11

Disciplines and
Ideas in the
Social Sciences
Quarter 2 – Module 12:
Key Concepts and Approaches in
Social Sciences

i
 What I Need to Know

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas:
a. Feminist Theory
b. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
c. Human-Environment Systems

MODULE Key Concepts and

Approaches in Social Sciences

In the previous module, you have learned about the first set of the basic
concepts and principles of the major social science ideas, namely: Psychoanalysis,
Rational Choice and Institutionalism and its importance in examining socio-cultural,
economic and political conditions. In this module, you will learn another set of the
basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas which is the Feminist
Theory, Hermeneutical Phenomenology and Human-Environment Systems.

2
 Key Concepts and Approaches in Social Sciences

Content Standard

The learners demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and

approaches in Social Sciences.

Performance Standard
The learners shall be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
approach

Learning Competency MELCS - DISS (Week 11-12)

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas:
a. Feminist Theory
b. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
c. Human-Environment Systems

Learning Objectives

At the end of the module you should be able to:

Knowledge: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Skills: Compare and contrast the three approaches.
Attitude: Assess personal and social experiences using relevant approaches in
social sciences.
 What I Know
I. Multiple Choice. Read each item carefully and write the letter of the
correct answer in your activity notebook.

1. It is the study of gender and its relation to power.

A. Feminism B. Hermeneutical
C. Human-Environment D. Sikolohiyang Pilipino

2. A method of interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the

question of what it is to be human.
A. Rational Choice B. Hermeneutical
C. Institutionalism D. Psychoanalysis

3. An approach that refers to the study of the complex interactions among

human and environment systems.
A. Human or Environment B. Human/Environment
C. Human and Environment D. Human-Environment

4. A social belief that supports gender inequality

A. Gender sensitive B. Gender inequality
C. Gender ideology D. Gender biased

5. Refers to the development of meaning or association with a given location.

A. Mental Map B. Sense of Place
C. Primary Landscape D. Spatial Distribution

II. True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F is the statement is false.
Write your answers in your activity notebook.

6. The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its deterministic

approach in understanding social phenomena.

7. Critics of meninism see feminism as an attempt to make women’s rights and

power more than or in supervision of men.

8. The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the application of the
scientific method.

9. Environment systems are the various institutions and activities humans created in
society.
10. Primary landscape is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial
distribution of things.
 What’s In
The basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas are
Psychoanalysis, Rational Choice and Institutionalism. The field of psychoanalysis
has been heavily influenced by the works of Sigmund Freud. As part of the social
sciences, Psychoanalysis provides an alternative lens in understanding the
complexity of human behavior through the context of personality, consciousness,
and ideology.
Rational choice Theory banks on the key idea that humans are actively
calculating the pros and cons of a particular choice, which affects the type of
behaviors that they exhibit. These choices are often determined by an individual’s
preferences and the extent by which he or she perceives them as immediate needs
or wants.
The theory of Institutionalism allows for a discourse on how institutions
affect the decision of humans within the frame of a society. Today, this theory finds
its relevance in creating opportunities for growth and development among institutions
whether in the macro or micro context.

What’s New

Task 1: Guess Who?

Directions: Study the pictures below and identify the women who became famous
in their own field of endeavor. Write their names and their advocacy/ field of
endeavor in your activity notebook.

https://www.biography.com/.i mage/ar_1:1%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_sr gb%2Cg_face%2Cq_auto:good

%2Cw_300/MTE5NDg0MDU1 https://www.officialgazett e.gov.ph/images/uploads/ Corazon-Aquino-FS.jpg
MDE2MDgwOTEx/angelina- jolie-9356782-1-402.jpg
https://mk0volleyverse2tfgi e.kinstacdn.com/wp- content/uploads/2020/04/a lyssa-vald
https://www.montclaircatholics.o rg/wp- content/uploads/2017/08/0009c 50a56ce709d50167d0726947072
-kind-peoples-santa-teresa.jpg

1._ 2. _ _ 3. _ 4.
 Feminist Theory

What is It
Feminism studies gender and its relation to power, and the dynamics these
two concepts play out in economics, politics, sexuality, race, and nationality, among
others. It is both a sociological perspective and a philosophy which aims to promote
gender equality, social justice, and women’s rights. However, the primary concern
that feminism tries to address is the oppression of women in society and the
patriarchal structure of most societies.

