CO QAH + MELC LW

HANDOUT No. 3
Course Outline & Quality Assured
Handouts paired with MELC- Based in Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
Learner’s Worksheet (DISS)

MELC: Analyze the practical use of Social Sciences in addressing social concerns and
phenomenon.
Semester: 2nd Week No. 4 Day: 1-4
LESSON: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN THE REAL WORLD

Social sciences are important because they create better institutions and systems that affect people’s
lives every day. In this lesson, you will learn how the study of social science help people understand how to
interact with the social world. 
TOPIC 1: Professions
Social Science Careers
The social sciences explore how people interact with others and their environment. The umbrella
term encompasses diverse areas, including psychology, sociology, and economics. During Social Sciences
programs, students learn broad skills that apply to careers in many fields.
Some of the areas employing social science graduates are:
- Accountancy - Media - Legal Careers
- Advertising/Marketing - Politics - Local Government Careers
- Banking and Insurance - Psychologist - Mediator
- Business Management - Retail and Sales - Police Officer
- Economics - Teaching and Lecturing - Prison Officer
- Local Government - Tourism - Probation Officer
- Management Consultancy - Town Planning - Social Researcher
- Market Research - Social Worker - Advice Worker
- Intelligence Analyst - Housing Officer - Family Support Worker
- Civil Service Careers - Community Development Worker
- Charity Officer - Community Education Officer
- Equality and Diversity Officer - Human Resources Officer

Why Pursue a Career in Social Science?

Social science degree programs develop analytical, critical thinking, and research skills. Students
can pursue many different careers with a Social Science degree, most of which involve working with others.
Consequently, interpersonal communication, presentation, and writing abilities lead to success in the field.
For example, social workers use interview skills and active listening to assess the needs of their
clients. They need good organizational skills to track case histories and prepare reports. They must
understand human behavior to make decisions.
Economists study how society uses resources, including financial resources. They combine their
social science background with Mathematics to understand economic policy. They need good reasoning
skills and the ability to use logic in decision-making.
Social Science Career Outlook
Careers in Social Science include health and human services, legal and political professions, and
counseling. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) projects growth in many social science fields between
2019 and 2029. For example, the BLS projects 13% job growth for social workers and 17% job growth
for social and human service assistants. 
The BLS projects 14% job growth for economists. However, this small occupational field will see only
about 2,900 new jobs through 2029. Most economists need a master's degree to enter their field.

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Skills Gained With a Social Science Degree
While earning a Social Science degree, students examine human society and social institutions.
Depending on their discipline, social science majors may review past societies, examine individual
motivations, and analyze behavior.
It’s been estimated that 40 percent of graduate vacancies do not ask for specific degree subjects and
your degree will have helped you develop a range of transferable skills that you can bring to jobs unrelated
to your subject. These include:
 analytical ability
 critical thinking
 communication skills, verbal and in written reports
 data collection, analysis and interpretation
 numeracy and statistics
 problem solving
 project management
 quantitative and qualitative research
 team work
Skills gained from a social science degree are applicable across a wide range of areas.

TOPIC 2: Social Problem

Social Problem is an issue that negatively affects a person’s sate of being in a society. It refers to
any condition that affects the quality of life for an individual or society as a whole. Social problems are
defined by history, cultural values, cultural universals, and awareness.
Types of Social Problems
Norm Violation – Norms are the social rules that govern behavior in a community. Norms can be
explicit (such as laws) or implicit (such as codes of polite behavior). Norms can be difficult to identify
because they are so deeply instilled in members of a given society. Norms are learned by growing up in a
particular culture and can be difficult to learn if one does not grow up in the same social milieu.
The act of violating a social norm is called deviance. Individuals usually have a much easier time
identifying the transgression of norms than the norms themselves. For example, few Americans would think
to tell a sociologist that it is a social norm to hold the door open for a fellow pedestrian entering a building if
within a particular distance. However, someone might remark that another person is rude because he or she
did not hold the door open. Studying norms and studying deviance are inseparable endeavors.
Social Condition – refer to social, economic, and political conditions encompassing a wide range of
modifiable factors that are outside the scope of medical care (the latter defined as preventive, curative, and
rehabilitative services delivered by medical care personnel). Social conditions include potentially modifiable
characteristics of both social and physical environments at the individual, household, and community levels
— that is, features of homes, schools, workplaces, and neighbourhoods that could be shaped by policies (at
least in theory, and given sufficient political will). Social conditions also include factors at the regional,
national, and global levels that often shape conditions experienced locally. Examples of social conditions
include poverty, quality of housing, homelessness, educational attainment and quality, unemployment, wage
levels, lack of control over the organization of work, racial residential segregation, and other forms of
discrimination.
Four Stages of Social Movements (Charles Tilly)
1. Emergence – people become aware of a problem and begin to notice that others fell the same way.
2. Coalescence – groups reach to other groups and individuals to increase membership.
3. Bureaucratization – the movement becomes a political force.
4. Decline – organization completes its goal or is dismissed as irrelevant.

