Disciplines and Ideas

in the Social Sciences

Navigating Society throughSocial
Science Disciplines

Module 3
Most Essential Learning Competency:
Explain the major events and their contributions tothe
emergence of the Social Science disciplines.

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 EXPECTATIONS
You must be able to explain the major events and their contributions to
the emergence of the Social Science disciplines.

Specifically, this module will help you to:

 Recognize the various Social Science disciplines;

 Compare and contrast the various Social Science disciplines; and
 Appreciate the importance of the various Social Science disciplines and
understand the burning issues in the society.

DISCUSSIONS
Lesson

1 Social Science Disciplines

Aside from the spread of the infectious disease and the struggle to contain it,
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic has created far-reaching
implications, including economic, social, and cultural consequences. The said
disease is anticipated to automatically affect the Philippine economy and the global
economy as well, since deceleration or slowdown in economic activities, which is an
infection control practice, is inevitably needed in preventing and reducing the
transmission of the disease from one person to another. Decrease in tourist arrivals
because of travel restrictions, sharp decline in remittances, increase in business
closures, and rise in the unemployment rate are some of the expected economic
impacts of the pandemic.

Apart from the economic sectors, this infectious disease has also affected the
different social institutions, such as education and family. Widespread closures of
educational institutions and utilization of distance education instead of face-to-face
learning are a few implications of the pandemic in the educational system. Also,
people, especially women and children, have become more vulnerable to the
different types of domestic and sexual violence because of community quarantine,
which is sad, thinking that it should be safer for them to stay at home with their
family. According to the Philippine National Police's - Women and Children
Protection Center (PNP-WCPC), 602 cases of sexual assault, or an average of eight
incidents a day, were recorded from March 17, 2020 to May 23, 2020. These were
the times when Luzon and other parts of the Philippines were under enhanced
community quarantine because of the pandemic. Religion is another social
institution that is impacted by the pandemic. Sunday schools or church schools
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 were closed, worship services of various religious institutions were cancelled, and
even pilgrimages, or visitations to the places that are considered holy or special,
were also cancelled.

Because of these consequences brought by the Coronavirus Disease 2019

(COVID-19) Pandemic, our world and our everyday lives will never go back to
normal for a long period of time. Whether we like it or not, we must adapt the
routines and restrictions of the “new normal,” such as wearing face masks,
practicing social distancing, and changing our lifestyles, so that we can prevent the
spread of the infectious disease and ensure not just our own safety, but the safety
of all. Fortunately, various disciplines of Social Sciences can help us adjust to the
“new normal.” These disciplines can help in the battle against the pandemic by

investigating the different social forces related to the development and transmission of
this infectious disease. Moreover, Social Science disciplines can produce knowledge
that can be employed in helping individuals, families, and communities on how to
better cope with the implications of the pandemic. Now, the question is: What are the
different disciplines under the Social Sciences?

DISCIPLINES OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Social Sciences explore the different factors, such as cultural, demographic,

economic, geographical, historical, linguistic, political, psychological, and social
factors, that mold the actions of the people and their societal implications. These
forces are being represented by the various disciplines within the Social Sciences,
which emerged because of these forces themselves. Social Science disciplines,
although independent and different from one another, share the same goal and that
is to define the essence of being a human.

These disciplines allow us to analyze the human behavior from a variety of

perspectives, to deeply understand the controversial issues and complications
surrounding our society, and, most significantly, to empower ourselves as
democratic citizens of the fast-changing world. Social Sciences mainly include the
following disciplines: Anthropology, Demography, Economics, Geography, History,
Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

 Anthropology - It is s etymologically defined as “the study of humanity” that

originated from the Greek word “anthrōpos,” word for “human being,” and
the suffix “-logy,” which means “the study or the science of”. This discipline
seeks to comprehend the origins or roots of human beings, the adaptations,
either cultural or biological, that allow people to go well with their
environments, and the variations in cultural traditions and beliefs about life
among individuals or groups of individuals. It is a mixture of Social Sciences
and Natural Sciences, specifically Biology, for it considers both cultural and
biological perspectives in dealing with the human nature. Its central focus is
the concept of culture since culture molds the nature of human beings and
is conditioned by both social and natural environments. This broad field of

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 study analyzes culture by exploring the people’s systems of communication,
patterns of behaviors, principles or values, tools or ornaments, and even the
manners of grouping themselves. It investigates the changes in the traditions
of various cultural groups that occurred throughout the years.

