FIRST SEMESTER

SECOND QUARTERLY ASSESSMENT

DISCIPLINE AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES
REVIEWER
______________________________________________________________________________

EXAMINATION COVERAGE (Pointers to Review)

I. Settings, Processes, Methods, and Tools in Communication

 Different processes and methods involved in undertaking communication.
II. Communication Media Channel
 Appropriate communication media channel(s) to use in different settings and situations.
III. Functions of Applied Social Sciences
 Situations that would require or necessitate the performance of the various functions in
local/Philippine settings
IV. Effects of Applied Social Sciences
 Effects of applied social sciences processes on individuals, groups, and society.
 The needs of individuals, groups, organization and communities.
______________________________________________________________________________

I. SETTINGS, PROCESSES, METHODS AND TOOLS IN COMMUNICATION

Why do you think parents are keen on teaching their children how to read, write, and
speak? Why is it that people value the ability to express their opinions? How are you able to
accomplish your task in relation to being part of a team?
If you will ponder to each of those questions, there seems to be one unifying concept that
is suggested, and that is COMMUNICATION. In the animal kingdom, humans are regarded to
be the most intelligent because of our brain’s ability to make sense of the world. This sense-
making is accomplished by humans through communication.
COMMUNICATION: THE FIELD FORMED AND FERMENTED
Communication is both a process and a practice. It is systematic, in a sense that you
engage yourself in an ordered and organized way of understanding meanings of things uttered by
another person within an interaction (Wood, 2015).
Communication is ongoing and is in process even when you do not speak because even
your nonverbal gestures mean something to another person.
COMMUNICATION SETTINGS
A. Government – Government settings can be defined as all the activities of public sector
institutions and organizations which are targeted to convey and share information, mainly for the
purpose of presenting and explaining important government decisions and actions, it is also used
for promotion of the legitimacy of interventions, defending recognized values and helping to
maintain social bonds.
Types of Government Communication

1. Government-wide communication
Most government have structures enabling them to communicate about government
activities. These structures are under the authorities of the government which are expected to
explain decisions, present actions and contribute to debate over the government’s values and
objectives.

2. Communication relating to benefits and services.

It does not constitute a policy instrument itself, but the administrations greatly depend on
it to ensure that beneficiaries receive the information needed to avail themselves properly of the
services such as:
 What services and benefits are available? At what cost?
 Where can they be obtained?
 What terms and conditions apply?

3. Involving institutional communication

This fundamental communication work consists of clarifying the values to be conveyed,
incorporating these values into all communication activities and implementing the appropriate
measures.
In addition to traditional activities cantered on highlighting “in house” news and
development, organizations are increasingly required to develop a communications strategy for
the purpose of creating or strengthening image and reputation.

4. Crisis Communication
Involves any and all dimensions of administration. For example, a relationship problem
originating in political institutions, a crisis of confidence with respect to organizational
functioning, the emergence of a serious problem in a large-scale project, a service failure, or an
internal crisis.

B. Civil Society

The communication process in society has three functions.

1. Surveillance of the environment is the disclosing of threats and opportunities affecting the
value position of the community and of the component parts within it;
2. Correlation of the components of society in making a response to the environment;
3. Transmission of the social inheritance
 In democratic societies, rational choices depend on enlightenment, which in turn depends
upon communication; and especially upon the equivalence of attention among leaders, experts,
and rank and file.
C. Private Sector

In an organization, informal and formal communications, are used and there are
numerous pathways, channels or media that can be used to convey messages within
organizations.
When sending a message within an organization, we need to consider channel, message
type and audience or target. Choosing the right channel to get a certain message through to a
certain audience is necessary.
Communication practitioners and journalists may find themselves working in advertising
agencies, public relations firms, telecommunication companies, media organizations, social
research institutes, or any corporate or private practice.
Communication practitioners may also conduct research and studies that could enlighten
people about the different societal trends that may have consequences in every person’s life.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