Patriarchy, in its most basic sense, is a social organization wherein the father
or eldest male heads a society or government. To illustrate this, one only has to look
at the traditional Filipino family structure or of most societies for that matter. The
head of the family is the father, and the mother is subordinate to the decisions of the
father. In labor and economics, for example, the father goes to his job every day
while the mother is left at home to take care of the children. In the past, women did
find the opportunity to leave the house and gain employment but the jobs offered to
them were limited to being a secretary or nurse. This is but one struggle that
feminism undertook in its advocacy for women.

Feminism developed in three waves. Each movement addressed a particular

issue, which women struggled with at that time, and these are as follows:

1. The first wave of feminism took place during the 19 th and 20th centuries, which
challenged the legal issues concerning women. Women at that time surrendered
their properties to their husbands, were not allowed to hold public office, and
were not given the rights to suffrage. It was only in the 1920s that women first
voted in America. Women also advocated their right to choose their own
profession. When World War I went in full swing, men were sent to battlefields
leaving women to take on factory jobs. This development showed that women
were productive as men in the workforce.
2. The second wave of feminism began during 1960s up to the 1990s and was born
out of the civil rights’ movement. The primary issues that this movement tried to
address was of sexual equality and reproductive rights. This movement saw
“feminine” objects such as bras, lipsticks, and high heels as forms of male
oppression and an objectification of women.
3. The third wave of feminism began in the late 1980s and continues until today.
Feminists from the third wave do not consider “feminine” objects as artifacts of
 male oppression, but as tools to enrich their femininity. This advocacy rules the
blame-the-victim practice in which sexually harassed women are treated as sex
objects and are actually blamed because of what they wear and because they put
on makeup.

Key Concepts in Feminism

Gender Ideology

Gender ideology is a social belief that supports gender inequality. It is a

social divide that establishes perceived roles for men and women, and relegating
them to specific roles. Some gender ideologies include women staying at home while
men go to work, and women being more delicate, emotional, and nurturing
compared to men who are more aggressive, assertive, and dominant.

Gender inequality is the actualization or realization of gender ideology.

There is gender inequality when the perceived role of women subordination to men
reflects hiring procedures and requirements; for example, a secretarial post
accepting only female applicants. Salaries are also unequal when it comes to men
and women. For instance, a research on gender pay gap revealed that women in the
U.S. receive less than men even if they have the same position and title.

Gender ideology is also actualized in how toys are determined for children.
Typically, action figures are supposed to be played by boys and dolls are to be
played by girls. A boy playing with a doll is ridiculed as being gay, while a girl playing
action figures is teased as a lesbian. It is evident that at this early stage of
development, children’s perception of gender roles is already being established and
affirmed. The gender ideology in children’s play evolves in adulthood as gender bias
and prejudices, which further support inequality.

Criticisms and Limitations

During the first wave of feminism, anti-feminism was already present, which
opposed the granting of women’s right to vote, hold to public office, and attain higher
education.
Anti-feminism also argued that traditional values, beliefs, and established
religious norms be upheld, and that divorce is considered taboo. Feminists claim that
history has provided the roles by which society has come about and that should be
the way it is. Women are to be relegated to their homes while their husbands go to
earn for the family.
Other critics of feminism are feminists themselves, who see feminism as an
attempt to make women’s rights and power more than or in supervision of men. Yet,
they argue that feminism must advocate for equality and not create a new form of
oppression.
ESSENTIAL LEARNING

As the capacity of humans to reason and make sense of their world became
complex, we were able to look closely at issues that are often seen as non-issues
merely because they have been practiced traditionally. The issue of gender equality
is one of these neglected issues that have been finally addressed by scholars and
activists alike. Today, women and other sectors of society who are prey to the
dissociating and selective systems instituted by powerful classes are still fighting for
their rights, which allows the rebirth of a new form of feminist movement.

Hermeneutical Phenomenology

Hermeneutical phenomenology is a philosophy of and a method for

interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the question of what it is
to be human. This philosophy was developed by Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) as a
continuation and divergence from phenomenology, the philosophy developed by his
mentor and colleague, Edmund Husserl (1859–1938). Hermeneutical
Phenomenology is sometimes referred to as interpretative phenomenology or
existential phenomenology, while the phenomenology developed by Husserl is
sometimes referred to as descriptive phenomenology or pure phenomenology. In
order to understand the fundamental similarities and differences of both ideas, let us
first examine Husserl’s phenomenology.

Phenomenology, as developed by Husserl is an inquiry on how the human

mind can grasp the nature of things as experienced in the world. It is a question of
how a thorough examination of experiences of the world can provide deeper insight
and perception of the world. In order to answer this inquiry, Husserl’s ideas revolved
around descriptions-by how descriptions are formed and how descriptions can form
truths about experiences. Husserl suggested that prejudgments, prejudice, and
biases must first be removed in order to grasp the essential nature of things.