Related News: New species of ancient human discovered in the Philippines

(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/04/new-species-
ancient-human-discovered-luzon-philippines-homo-luzonensis/)

 Demography - It is etymologically characterized as "writings about

population” which was derived from two ancient Greek words “demos,”
meaning "the people," and “graphia,” meaning "writing about or recoding
something". It analyses the different characteristics of the human
population, such as the size, the density, the territorial dispersion or spatial
distribution, and the structure or composition, and the various factors that
bring about changes within its structure, namely fertility or natality, aging,
mortality, migration or spatial movement (emigration and immigration), and
social mobility or change in social status (e.g., horizontal, vertical), through
statistical models to determine how they cause changes in the society over a
specific period of time. Its primary sources of data and information are
population and housing censuses, household sample surveys, and
administrative records, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and
death certificates.

Related News: PH population growth slows, 2020 estimate 1M less than

expected (https://www.rappler.com/nation/248067-philippine-population-
growth-slows-2020)

 Economics - It is etymologically described as “household management”

which was originated from the Greek word “oikonomia”. This subject of
interest deals with the matters or problems related to the optimal allocation
of limited resources, which have alternative uses (decision-making). In order
to satisfy the infinite needs and desires of the people or to maximize the
utilities or the pleasures that the consumers will obtain from goods, services,
or experiences. It seeks to comprehend the different types of economic
system (e.g., traditional, command), the various human actions or behaviors
with regard to the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of
goods and services, and the role of the market and the government in these
economic activities, especially in the regulation of the outputs. This branch
of knowledge characterizes different social behaviors, such as collecting of
raw materials and manufacturing of products, using mathematical
equations and quantitative analyses. Its primary goal is to develop better
economic policies in order to mitigate the issues about the allocation of
scarce resources or the distribution of wealth and to maximize the benefits
that the people will get from consuming goods and services.

Related News: Philippine economy to shrink 2% to 3.4% in 2020

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 (https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/philippine-
economy-to-shrink-2-to-34-in-2020)

 Geography - It is etymologically defined as “description of the earth's

surface” which was derived from two Greek words “geo,” which means
“earth,” and “graphia,” which means “recoding something or writing about”.
It investigates the distribution and location of the different natural or
physical features of the earth, which include the landscapes or topographies,
the climatic conditions, the living things (floras and faunas), and even the
characteristics of the inhabited portions, and the relationships, as well as
the interactions, between the people and their surroundings. It is the field of
study that serves as the bridge between the Social Sciences and the Natural
Sciences, particularly the Earth Sciences, as it examines the people and
their environments and analyzes the geographical relationships between all
cultural and physical phenomena in the world. It asserts that the
environments or the geographical locations of the people ultimately
determine the human actions or behaviors that will be manifested within the
community and the kinds of society that will be established or developed
over a long period of time.

Related News: Namria discovers 400 to 500 new islands in PHL archipelago
(https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/555068/namria-
discovers-400-to-500-new-islands-in-phl-archipelago/story/)

 History - It is etymologically characterized as “knowledge acquired by

inquiry or investigation” which was emanated from the Greek word
“historía,” which means “inquiry” or “knowledge from inquiry or
investigation”. This area of study reconstructs various recorded human
events and natural phenomena and explains the different human thoughts
and actions in the past and the changes that these had experienced through
the analysis of primary (e.g., diaries, video footages, official records) and
secondary (e.g., articles, documentaries, encyclopedias) sources of
information. It involves the systematic detection, collection, organization,
and presentation of substantial evidences or information regarding several
past events or phenomena; this subject of interest points out that the past
events, such as the rise and fall of the civilizations and the dawn of
revolutions, are still significant factors affecting the present-day as these
events continue to shape the way people act, behave, or decide in the
present.

Related News: Duterte signs law making April 27 ‘Lapu-Lapu Day’

(https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/03/18/duterte-signs-law-making-
april-27-lapu-lapu-day)

 Linguistics - It is a branch of knowledge that is etymologically described as

“the science of languages” which came from the Latin word “lingua,”
meaning "language or tongue,” and the suffix “-ics,” which means “the

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 science or the study of”. It is the scientific study of various human or natural
languages, which are products of humanity’s cultural and biological
heritages, and their structures, such as sounds, words, phrases, and
sentences. It analyzes the nature of different human languages by closely
examining their formal properties or features, which include displacement
(imagination), arbitrariness (flexibility), productivity (creativity), discreetness
(uniqueness), dualism (double articulation), and cultural transmission
(acquisition). This discipline investigates the origins of various natural
languages, language acquisition procedures, and the changes that have
occurred in different human languages over a period of time, including their
modern modifications or variations. Its main focus is the concept of
language, since it is a universal and identifiable feature of human capacity
and behaviour. It plays a vital role in both understanding and culture of a
certain society and molds the people living in it. Its principal goals are to
create language theories by analyzing the nature of several human
languages and to employ these theories in order to describe all natural
languages.