Social Structure: Basic Unit of Analysis

A. The Person-Blame Approach
People generally understand social problems as some sort of pathology experienced by individuals.
This approach tends to assume that universal norms exist. Behavior is deviant depending on how much it
strays from these norms. Most people define a social problem as behavior that deviates from the norms and
standards of society. The system is not only taken for granted; it has, for most people, an aura of

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sacredness because of traditions and customs they associate with the system.
From the person-blame approach, those who deviate are seen as the source of trouble. The
obvious question observers ask is, why do these people deviate from norms? Because most people view
themselves as law abiding, they feel those who deviate do so because of some kind of unusual
circumstances: accidents, illness, personal defect, character flaw, or maladjustment. For example, a person-
blamer might argue that a poor person is poor because he or she is not bright enough to succeed. In other
words, the deviant is the cause of his or her own problem.
The following are examples of perspectives that replay on person-blame approaches.
a) Cultural Deprivation
Eitzen et al. (2009:16) contends that people who blame the victim often cite cultural deprivation as
the "cause" of social problems. Culture is seen as the "cause" of the problem. In other words, people who
blame the victims see the culture of the group with the problem as inferior and deficient when compared to
the culture of the dominant group in society. For example, kids who don't do well is school have parents who
don't speak proper English or who are uneducated.
b) Recidivism
How successful are Prisons in rehabilitating criminals? Not VERY! Three fourths of the released
criminals are re-arrested within four years. Recidivism refers to ex-offenders who are arrested for another
criminal offense once they have been released from jail.
Why are recidivism rates so high? The person-blame approach might argue that the fault lies in the
characteristics of the individual. Maybe they are greedy. Perhaps they have higher than usual levels of
aggression. Person-blamers may also point out the ex-criminals lack of social controls (in Eitzen et al.
2009:16).
c) Social Darwinism
The discoveries of Charles Darwin had a profound impact on other branches of scientific inquiry.
Charles Darwin, of course, is famous for his Theory of Evolution. In the world of biology the species most fit
survived while those less fit eventually became extinct.
Social Darwinism is a distorted view of Darwin's theory. Many social scientists, most notably Herbert
Spencer, attempted to apply the logic of Charles Darwin to the social world. The essence of the social
Darwinist perspective is that races or cultures, who occupied a "superior position" in the social world,
deserved that position because they were the most socially fit (Eitzen et al. 2009:18).
According to Spencer "the poor are poor because they are unfit." The poor are poor because they do
not have the intellectual ability to be wealthy. Spencer argued that "poverty is nature's way of 'excreting…
unhealthy, imbecile, slow, vacillating, faithless members' of society in order to make room for the fit" (Eitzen
and Baca-Zinn, 1994:170).
Social Darwinists, therefore, oppose social programs because, they argue, social programs
perpetuate the existence of the unfit group who would probably disappear in the absence of social welfare.
B. The Consequence of Blaming the Individual
Person-Blame distracts attention away from institutions
When one uses only the person-blame approach, it frees the government, the economy, and the
educational system (among other institutions) from blame. The person blame approach ignores the strains
that are caused by inequalities within the system.
Person-Blame makes it more difficult to institute systemic change by excluding the existing order
from blame it makes it that much harder to initiate change in economic, social, or political institutions. By
replying on a personal-blame approach, societal conditions such as norms that are racist, sexist, or
homophobic go unchallenged.
Person-Blame allows the powerful to control dissidents
Blaming the individual allows the government to "control" dissidents more easily. Deviants are sent to
prisons or hospitals for rehabilitation. Such an approach directs attention away from the system. It eliminates
the individual under consideration. Replying on a personal-blame approach legitimizes social programs
aimed at individuals. It encourages treatment of the individual in terms of counselling, behavior modification,
or psychotherapy.
Person-Blame Reinforces Stereotypes
Person blame also has the potential to reinforce stereotypes. (e.g., the poor are poor because they
are lazy). The person-blame approach tends to support the Social Darwinist position that people are placed

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in the system according to their ability or inability.

