Learning Module for

Senior High School

Subject: Discipline and Ideas in the Social
Sciences

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 MODULE 1
SOCIAL SCIENCE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS

Let’s Take A Look

Social science is the branch of science devoted to the study of human

societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The
term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science
of society", established in the 19th century. In addition to sociology, it now
encompasses a wide array of academic disciplines, including anthropology,
archaeology, economics, human geography, linguistics, management science,
media studies, musicology, political science, psychology, welfare and nursing
studies and social history. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-
science)
This module is designed to respond the need of the society amidst the
presence of covid19 as the challenge in delivering education. The main
concerned for this is the safety of the learners. Thus, leaners are expected to
learn in the convenient of their own home. There is no way that education
will stop in the midst of crises.
In this module, you will learn the importance of each social sciences
discipline and their specific influences of the individuals and society.

Let’s Work It Out

In this module, you will learn the nature and functions of Social Science
disciplines with the Natural Sciences and Humanities. The following are the
lessons and their unpacked learning competencies for you to fulfill.

Lesson 1: Nature and Functions of Social Science Disciplines

Learning Competencies:
 Differentiate the nature and functions of Social Science
disciplines with the Natural Sciences and Humanities.
Specific Objectives:
1.Define social science as the study of society; and

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 2.Distinguish the difference between the social sciences, the natural
science, and the humanities.

Let’s Think First

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answers on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. This explains and predicts natural phenomena in nature.
A. Natural Sciences B. Physical Science
C. Social Science D. Artificial Science
2. It is concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within
a society.
A. Social Sciences B. Natural Sciences
C. Artificial Science D. Physical Science
3. A characteristic of the social sciences that deals with the ideas being shared
in the society.
A. Public B. Private C. Semi- Public D. Semi- Private
4.Which best describes the thing in common between Social Science and
Humanities?
A. Humanities involved a more of a scientific approach. Social science
deal with more scientific approach.
B. Both Humanities and Social Sciences are concerned with human
lives and nature.
C. Humanities involved a more of a scientific approach while social
science is more on natural approach.
D. Closed System vs. Open System
5. The ways which the human experience is processed and documented.
A. Natural Sciences B. Physical Science
C. Humanities D. Phenomena
6. Which does not belong to the differences between Social Science and
Natural Science?
A. Natural sciences deal with objects, whereas social sciences with
subjects.
B. Natural science is exact, predictable, and control variables while
social science is spontaneous, unpredictable, or controllable.
C. The basis of natural science is experimental data while social
science relies on experiential data.
D. Natural science variables are uncontrolled while social science
variables are controlled.

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7. They have the overall goal of the exploration and explanation of human
experience.
A. Social Science B. Natural Science
C. Humanities D. Psychology
8. To what areas of human life is social science used?
A. In studying the behavior of humans towards society
B. In studying the reproductive health of humans
C. In studying how dances have affected the minds of people in a
personal level
D. In studying what are the chemicals inside our body
9. Below are examples where social science focuses except one.
A. Natural phenomena B. Humans
C. Society D. Institutions
10. As a social science researcher, which of the following should a researcher
avoid?
A. Be open-minded.
B. Let your personal opinions cloud your judgment.
C. Respect other cultures and beliefs
D. Avoid being racial and biased

Let Me Catch You

Activity 1
PICTURES CONCEPTUALIZATION

Directions: Give your idea about the pictures in one or two sentences.
Write your idea in the box provided below.

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Guide Questions:
1. How does social science related to society?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the roles of social science in the society?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. How can Social Science be used to study and understand society?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. How does Social Science influence people in the society?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5.How is a natural phenomenon connected to social science?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Activity 2
Concept Map

Directions: Complete the concept map by writing the definition of social

science as a study of society.

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Guide Questions:
Complete each sentence below.
1.The Social Science_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2.Society _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Natural Science _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. The role of people of the society __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Social science in my life _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Talk And Tell

History of Social Science

The history of the social sciences begins in the roots of ancient
philosophy. In Ancient history, there was no difference between mathematics
and the study of history, poetry or politics. The term "social science" may refer
either to the specific sciences of society established by thinkers such as
Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber or more.