Heidegger’s phenomenological approach attempts to interpret experiences of

the world to find truths, which can be used to learn about human existence or being.
Heidegger states that humans are born in a particular historical period, country,
community, and background. Rather than description, hermeneutical
phenomenology is more concerned with how experiences are interpreted and how
they generate meaning. The question of hermeneutical phenomenology is what the
revelation of the thing means for you.
 The reflections made from experiences are affected by worldviews, which in
turn would be constitutive of future experiences. This is what Heidegger calls
hermeneutic circle, or the process wherein one’s influences affect his or her
experiences of the world, which would then create other influences that would affect
experiencing the world, and so on.

Criticisms and Limitations

The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the application of

the scientific method. However, the absence of such is intentional since the scientific
method is even criticized by Merleau-Ponty as contrary to perception that holds no
preconceived judgments. The lack of an actual method is another criticism against
phenomenology. While there might be techniques such as phenomenological and
eidetic reduction, these are not the methods per se, but are ways by which
consciousness derives meaning from. The meaning derived from phenomenological
reduction is also relative to the perceiver. The creation of meanings and perception
of things, therefore, are subjective in nature and cannot be duplicated or lend itself to
falsifiability.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING

The field of hermeneutical phenomenology allows for a critical evaluation of

the nature of being. Unlike its counterparts, this field relies heavily on context and
content analysis, which others claim as its weakness due to the lack of scientific rigor
that such process entails. Today, this field remains relevant in the practice of literary
criticism, cognitive science, and qualitative research.

Human-Environment
Systems

One of the major scientific challenges of our time is investigating the impact of
human activity to our natural environment and how each system affects one another.
Human-environment systems are the interdisciplinary approaches which study the
complex interactions among human and environment systems. Human systems are
the various institutions and activities humans created in society. These systems
include government policies, industrial waste management, agriculture, urbanization,
culture, and tradition. On the other hand, environment systems include the
biodiversity of Earth, global weather systems, landscapes, and animal and plant life,
among others.
 The idea of human-environment systems holds that society shapes nature
and that nature shapes society. What we do to the environment affects and changes
us. One could see how human systems affect environment systems by looking at our
laws and policies.

Key Concepts in Human-Environment Systems

Sense of Place

A sense of place refers to the development of meaning or association with a

given location. A sense of place is a sense of belonging or identity, which is
developed through the community that occupies it, its landscape features, and the
emotions it brings.

Mental Map
A mental map of a place refers to the mental representation of things and
people of a given location. A mental map is formed by the memory’s identification of
the physical characteristics and features of a particular place. Over time, mental
maps change as new experiences of the place are acquired directly or indirectly from
how others would describe a place or by watching travel shows. A better focus of the
mental map is also reached when objects and people are associated to the place.
For example, you and your best friend met in a store; hence, you are reminded of the
attached feeling and memory whenever you visit that place, either physically or in
your mind,

Primary Landscape
The place where we grew up is what human geographers consider as our
primary landscape and is the basis for our experience of new places. It is from the
primary landscape that we compare the new places we visit, and the memories and
emotions we attach to it will be transposed to the new environment and bring a new
sense of place.

Spatial Distribution and Spatial Process

Spatial distribution refers to the distribution of anything that exists on Earth
that can be mapped out and is observable through spatial processes. Spatial
distribution maps out natural and physical aspects such as temperature, weather,
and cities. It observes cultural aspects such as language, nationality, gender, and
religion. It also studies the distribution of how human systems affect environmental
systems such as soil erosion, animal and plant extinction due to deforestation, and
air pollution due to factory fumes.
Spatial Process is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial
distribution of things. For example, the physical distribution of mountain ranges can
be attributed to tectonic shifts, while their cultural distribution can be attributed to
technological systems affecting human needs.
Criticisms and Limitations
The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its
deterministic approach in understanding social phenomena. This determinism could
be seen in Hardin’s work, which highlighted population as the main cause of social
issues.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING
The interrelationship between humans and their environment is a vital point in
the pursuit of understanding human nature and the populations that they form. The
human-environment systems approach provides a diverse source of interplay
between humans and their environment. Today, this theory remains relevant in
addressing environmental issues that are either created by human populations or
affecting their existence.

What’s More
Task 2. Using the diagram below, identify at least one strength and one weakness of
each approach. Copy and answer the diagram below in your activity notebook.

