RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL STUDIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE

Presented by Josette O. Bonador

BSEd I-Social Studies

Objectives
To define the meaning of “social studies” and “social science”
To analyze the similarities and differences of the two disciplines

Social Science
- Branches of study that analyze society and the social interactions of
people within a society
- Social sciences are a group of academic disciplines that examine society
and how people interact and develop as a culture. (Investopedia.com)

Social Studies

- “The integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic
competence.” (U.S American National Council for the Social Studies)
-  a part of a school or college curriculum concerned with the study of social
relationships and the functioning of society and usually made up of courses
in history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and
anthropology

MAIN DIFFERENCE:
Intended purpose
Comparison      Social Science       Social studies
Purpose Studying the society Study of both social
and its individuals. science and humanities
for promoting civic
competence.
“The New Zealand
Social Sciences The purpose of social
provide a knowledge studies is the
base and range of development of
perspectives, on the reflective, democratic
patterns, interactions citizenship. It does this
 and relationships of primarily through the
individuals and study of the content
groups in their social, and methods of
economic, cultural history, geography,
and political spheres civics, economics,
of activity and in their and the other social
relationship to the studies, as well as
natural environment. selected content from
The knowledge base law, philosophy, and
covers both historical the humanities. Social
and contemporary Studies also deals with
periods within New local and global
Zealand, and in its concerns and issues, as
relationship with other well as questions about
countries.” (R. Hill, economic, political and
1997, p.2) cultural well-being.
(Hartoonian)

Most frequently taught Subject most frequently

in college-age students taught to K-12 students

History Dates back to Age of Dates back to 20th

Enlightenment Century
Branches Many branches Social science and
Humanities
Characteristics More streams oriented Observation of Society

Empirical and based on Systematic study

various scientific
methods

MAIN SIMILARITY:
Interdisciplinary nature especially in the context of society
 “Social studies curriculum is usually organized with the use of appropriate
social science disciplines.” -Grace Malachi Brown, PhD University of
Education

“Generally, social problems are not limited to the particular discipline,

various discipline need to be brought under focus so that materials from
them will be of immense help.” (Bruce, 1972)

The study of geography will help us to understand the relationship

between man and his activities on earth, for instance, the influence of the
physical environment. Social studies units are equally designed to provide
opportunity to relate human activities to the environment. There are also aspects
of geography that are helpful to the study of social studies. These include
industrial geography, agricultural geography, transport geography, urban
geography and political geography. Industrial geography deals with how man
establishes industries and how he produces goods and services. Agricultural
geography emphasizes on the effectiveness of land by man, i.e. how man
cultivates and produces crops. Also transport geography concerns itself with how
man constructs roads, railroads, airports and the means of transportation while
urban geography dwells on urbanization and settlements. There is also political
geography which explains how man identifies his territorial boundary and lives
within a territorial domain called a
state. Man establishes a constituted authority within the state and expects total
submission from the inhabitants.
All these branches of geography share common concepts such as habitat,
culture, interaction, resource endowment, technology, institutions, social change,
transportation, choice and so on. In these concepts, man finds himself at the
center of all human activities. This evaluation of the relationship between
geography and social studies shows that the two disciplines are inseparable, one
influences the other. These definitions center on man and how he utilizes his
available resources to produce things that could sustain him in life.

References:

Grace Malachi Brown (2015).SCSR Journal of

Development, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Special Issue), pp 29‐ 35
Claire E. L. Sinnema “Social Sciences, Social Studies or a New Term?: The
Dilemma of Naming a Learning Area” Prepared for the Ministry of Education,
August 2004
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-science.asp