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Social Problems and Social Science
The connection between social science and social problems should be a
high priority for all of us -- social scientists and citizens alike. Example:
Poverty and Social Science (Economics). The connection between social
science and social problems should be a high priority for all of us -- social
scientists and citizens alike. Example: Poverty and Social Science (Economics)

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 Let’s Do It

Lesson 2: Emergence of the Social Science Disciplines

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 Learning Competency:
 Explain the major events and its contribution that led to the
emergence of the social science disciplines.

Specific Objectives:
1. List disciplines interrelated to Social Studies;
2. Differentiate the various disciplines.; and
3. Show appreciation for the relationship between people, society
and environment.

Activity 3
It’s Time to Guess
Directions: Guess the picture and arrange the letters. Write your answers
on a separate sheet of paper.

1. 2.

4.
3.

5. 6.

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7. 8.

9.

Discipline of Social Sciences:

 Anthropology - The study of humankind in all is aspects: culture and
development.
Two fields:
1. Physical Anthropology -The study of the past and present evolution
of the human species and is especially concerned with understanding
the causes of present human diversity.
2. Cultural Anthropology - The branch of anthropology concerned with
the study of human societies and cultures and their development.
 Sociology - The study of the origin, development, and structure of
human societies and the behavior of individual people and groups in
society.
 Political Science - the study of political organizations and institutions,
especially governments.
 Geography - The study of all the physical features of the Earth's
surface, including its climate and the distribution of plant, animal, and
human life.

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 Fields of Geography:
1. Systematic Geography- focused on individual phenomena.
- is concerned with individual physical and cultural elements of the
earth.
1.1 Physical Geography -The branch of geography dealing with natural
features and processes.
1.2 Cultural/Human Geography - The study of the many cultural
aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the
spaces and places where they originate and then travel as people
continually move across various areas.
2. Regional Geography -Branch of geography that studies the world's
regions
 Psychology - The scientific study of the human mind and mental
states, and of human and animal behavior.
 Economics - Aims to study how to manage the limited resources to
satisfy the unlimited wants of individuals. It is also seen as the
production, consumption, and transfer of goods.
- It is how people interact with the market to attain or accomplish
their certain goals.
Two major fields:
1. Microeconomics- The part of economics concerned with single factors
and the effects of individual decisions.
2. Macroeconomics - The part of economics concerned with large-scale
or general economic
 Demography -The study of human population and dynamics which
include components such as population size (actual head count of
people in a given place of location), population composition (age, sex,
religion), population growth, population distribution.
 Linguistics -The scientific study of languages and focuses on the three
aspect of language: language form, language meaning, and language in
context.

Activity 4

MAKE A REFLECTION
Directions: Write a reflection of the following images align to the guide
question.

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 Guide Question:
1. Do we really get freedom with these
things, or we get more attached
than ever?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

2. Do you think this is a relationship

goal?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

3. How we will we manage our self

towards time?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

4. How your fashion helps you fit in the

society?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

5. How people judge other towards their

look?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

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Lesson 3: Early Development of Social Science
Learning Competency:
 Connect the disciplines with their historical and social
foundations.
Specific Objectives:
1. Trace the historical background of social science disciplines; and
2. Distinguish the building of the social science disciplines.

ANTHROPOLOGY
Historical Background: The European Age of Enlightenment of the
17th and 18th centuries marked the rise of scientific and rational
philosophical thought. Enlightenment thinkers, such as Scottish-born David
Hume, John Locke of England, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau of France, wrote
a number of humanistic works on the nature of humankind. They based their
work on philosophical reason rather than religious authority and asked
important anthropological questions. Rousseau, for instance, wrote on the
moral qualities of “primitive” societies and about human inequality. But most
writers of the Enlightenment also lacked firsthand experience with non-
Western cultures. (https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-
emergence-of-social-science-disciplines)
Anthropology: QUESTIONS ASKED: Anthropologists
ask such basic questions as: When, where, and how did
humans evolve? How do people adapt to different
environments? How have societies developed and changed
from the ancient past to the present? Answers to these
questions can help us understand what it means to be human. They can also
help us to learn ways to meet the present-day needs of people all over the
world and to plan how we might live in the future.
(https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-emergence-of-social-
science-disciplines)
FRANS BOAS is considered as both the founder of modern anthropology as
well as the father of American anthropology. (brainly.ph/question/480023)