Related News: Team launches online rescue of dying PH languages

(https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/356816/team-launches-online-rescue-of-
dying-ph-languages/)

 Political Science - It is etymologically defined as “the science of city-state”

which was originated from Greek word “polis,” meaning “city-state,” and the
Latin word “scire,” meaning “to know”. This subject of interest is the
systematic analysis of various political institutions and processes, sources
and limits of political power and its manifestations, types of legitimate
authority or rule, and systems of government. It examines the different
political thoughts or philosophies (e.g., patriotism, neutralism) and political
ideologies (e.g., democracy, fascism) as well as the impacts of these concepts
on the political activities or behaviors (e.g., supporting or opposing a
particular candidate for public office) of the people or groups of people by
utilizing numerous empirical and scientific methods of analysis. This branch
of knowledge investigates the various social structures or patterned social
arrangements, such as public policies and social laws that maintain peace
and order within a certain society and address the needs of the people living
in it. It considers politics or the political realm as the domain that captures
human lives and as a competition for control of and access to wealth or
resources among contending interest groups.

Related News: House pursues shift to federal government

(https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/01/05/1982149/house-
pursues-shift-federal-government)

 Psychology - It is etymologically characterized as “the study of the mind”

which was derived from the Greek word “psyche,” which means “soul or
mind” and the suffix “-logy,” which means “the study or the science of”. It is

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 the scientific investigation of different human behaviors, physical structures
(e.g., nervous system, endocrine system), mental states (conscious and
unconscious), cognitive processes (e.g., critical thinking, problem-solving),
and on how these all relate to the surroundings of the people. This field of
study analyzes the various internal (e.g., personality traits) and external
(e.g., environmental or situational features) factors that shape humans and
affect their behaviors or reactions, such as the blink of an eye, the rise in
blood pressure, or the disorderly violence that frequently explodes in a large
group of people, using systematic and objective procedures of investigation
and observation. It insists that whatever is going on within the psyche or the
human mind, such as sensation, pleasure, phobia, doubt, victory, or
conflict, molds the way a person sees his/her society and, therefore, affects
his/her relationship or connection with other people and the environment.
Its main goals are to figure out how people living in a particular society act
and why these people behave in a certain manner, to make predictions
regarding how people think and act, and to create positive and permanent
changes in people's lives, such as treating different mental health conditions
and improving the well-being of the people.

Related News: More Pinoys experiencing mental health issues as a result of

lockdowns, says NCMH (https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/28/more-
pinoys-experiencing-mental-health-issues-as-a-result-of-lockdowns-says-
ncmh/)

 Sociology - It is etymologically described as “the study of society” which was

derived from the Latin word “socius,” which means "companion," and the
suffix “-logy,” which means “the science or the study of”. This area of study
is the systematic analysis of the various developments, systems, structures,
and functions of human society. It examines how individuals behave and
interact with each other as members of a certain social or cultural group and
how these people work as a whole in the larger society through the
sociological perspective, which is an effective approach in discovering several
repetitive and general patterns of human behaviour and interaction. This
subject of interest, which is a sister discipline of anthropology, investigates
the different social influences that affect general patterns of human behavior
and interaction, such as historical events (e.g., revolutions, reforms, wars),
social institutions (e.g., family, education, religion), socially derived cultural
norms (e.g., laws, folkways, taboos), collective values, socially shared beliefs
and practices, and social problems (e.g., poverty, gender discrimination,
ecological imbalance), and hypothesizes regarding the processes wherein the
individuals are socialized in a particular society in which they are living. It
mainly deals with the concept of social interaction since social interaction is
the fundamental element of all relationships and groups that comprise every
human society. Its goal is to recognize the various characteristics of the
people living in a specific society, such as their genders, nationalities, or age
groups, in order to apprehend the distinct nature of human relations.

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 ACTIVITIES
Activity 1.1. Pictures of Reality
Objective: Recognize the various Social Science disciplines.

