociology focuses on analyzing the grounds of the limitations faced by women when they claim
the right to equality with men.

It is the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
synonyms: the women's movement, the feminist movement, women's liberation, female
emancipation, women's rights; informal women’s lib "a longtime advocate of feminism"

MISAMIS ORIENTRAL GENERAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

Don Apolinar Velez Street,
Cagayan de Oro City

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Name:_________________________________
Yr. & Section:___________________________ Score:______________

Test I. Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided.

a. Social Science b. Feminist sociology c. Institutional theory d. rational choice theory

e. Psychoanalysis f. Symbolic interaction g. Marxism h. Structural Functionalism i. Archaeology
j. Anthropology k. Sociology l. Psychology m. Economics n. Geography
o. Political Science p. History

1.______ focuses on analyzing the grounds of the limitations faced by women when they claim the right to equality with
men.
2.______ is an economic principle that assumes that individuals always make prudent and logical decisions that provide
them with the highest amount of personal utility.
3.______ attends to the deeper and more resilient aspects of social structure.
4._____ is a type of therapy that aims to release pent-up or repressed emotions and memories to lead the client to catharsis,
or healing.
5._____ is a sociological theory that attempts to explain why society functions the way it does by focusing on the
relationships between the various social institutions that make up society.
6._____ a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the
interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society.
7._____ the study of man's past and past events.
8.______ is a social, political and economic philosophy that examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity and
economic development.
9.______ theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and
behaviors.
10._____ the study of man's prehistory through excavation and analysis of artifacts (physical remains).
11._____ the study of man's politics and government systems.
12._____ the study of man's interaction with his environment.
13._____ the study of man's production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services.
14._____ the study of man's behavior individually.
15._____ the study of man's behavior in groups
 XAVIER UNIVERSITY – ATENEO DE CAGAYAN

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

ROBERTO S. YAP, S.J.

President
Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan
Corrales Street, Cagayan de Oro City

December 20, 2018

Dear Father Yap:

I wish to request for a consideration regarding my Presidential Scholarship for 2 nd semester,

School

Year 2018-2019. Though I got no grade below 85 (B) for the 1st semester, yet, my average
grade

for the semester is only 2.8.

Please give me a chance to cope with the 3.0 semester average for the 2nd semester. I will do
my

best and double time to maintain this scholarship because it very important for me and my
family.

We need this scholarship very much. I have three more other siblings studying here in Xavier

University. One from college and two from the grade school department.

Hoping for your kind consideration.

Very truly yours;

ZENIA FELIZE N. GERSANA

Grade 11- Tacquet (STEM)