People communicate to further express values, normalize ideas, negotiate meanings, or
create identities. Two basic processes are involved in terms of the transmission view of
communication. The first in ENCODING or the formulation and articulation of messages, and the
second in DECODING or the reception, perception, and interpretation of these messages.
Encoding and decoding take responsibility that the decoders (audience/receivers) actively make
sense of the message based on their individual social context (perception/reality).
For effective communication to occur, the sender must encode a message in such a way
that it will be decoded by the receiver in the intended manner. Feedback from the receiver helps
the sender determine whether proper decoding has occurred or whether noise has interfered with
the communication process.
 Sender – the encoder or creator of the message
 Ideas – the subject matter of the communication (or the formulated message itself), which
may be an expression of an opinion, attitude, feelings, views, orders, suggestions or any
other statement or assertion.
 Channel – the person, technologies, or any other means by which the message is
transmitted by the decoder
 Receiver – the decoder or receiver of the message
 Feedback – the process validating that the encoder and the decoder created a same sense
of meaning from the message.
METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

• Intrapersonal – pertaining to self-introspection

• Interpersonal – referring to either group communication
• Public – addressing a targeted audience in public forum
• Mediated – using media and communication technologies
• Institutional – involving internal or external processes of organizations or juridical entities.
Institutional communication is the type of communication carried out in an
organized way by an institution and its representatives, and is aimed at people and social
groups that develop its activity. (Example: Marketing Communication)

NOTE: Also put in memory the MODELS OF COMMUNICATION from your Quarter 1
Reviewer)

TOOLS IN COMMUNICATION
A wide variety of communication tools are used for external and internal communication.
These tools include mail, email, telephones, cell phones, smartphones, computers, video and web
conferencing tools, social networking, as well as online collaboration and productivity platforms.
(Sample Situation) A memo letter is a poor choice whereas a small group meeting is a
better choice in a situation where a midsize construction firm wants to announce a new employee
benefit program because a memo letter does not offer two-way communication or feedback
potential to explain what may be seen as obscure (deep) information, note that some employee
may have literacy problems.
 Vertical Communication refers to sending and receiving messages between the levels of a
hierarchy, whether downward or upward.
 Horizontal Communication refers to sending and receiving messages between individuals
at the same level of a hierarchy.
 Downward Communication is used primarily to transmit messages from the more
powerful to the less powerful. It is likely the most common form of communication in
organizations.
 o This communication involves instructions, approvals or nonapprovals, policy
statements, general announcements or objectives and mission statements.

II. COMMUNICATION MEDIA CHANNEL

What are the communication media channel?
A media channel is defined as a specific medium used in reaching intended audience, such
as newspapers, radio stations, television stations, etc. There are different types of media that
can be used for communication namely mass media, new media, social media and
telecommunications.

Types of Media Channels

1. Mass Media
Mass Media is a means of communication such as print, radio, or television. It is defined
as large-scale organizations which use one or more of these technologies to communicate with
large numbers of people (mass communications).
The general public typically relies on the mass media to provide information regarding
political issues, social issues, entertainment, and news in pop culture.
Example: newspaper, radio, television

2. New Media
All that is related to the internet and the interplay between technology, images and sound.
It allows more people to have a voice in their community and in the world in general.
With the advancement of technology, the traditional forms of media are now adapting to
new media by uploading all news articles found on the newspaper online, the creation of e-
books, movies, songs and many more.
You are no longer mere receivers of content; you are also creators of content.

3. Social Media
It is not limited to giving information. It is defined as primarily internet or cellular phone
based applications and tools to share information among people.
This involves blogging and forums and any aspect of an interactive presence which allows
individuals ability to engage in conversations with one another, often as a discussion over a
particular topic, news article or event.