C. The System-Blame Approach

This course often advocates a system-blame approach. System-blamers argue that societal
conditions are the primary source of social problems. They may suggest that the key to understanding social
problems is understanding the distribution of power in society.
D. Problems with the System-blame Approach
Sometimes Individuals are the Problem
Blaming the system also presents problems for social scientists as well. Ultimately the system is
made up of people. Society results from the interaction of individuals. Individuals are sometimes aggressive,
means, and nasty (Eitzen, 2000:14). Systemic explanations for social problems is only part of the truth. The
system-blame approach may, therefore, absolve individuals from responsibility for their actions.
Example: When a robber breaks into your house, damn the problems with the system. You have
problems with that particular individual.
System-Blame: A Dogmatic Approach?
Blaming the system is only part of the truth. Blaming the system tends to assume a very rigid
dogmatic approach to the understanding of society. It tends to present a picture that people have no free will
(Eitzen, 2000:15).
Why we use the System-Blame Approach?
We tend to use the system-blame approach for a couple of reasons.
 Since most people tend to blame individuals, we need a balance.
 Sociology is concerned with societal issues and society's institutional framework is responsible for
creating many social problems.
 Since institutions are human creations, we should change them when they no longer serve the will
of the people. Democratic conceptions of society have always held that institutions exist to serve people, not
vice versa. Institutions, therefore, are to be accountable to the people whose lives they affect. When an
institution, any institution, even the most "socially valued" -- is found to conflict with human needs,
democratic thought holds that it ought to be changed or abolished (in Eitzen, 2000: 15-16). Accepting the
system-blame approach is a necessary precondition to restructuring society along more human needs

TOPIC 3: Applications and Intersection of the Approaches in Addressing Social Problems

Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems

The sociological understanding of social problems rests heavily on the concept of the sociological
imagination. We discuss this concept in some detail before turning to various theoretical perspectives that
provide a further context for understanding social problems.
The Sociological Imagination
Many individuals experience one or more social problems personally. For example, many people are
poor and unemployed, many are in poor health, and many have family problems, drink too much alcohol, or
commit crime. When we hear about these individuals, it is easy to think that their problems are theirs alone,
and that they and other individuals with the same problems are entirely to blame for their difficulties.
Sociology takes a different approach, as it stresses that individual problems are often rooted in
problems stemming from aspects of society itself. This key insight informed C. Wright Mills’s (1959) (Mills,
1959) classic distinction between personal troubles and public issues. Personal troubles refer to a problem
affecting individuals that the affected individual, as well as other members of society, typically blame on the
individual’s own personal and moral failings. Examples include such different problems as eating disorders,
divorce, and unemployment. Public issues, whose source lies in the social structure and culture of a society,
refer to social problems affecting many individuals. Problems in society thus help account for problems that
individuals experience. Mills felt that many problems ordinarily considered private troubles are best
understood as public issues, and he coined the term sociological imagination to refer to the ability to

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appreciate the structural basis for individual problems.

Theoretical Perspectives
Three theoretical perspectives guide sociological thinking on social
problems: functionalist theory, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionist theory. These perspectives look at
the same social problems, but they do so in different ways. Their views taken together offer a fuller
understanding of social problems than any of the views can offer alone. The table below summarizes the
three perspectives.
Theoretical
Major Assumptions Views of Social Problems
Perspective
Functionalism Social stability is necessary for a Social problems weaken a society’s
strong society, and adequate stability but do not reflect
socialization and social integration are fundamental faults in how the
necessary for social stability. society is structured. Solutions to
Society’s social institutions perform social problems should take the
important functions to help ensure form of gradual social reform rather
social stability. Slow social change is than sudden and far-reaching
desirable, but rapid social change change. Despite their negative
threatens social order. effects, social problems often also
serve important functions for
society.
Conflict theory Society is characterized by pervasive Social problems arise from
inequality based on social class, race, fundamental faults in the structure of
gender, and other factors. Far- a society and both reflect and
reaching social change is needed to reinforce inequalities based on
reduce or eliminate social inequality social class, race, gender, and other
and to create an egalitarian society dimensions. Successful solutions to
social problems must involve far-
reaching change in the structure of
society.
Symbolic People construct their roles as they Social problems arise from the
interactionism interact; they do not merely learn the interaction of individuals. People
roles that society has set out for them. who engage in socially problematic
As this interaction occurs, individuals behaviors often learn these
negotiate their definitions of the behaviors from other people.
situations in which they find Individuals also learn their
themselves and socially construct the perceptions of social problems from
reality of these situations. In so doing, other people.
they rely heavily on symbols such as
words and gestures to reach a shared
understanding of their interaction.