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ECONOMICS
Historical Background: Historical (Mercantilism) • The development of
modern nationalism during the 16th century shifted attention to the problem
of increasing the wealth and power of the various nation-states. The economic
policy of the leaders of that time, known as mercantilism, sought to encourage
national self-sufficiency. The heyday of the mercantilist school in England and
western Europe occurred during the 16th through the early 18th centuries.
• Mercantilists valued gold and silver as an index of national power.
Without the gold and silver mines in the New World from which Spain drew
its riches, a nation could accumulate these precious metals only by selling
more merchandise to foreigners than it bought from them. This favorable
balance of trade necessarily compelled foreigners to cover their deficits by
shipping gold and silver.
• Mercantilists took for granted that their own country was either at war
with its neighbors, recovering from a recent conflict, or getting ready to plunge
into a new war. With gold and silver, a ruler could hire mercenaries to fight,
a practice followed by King George III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
when he used Hessian troops during the American Revolution. As needed, the
monarch could also buy weapons, uniforms, and food to supply the soldiers
and sailors. (https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-
emergence-of-social-science-disciplines)
Adam Smith was an 18th-century Scottish economist,
philosopher, and author who is considered the father
of modern economics. Smith argued against
mercantilism and was a major proponent of laissez-
faire economic policies. [ He] also known for creating the concept of gross
domestic product (GDP) and for his theory of compensating wage
differentials.
(https://www.investopedia.com/updates/adam-smith-economics/)
GEOGRAPHY
Historical Background: The earliest
geographers were concerned with exploring
unknown areas and with describing the
observable features of different places. Such
ancient peoples as the Chinese, Egyptians, and
Phoenicians made long journeys and recorded
their observations of strange lands. One of the
first known maps was made on a clay tablet in
Babylonia about 2300 BC. By 1400 BC, the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea had been
explored and charted, and during the next thousand years, early explorers
visited Britain and navigated most of the African coast. The ancient Greeks,

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however, gave the Western world its first important knowledge relating to the
form, size, and general nature of the earth.
(https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-emergence-of-social-
science-disciplines)
HISTORY
Historical Background: History, in its broadest sense, is the totality of
all past events, although a more realistic definition would limit it to the known
past. Historiography is the written record of what is known of human lives
and societies in the past and how historians have attempted to understand
them.
Approaches • Historians have looked more and more to the social sciences—
sociology, psychology, anthropology, and economics—for new methods and
forms of explanation; the sophisticated use of quantitative data has become
the accepted approach to economic and demographic studies. The influence
of Marxist theories of economic and social development remains vital and
contentious.
Herodotus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian is often
considered (within the Western tradition) to be the
"father of history," or, by some, the "father of lies."
Along with his contemporary Thucydides, he helped
form the foundations for the modern study of human
history. Their works continue to be read today, and
the gap between the culture-focused Herodotus and
the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of
contention or approach in modern historical writing.
In East Asia, a state chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals, was known
to be compiled from as early as 722 BC although only 2nd-century BC texts
have survived. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History)

LINGUISTICS
Historical Background: In the early 20th century, linguistics expanded
to include the study of unwritten languages. In the United States linguists
and anthropologists began to study the rapidly disappearing spoken
languages of Native North Americans. Because many of these languages were
unwritten, researchers could not use historical analysis in their studies. In
their pioneering research on these languages, anthropologists Franz Boas and
Edward Sapir developed the techniques of descriptive linguistics and
theorized on the ways in which language shapes our perceptions of the world.
(https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-emergence-of-social-
science-disciplines)
Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss professor of Indo-
European and general linguistics, whose lectures on
general linguistics, published posthumously by his