4. Telecommunication
It refers to the use of personal computers to send and receive information through
communications connection, such as a telephone line.
A telecommunication system requires an analog or digital transmitter, a compatible
receiver, and a physical cable or wire or non-physical (wireless) connection.
We use telecommunications specifically to refer to processes such as:
• Electronic mail
• Electronic bulletin boards/conferences
• Research databases
• File transfers
• Chatting or games and simulation
Categories of Social Media (memorize/familiarize)

Wiki This is an information Web site developed by anonymous authors who

do not necessarily know each other but collaborate to develop the
content of the Web site. It is open to anyone who would like to
contribute by adding or editing the content; thus, the authenticity of the
information provided in it is difficult to ascertain.
Social Networking This is a Web site where people create an account for sharing
Site information about each other and forming virtual relationships.
Discussion Forum This is a platform for public discussion among members of an online
community where the responses are in threads viewable to practically
any user who logs into and participates in the forum.
Microblog This is a mini Web log that uses a limited numbers of characters. This
typically requires the user to answer the basic question, “What are you
doing?” The user posts are then forwarded to other users as
notifications.
Podcast These are audio files that can be downloaded by subscribers on demand
for them to listen through media players.
Web Conferencing This is a form of a simultaneous conference with various people from
different locations either through phone or voice over Internet Protocol
Line.
Virtual World This is a virtual simulation of activities similar to those done in the real
world. These are akin to role-playing games where an imaginary entity
is formed by user to represent him or her in this virtual environment.
Tagging This is the use of strategic key words (especially for purposes of search
engine optimization) so that an information will easily be retrieved in
future searches.
RSS Feed This is a request for the updates made on blogs, wikis, online news
articles, and others; such updates are sent to a subscribers of these social
media.

TASK!
Find an example for each of the above 

III. FUNCTIONS OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES

PROCESS OF SELF – DEVELOPMENT (memorize/familiarize)

Improving oneself doesn’t happen overnight. It is a continuous process. Successful
personal development is dependent on targets, such as one’s goals and strategies.

STEP 1: Creating a Vision of Yourself

STEP 2: Setting Specific Goals
STEP 3: Identifying Action Plans
STEP 4: Evaluating Outcomes
Creating a vision of yourself
The first step in the process of self-development invites you to create a mental image of
what you envision about yourself. This vision will not only allow you to pursue your life goals,
but it will also help you anticipate the possible obstacles which you could encounter along the way.
Some of the questions worth reflecting about this step are the following:
 How do I see myself four to five years from now?
 What do I really want to achieve in my life?
 What kind of person I want to be?

Setting specific goals

This process invites you to set particular targets that are gear toward improving yourself.
It may include the goals in your career, your relationship with others, your education, or even your
physical well-being. This process allows you to allocate time and energy more efficiently, thus
promoting better productivity and greater confidence.
You must be able to have SMART goals. First, your goals must be SPECIFIC or has an
exact definite target (ex: having an academic recognition by the end of school year). Second, your
goals must also be MEASURABLE or quantifiable so that you could have an exact target for your
objective (ex: having at least an average grade of 90 by the end of this semester). Third, your goal
must be ACHIEVABLE and REALISTIC (ex: becoming a member of an interest organization in
school). Finally, your goal should be TIME BOUND, or that could follow a time frame (ex:
accomplishing half of the entire research paper by a specific date).

Identifying action plans

This process invites you to identify specific strategies that will help you achieve your
goals. If, for example, your goal is to get a final grade of 95 by the end of this semester, some of
your action plan could include the following:

1. Strictly following daily schedules.

2. Preparing a “to do list” for the day and for the week.
3. Avoiding unnecessary absences from class.
4. Doing advance research and advance reading of lessons.
5. Reviewing notes on a daily basis, even without examinations or quizzes.
6. Actively participating in class discussions
7. Submitting quality projects on time.

Evaluating outcomes
The last step invites you to assess your plans and your achievements throughout the process
of improving yourself. It allows you to verify the result of your hardwork and the effectiveness of
your plans. Assessment of your personal development is attained through reflective activities or
through consultation with your trusted someone (person, friends, teacher or school counsellor).