Approach Weakness Strength

Feminist Theory
Hermeneutical
Phenomenology
Human-Environment
Systems

What I Have Learned

Give and assess your personal and social experiences of at least one of
the following approaches: Feminism, Hermeneutical Phenomenology, and Human-
Environment systems. Write your experience in your activity notebook, and answer
the following questions below:

 How did you deal with it?

 Was there any difference in your decision if you had known the approaches
earlier?
 What I Can Do

Task 3. Compare and Contrast

Direction. Using the Venn diagram below, compare and contrast the concepts and
principles of the three approaches. Copy and answer the diagram in your activity
notebook.

FEMINISM HERMENEUTICAL
PHENOMENOLOGY

HUMAN-
ENVIRONMENT

Assessment

I. Multiple Choice. Read each item carefully and write the letter of the correct
answer in your notebook.

1. This refers to the study of gender and its relation to power.

A. Feminism B. Hermeneutical
C. Human-Environment D. Sikolohiyang Pilipino

2. A method of interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the

question of what it is to be human.
A. Rational Choice B. Hermeneutical
C. Institutionalism D. Psychoanalysis

3. An approach that refers to the study of the complex interactions among

human and environment systems.
A. Human or Environment B. Human/Environment
C. Human and Environment D. Human-Environment
 4. A social belief that supports gender inequality
A. Gender sensitive B. Gender inequality
C. Gender ideology D. Gender biased

5. Refers to the development of meaning or association with a given location.

A. Mental Map B. Sense of Place
C. Primary Landscape D. Spatial Distribution

II. True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F is the statement is false.
Write your answers directly in your activity notebook.

6. The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its

deterministic approach in understanding social phenomena.

7. Critics of meninism see feminism as an attempt to make women’s rights and

power more than or in supervision of men.

8. The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the application of

the scientific method.

9. Environment systems are the various institutions and activities humans

created in society.

10. Primary landscape is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial
distribution of things.

GLOSSARY
The following terms used in this module are defined as follows:

Descriptive phenomenology – also called as or pure phenomenology and was

developed by Heidegger that attempts to interpret experiences of the world to
find truths, which can be used to learn about human existence or being.
Feminism – studies gender and its relation to power
Gender ideology – is a social divide that establishes perceived roles for men and
women, and relegating them to specific roles.
Gender inequality – is the actualization or realization of gender ideology.
Hermeneutic circle – or the process wherein one’s influences affect his or her
experiences of the world, which would then create other influences that would
affect experiencing the world, and so on.
Hermeneutical phenomenology – is a philosophy of and a method for interpreting
human experiences as a means to understand the question of what it is to be
human.
Human-environment systems – are the interdisciplinary approaches which study
the complex interactions among human and environment systems. Human
systems are the various institutions and activities humans created in society.
Interpretative phenomenology – also called as existential phenomenology which
was developed by Husserl is an inquiry on how the human mind can grasp the
nature of things as experienced in the world.
Mental map – refers to the mental representation of things and people of a given
location.
Primary landscape – according to human geographers, it is the place where we
grew up and is the basis for our experience of new places.
Sense of place – refers to the development of meaning or association with a given
location.
Spatial distribution – refers to the distribution of anything that exists on Earth that
can be mapped out and is observable through spatial processes.
Spatial Process – is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial distribution
of things.
 Answer Key

What I Know
I. 1. A II. 6. T
2. B 7. F
3. D 8. T
4. C 9. F
5. B 10. F

What’s New
1. Angelina Jolie – the icon of beauty
2. Mother Theresa – devoted her life to care for the sick and the poor
3. Corazon Aquino – restored democracy
4. Alyssa Valdez – the face of Philippine volleyball

What’s More

Approach Weakness Strength

Other critics of feminism see
Feminist Theory feminism as an attempt to make
women’s rights and power more
than or in supervision of men’.
Hermeneutical It lacks the application of the
Phenomenology scientific method.
Human-Environment Criticized because of its
Systems deterministic approach in
understanding social
phenomena.
Gender equality is one of the
neglected issues that have
been finally addressed by
scholars and activist alike
because of this movement.
This field remains relevant in
the practice of literary
criticism, cognitive science,
and qualitative research.
This theory remains relevant
in addressing environmental
issues that are either created
by human populations or
affecting their existence.

Assessment
II. 1. A II. 6. T
2. B 7. F
3. D 8. T
4. C 9. F
5. B 10. F

References
Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., and Elizabeth T. Urgel. DIWA Senior High School
Series: Discipline and Ideas in Social Sciences. Makati City, Philippines: DIWA
Laerning Systems Inc., 2016.