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students, set the direction of European linguistic
analysis from the 1920s on; his approach has been
widely adopted in other fields under the broad term
"Structuralism". Before him, the study of the science of
language was known as philology and it had a different
focus.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_linguistics)
Noam Chomsky is recognized as the "father of modern
linguistics." He is also one of the founders of cognitive
science. He has published more than 100 books ranging
across the disciplines of linguistics, philosophy, and
politics. (www.thoughtco.com/noam-chomsky-4769113)

PSYCHOLOGY
Historical Background: From about 600 to 300 BC, Greek philosophers
inquired about a wide range of psychological topics. They were especially
interested in the nature of knowledge and how human beings come to know
the world; a field of philosophy known as epistemology. The Greek philosopher
Socrates and his followers, Plato and Aristotle, wrote about pleasure and pain,
knowledge, beauty, desire, free will, motivation, common sense, rationality,
memory, and the subjective nature of perception.
(https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-emergence-of-social-
science-disciplines)
Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist who
established the very first psychology laboratory in
Leipzig, Germany in 1879. This event is widely
recognized as the formal establishment of psychology as
a science distinct from biology and philosophy. [ He] is
the man most commonly identified as the father of
psychology. [ He] is bestowed this distinction because of
his formation of the world's first experimental
psychology lab, which is usually noted as the official start of psychology as a
separate and distinct science. (https://www.verywellmind.com/who-is-the-
father-of-psychology-2795249)
Other "Fathers of Psychology"
A number of other influential thinkers can also claim to be "fathers of
psychology" in some way or another. The following are just a few of these
individuals who are noted in specific areas of psychology:
William James: The Father of American Psychology; he helped
establish psychology in the U.S., and his book, The Principles of Psychology,
became an instant classic.
Sigmund Freud: The Father of Psychoanalysis; his theories and work
established psychoanalysis as a major school of thought in psychology.
Hugo Münsterberg: The Father of Applied Psychology; he was an early
pioneer of several applied areas including clinical, forensic, and industrial-
organizational psychology.

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 John Bowlby: The Father of Attachment Theory; he developed the
theory of attachment.
Kurt Lewin: The Father of Social Psychology; his work pioneered the
use of scientific methods to study social behavior.
Edward Thorndike: The Father of Modern Educational Psychology; his
research on the learning process helped establish the foundation for
educational psychology.
Jean Piaget: The Father of Developmental Psychology; his theory of
cognitive development revolutionized how research thought about children's
intellectual growth.
Ulric Neisser: The Father of Modern Cognitive Psychology; the cognitive
movement in psychology received a major boost from the publication of his
1967 book, Cognitive Psychology.
Lightner Witmer: The Father of Modern Clinical Psychology; he
founded the world's first journal devoted to clinical psychology, The
Psychological Clinic, in 1907.
Gordon Allport: The Father of Personality Psychology; he was one of
the first psychologists to study personality.
(https://www.verywellmind.com/who-is-the-father-of-psychology-2795249)

Sociology
Historical Background: The first definition of sociology was advanced
by the French philosopher Auguste Comte. In 1838 Comte coined the term
sociology to describe his vision of a new science that would discover laws of
human society resembling the laws of nature by applying the methods of
factual investigation that had proved so successful in the physical sciences.
The British philosopher Herbert Spencer adopted both Comte's term and his
mission. (https://www.slideshare.net/jesalv/historical-context-emergence-
of-social-science-disciplines)
Auguste Comte, in full Isidore-Auguste-Marie-
François-Xavier Comte, (born January 19, 1798,
Montpellier, France—died September 5, 1857,
Paris), French philosopher known as the founder of
sociology and of positivism. Comte gave the science
of sociology its name and established the new
subject in a systematic fashion.
(www.britannica.com/biography/Auguste-Comte)

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 Activity 5
Complete the Puzzle
Directions: Solve the Puzzle. Refer your answer to the guide questions below.
1 6

10
9

8 7

Guide Questions:
1. (Across) Who is the father of modern linguistic?
2. (Across) Who is the Father of Modern Educational Psychology?
3. (Across) This study’s development of modern nationalism during the 16th
century which shifted attention to the problem of increasing the wealth and
power of the various nation-states.
4. (Across) What study which in 1838 describe Comte vision of a new science
that would discover laws of human society resembling the laws of nature by
applying the methods of factual investigation that had proved so successful
in the physical sciences?