FUNCTION OF SOCIAL WORK

You might perhaps have extended help to someone at least once in your life. How did it
feel after? Was there a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment? Do you find yourself doing it over
and over again to other people? If you do, then you may consider becoming a social worker in the
future. Being a social worker means becoming a part of a world of social scientists who make a
difference in others’ lives.
Empathy is important for doing social work. It must be remembered that social work is an
interactional endeavour, and social workers must process the severities and occupational hazards
of the practice. Self-reflectiveness is a basic foundation for the development of the professional
self, which needs to be nurtured and cultivated in social work education; this is the foundation for
future professional maturation. On the other hand, self-awareness is being aware of his or her own
feelings, attitudes, and relationships, especially toward dealing with clients.

Social Work as an Advocacy

Social work promotes the rights of those who are most vulnerable and those who are unable
to voice out their grievances. The discipline has a mandate to empower the underprivileged. In
some cases, other social workers provide resources to those society members who are in need.
Social workers are known for carrying advocacies, may they be local or international in scope.
For the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), practitioners of the discipline
must collaborate with different social service agencies so as the economic maintenance will be
facilitated and health services will be made available to the clients.
Mobilizing resources, public opinion, interacting with agencies whose responsibilities are
to serve the needs of vulnerable populations are ways social workers champion the rights of
individuals, communities and societies at large through active participation in the political
processes. Whether concerned about an individual’s needs or social policy reform, social workers
are most frequently the voice for change and social justice.

FUNCTION OF COMMUNICATION

Why is communication an applied social science? Why is it a practical social science?

Communication is an applied social science because it is an activity that is at the core of
transfer of knowledge and understanding. It is a practical social science because it is a product of
the coalescence of various social sciences.
Media and communication are both social practices and institutions that serve the needs of
the society. If the society will be compared to human bodily systems, we will constitute the heart
and the brain, and it is through us that the feelings and thoughts of the community will be
circulated. Our ability to speech makes communication a vital component of our humanity.

1. Persuasion
Communication is avenue to persuade people toward certain ideas. Through public relations, you
will be able to hear advocacies and progressive actions of leaders in a community.
Through advertising, you will be informed of the products and services in the market that
you can avail of. Messages in advertising and public relations persuade you to patronize brands
of people and products.

2. Arts and Entertainment

Films, broadcast products, and forms of new media are intrinsically artistic for they are
creations of our ingenious minds. These forms of communication are designed to appeal to our
neds to recreate, relax, and be entertained.
3. News and Information
Media and communication provides access to information that is necessary for citizens to
have “informed choices rather than acting out of ignorance or misinformation”. Media is used to
cary out social change by encouraging the “public involvement through advocating issue and
transferring knowledge, skills and technologies to the people.”

4. Organizing Advocacy and Mobilization

There are various development programs and progressive activities that may be
effectively conducted and relayed to people through communication. Communication can be a
means of engaging centers of power and influence to encourage them to move with the times;
and to lend their influence to progressive directions.
Communication is an effective tool in influencing and in convincing people to bring
about essential changes in society. Awareness and reception toward policies and advocacies is
vital for the participation of the people in the community.

5. Education
Communication is a tool for the transmission and advancement of knowledge.
Communication shapes the way you make sense of the things that you wish to understand in this
world. Media is also an alternative source of knowledge as it utilizes various components in
getting the message across.
Child-friendly shows and public affairs programs that are produced by the media often
carry educational and instructional content, thus supplementing, if not replacing, conventional
knowledge acquired within the walls of the classroom.

IV. EFFECTS OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES

(Familiarize/memorize)

SOCIAL WORK
In social work, the focus of the intervention is not only the client seeking help but also all
the other significant people within the immediate environment of the client.
The social worker together with the other helping professionals, such as counselor, bring
in their expertise to be able to help the client.