Directions:

1. Examine the pictures below and identify the social issues reflected in each
picture.
2. Identify the Social Science discipline/s that is/are appropriate to each social
issue.
3. Provide a short explanation of your answer.
4. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Appropriate Social
Picture Social Issue/s Science Discipline/s and
Explanation

https://pixabay.com/de/photos/m%
C3%BCll-plastik-philippinen-cebu-
4252118/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfat
australianaid/10695910543/

https://www.schriever.af.mil/Ne
ws/ArticleDisplay/Article/13325
35/fight-depression-search-for-
signs/

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 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wik
i/File:Anti-teenage_pregnancy_III.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wik
i/File:223National_Day_of_Protest_M
endiola_San_Miguel,_Manila_32.jpg

The highest possible score for the five items is 50 points. Each written
answer for every item will be graded based on the following criteria:
Appropriateness (correct answer) - 4 points
Content (in-depth and comprehensive) - 3 points
Organization (Presentation of thought) - 2 points
Conventions (grammar, spelling) - 1 points
Total 10 points

REMEMBER
 Social Sciences primarily include the following disciplines: Anthropology,
Demography, Economics, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science,
Psychology, and Sociology.
 Anthropology seeks to understand the origins of human beings, the
adaptations, either biological or cultural, that enable people to fit in with
their environments, and the variations in cultural traditions and beliefs
about life among people or groups of people.
 Demography examines the various characteristics of the human population,
such as the size, the density, the spatial distribution or territorial dispersion,
and the composition or structure, and the different factors that cause
changes within its structure
 Economics deals with the issues or problems connected to the optimum
allocation of limited resources, which have alternative uses, in order to
satisfy the unlimited needs and desires of the people
 Geography studies the distribution and location of the various physical or
natural structures of the Earth, which include the topographies or
landscapes, the climatic conditions, the living things, and even the
appearances of the occupied portions, and the relationships, as well as the
interactions, between the people and their environments.

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  History reconstructs several recorded human events and natural phenomena
and explains the various human actions and thoughts in the past and the
changes that these had undergone through the analysis of primary and
secondary sources of information.
 Linguistics is the scientific analysis of different natural or human languages,
which are products of human race’s biological and cultural heritages, and
their structures, such as sounds, words, phrases, and sentences.
 Political Science is the systematic study of different political institutions and
processes, bases and limits of political power and its manifestations, types of
legitimate authority or rule, and systems of government.
 Psychology is the scientific inquiry of various human behaviors, physical
structures, mental conditions, intellectual processes, and on how these all
relate to the environments of the people.
 Sociology is the systematic study of the numerous developments, systems,
structures, and functions of human society.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

It’s Thinking Time

Based on what you have read about the “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
19),” think of the ways on how the various Social Science disciplines can help in
the battle against this infectious disease.

Directions:
1. Think of the ways on how the various Social Science disciplines can help in
the battle against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
2. Do this activity on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Use the table below in laying out your ideas.
Possible Contribution/s in the
Disciplines Prevention and Control of
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Anthropology
Demography
Economics
Geography
History
Linguistics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology

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 Rubrics:

Criteria Highest Possible Points

Content (presence of ideas) 10 points
Organization (order) 4 points
Style (choice of words) 4 points
Conventions (grammar and spelling) 2 points
Total 20 points

POSTTEST
Directions: Read each question/sentence carefully and choose the letter of the
best answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In Social Sciences, if Sociology analyzes the different structures of human
society, Anthropology analyzes .
a. The nuanced nature of human relations.
b. The variations in cultural traditions and beliefs about life among people
or groups of people.
c. The nature of different natural languages by closely examining their
formal features or properties.
d. The different types of economic system, the various human behaviors or
actions regarding the production, distribution, exchange, and
consumption of goods and services.
2. Ms. Cruz is curious about several political institutions and processes, bases
and limits of political power and its displays, types of legitimate rule or
authority, and structures of government. Which of the following Social Science
disciplines can help her know about these matters?
a. Demography c. Political Science
b. Economics d. Psychology
3. “I get irritated often. Little things make me lose my temper and I overreact.” – A
working student. Which of the following Social Science discipline can help with
the problem of the working student?
a. Economics c. Political Science
b. Geography d. Psychology
4. If History reconstructs numerous recorded human events and natural
phenomena and explains the various human actions and thoughts in the past.
Which of the following Social Science discipline deals with the issues or
problems related to the optimum allocation of scarce resources in order to
satisfy the unlimited needs and wants of the people?
a. Economics c. Political Science
b. Geography d. Psychology
5. Mr. Garcia, a researcher, wants to gather information about the various
characteristics of the human population in the Philippines. Which of the
following sources of information is NOT useful for Mr. Garcia’s objective?
a. Administrative Records c. Population and Housing Censuses
b. Household Sample Surveys d. Social Media Accounts