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5. (Across)Who is the Father of Developmental Psychology?
6. (Down) Who is the father of Linguistics?
7. (Down) Who is the father of History?
8. (Down) What study began in the early 20th century and expanded including
unwritten languages?
9. (Down) Who is the father of Economics?
10. (Down) Who is the Filipino Father of Anthropology?

Let’s Check And Learn

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answers on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. This explains and predicts natural phenomena in nature.
A. Natural Sciences B. Physical Science
C. Social Science D. Artificial Science
2. It is concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within
a society.
A. Social Sciences B. Natural Sciences
C. Artificial Science D. Physical Science
3. A characteristic of the social sciences that deals with the ideas being shared
in the society.
A. Public B. Private C. Semi- Public D. Semi- Private
4.Which best describes the thing in common between Social Science and
Humanities?
A. Humanities involved a more of a scientific approach. Social science
deal with more scientific approach.
B. Both Humanities and Social Sciences are concerned with human
lives and nature.
C. Humanities involved a more of a scientific approach while social
science is more on natural approach.
D. Closed System vs. Open System
5. The ways which the human experience is processed and documented.
A. Natural Sciences B. Physical Science
C. Humanities D. Phenomena
6. Which does not belong to the differences between Social Science and
Natural Science?
A. Natural sciences deal with objects, whereas social sciences with
subjects.
B. Natural science is exact, predictable, and control variables while

20
 social science is spontaneous, unpredictable, or controllable.
C. The basis of natural science is experimental data while social
science relies on experiential data.
D. Natural science variables are uncontrolled while social science
variables are controlled.
7. They have the overall goal of the exploration and explanation of human
experience.
A. Social Science B. Natural Science
C. Humanities D. Psychology
8. To what areas of human life is social science used?
A. In studying the behavior of humans towards society
B. In studying the reproductive health of humans
C. In studying how dances have affected the minds of people in a
personal level
D. In studying what are the chemicals inside our body.
9. Below are examples where social science focuses except one.
A. Natural phenomena B. Humans
C. Society D. Institutions
10. As a social science researcher, which of the following should a researcher
avoid?
A. Be open-minded.
B. Let your personal opinions cloud your judgment.
C. Respect other cultures and beliefs
D. Avoid being racial and biased

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22
Activity 4: MAKE A REFLECTION
The answer will vary in each student.
Activity 5: Complete the Puzzle
1. Chomsky
2. Thorndike
3. Economics
4. Sociology
5. Piaget
6. Saussure,
7. Herodotus
8. Linguistic
9.Smith
10. Beyer
Answer Key
 References

https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-science/Development-of-the-
separate-disciplines

Jerome, B., Kinney, Mc & Howard, Lawrence C. (1998). Public Administration:

Balancing Power and Accountability. 2nd Ed. (p.62). Westport. CT: Praeger
Publishing.

Pattison, W.D. (1990). The Four Traditions of Geography. Journal of

Geography ,89 (5),202–206.

Stearns, Peter N., Seixas, Peter & Sam Wineburg (2000). Knowing Teaching
and Learning History. National and International Perspectives (pp.24). New
York & London: New York University Press.

Verhegen et al. (1999). From shared representations to consensually

coordinated actions in Theoretical Issues in Psychology. In John Morrs et al.
(Ed.), International Society for Theoretical Psychology.

Prepared by:

Jelanrey Jary O. Mondejar

Marjorie E. Ampo

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