COUNSELING
The counselor, on the other hand, will have to focus on making the client realize the
importance of having discipline especially when it comes to self-development.

COMMUNICATION
Learning communication skills is essential in fostering human interactions and
relationships. Knowing our communication strengths and weaknesses will enable us to reflect and
adjust our ways of relating to our clients.
1. Awareness and Knowledge
The applied social sciences and their disciplinary approaches enable us to understand that
social problems such as criminality, poverty, and gender inequality are rooted in certain social,
cultural, and economic circumstances, and not in individual moral defects.
The application of social science in analyzing personal or individual behavior through
social media may explain the projection of an individual’s perception of the “self” and how this
perception is projected online.
Example: A patient diagnosed with diabetes may need financial assistance for hospital
bills and medication; the social worker can inform the client or the cleint’s relatives that they can
seek assistance from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO, the Office of the House
of Representatives and Senate, or those corporate foundations.

2. Self- understanding and Risk Assessment

The applied research in the social sciences allowed us to analyze the interface and
interaction of the community. This eventually leads to an understanding of how individuals, their
socioeconomic makeup, and their cultural backgrounds make a community interact together.
Disciplines like psychology and sociology were harnessed to better understand the
individual and the role that he or she plays in the community.
Example: Individuals who understand themselves better have more chances of knowing
their true capabilities. This leads to better assessment of capacity for risk taking and the capability
to compose oneself in case of rejection or failure.

3. Attitude and Value Change

Individuals go through various phases of their lives, they encounter situations that are
sometimes difficult to deal with alone, such as depression, addiction, and substance abuse.
Some also receive stress relating to personal and professional relations, self-esteem, grief,
loss, or a myriad of issues related to mental and emotional health. Through structured guidance
and constant communication, troubled individuals and communities gain a better understanding of
the underpinning issues and feelings that result in these episodes.
Example: We can educate the community against the abuse of women and children using
movies, posters, or advertisements. Campaign against discrimination of LGBT Community.

4. Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change

Counseling, social work, and communication are critical to the country’s efforts to prevent
or mitigate natural or man-made disasters. Communication, particularly public information
campaigns in high risk areas, is critical in educating individuals and communities about the
vulnerability and the possible life danger brought by the event of calamity.
Partnership of national government, local government units and nongovernmental
organizations can strengthen safety of communities and prevent massive loss of lives and
properties. The aftermath of disasters is also a key engagement area for social work and counseling.
Example: Erosions of watersheds, irresponsible mining and deforestation leads to flash
floods and landslide. The urban poor are very much affected since their household are usually
locate near riverbanks and other areas vulnerable to damage. In this case, we should work
together to increase knowledge and awareness in the community about global warming, climate
change and natural disasters.
5. Behavior Change
While applied social sciences cannot prevent corruption from happening, their theories and
research may be able to explain the structure and dynamics that underpin this particular issue. The
applied social sciences are important in assessing the risk and addressing conflict in the workplace
and in the organization.
In the area of national issues, communication plays a critical role in letting the public know
about relevant national issues, such as the peace-building process in Southern Philippines.
Example: How would persons with disabilities are viewed and treated by their immediate
family and society in general. Interventions, like medical assistance or counseling can be made in
order to attain personal development.

6. Structural Change
The disciplines of social work and counseling enable individuals and communities to cope
with the country’s changing social and economic realities.
Example: Filipino families are able to cope with the strains of single parenting or the
challenges of displacement and migration like situations of Overseas Filipino Workers.
In such situation, counseling enables individuals to deal with long-term separation. In cases
of trauma dues to crime, domestic violence, or substance abuse, a lot of individuals manage to
cope and return to normal life by undergoing a structured and well-informed counseling and
therapy session,
Example: Structural change involves continuous shifts in the shares of manufacturing,
services, labor and agriculture which contributes to the economic aspect of society.