Applying the Three Perspectives

The Robbery
To explain armed robbery, symbolic interactionists focus on how armed robbers decide when and where
to rob a victim and on how their interactions with other criminals reinforce their own criminal tendencies.
To help you further understand the different views of these three theoretical perspectives, let’s see what
they would probably say about armed robbery, a very serious form of crime, while recognizing that the
three perspectives together provide a more comprehensive understanding of armed robbery than any
one perspective provides by itself.

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A functionalist approach might suggest that armed robbery actually serves positive functions for society,
such as the job-creating function mentioned earlier for crime in general. It would still think that efforts should
be made to reduce armed robbery, but it would also assume that far-reaching changes in our society would
be neither wise nor necessary as part of the effort to reduce crime.
Conflict theory would take a very different approach to understanding armed robbery. It might note that
most street criminals are poor and thus emphasize that armed robbery is the result of the despair and
frustration of living in poverty and facing a lack of jobs and other opportunities for economic and social
success. The roots of street crime, from the perspective of conflict theory, thus lie in society at least as much
as they lie in the individuals committing such crime. To reduce armed robbery and other street crime, conflict
theory would advocate far-reaching changes in the economic structure of society.
For its part, symbolic interactionism would focus on how armed robbers make such decisions as when
and where to rob someone and on how their interactions with other criminals reinforce their own criminal
tendencies. It would also investigate how victims of armed robbery behave when confronted by a robber. To
reduce armed robbery, it would advocate programs that reduce the opportunities for interaction among
potential criminal offenders, for example, after-school programs that keep at-risk youths busy in
“conventional” activities so that they have less time to spend with youths who might help them get into
trouble.
Approaches in Addressing Social Issues

https://kbrookepierson.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/trans3.gif

 Disciplinary Approach – involve a single content area, such as science, math or English. Each
discipline uses its set of tools (methodological approaches) to address its object or objective and no
exchange exists between disciplines. Epistemologies, assumptions, knowledge, skills, methods are
within the boundary of a discipline.
 Multidisciplinary Approach – the world has many different disciplines each of which attempts to
explain “the same” phenomena from their respective disciplinary viewpoints. Multidisciplinary uses
the knowledge/understanding of more than one discipline to redefine problems outside of normal
boundaries and reach solutions based on a new understanding of complex situations. Example,
Physics and History; Biology and Architecture
 Interdisciplinary Approach – involve multiple content areas. Many problems, challenges facing
society are so complex that they cannot be answered by a single discipline. It integrates information,
perspectives, concepts or theories from two or more disciplines of specialized knowledge to advance
fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single
discipline. (Johnes, Aug 2012) Example, Biochemistry; Ecophilosophy; Astrophysics.
 Transdisciplinary Approach – permits a learning strategy that crosses many disciplinary
boundaries to create a holistic approach to learning and a better appreciation of the learning
experience. Example, focus on an issue such as pollution, poverty or hunger both within and beyond
discipline boundaries with the possibility of new perspective.

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 REFERENCES

Printed Sources
Abulencia, Arthur S., et.al. Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences, Teacher’s Guide. Pasig City,
Philippines:Department of Education-Bureau of Learning Resources, 2017

Web Sites
https://www.bestcolleges.com/careers/humanities-and-social-sciences/social-science/
https://gradireland.com/career-sectors/public-sector-and-civil-service/graduate-careers-advice-you-and-your-
social-science-degree
https://nptel.ac.in/content/storage2/courses/109103022/pdf/mod1/lec3.pdf
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-socialproblems/chapter/1-2-sociological-perspectives-on-
social-problems/
https://www.definitions.net/definition/multidisciplinary+approach
https://www.slideshare.net/shreeprasad13/diversity-presentation-on-interdisciplinary-education
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/one-health/0/steps/25498
https://docs.google.com/viewer?
a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxodW1zc2hhdmVufGd4OjdiMGY3NjM1NjI3ZGZhM2Q

Prepared by:

MARIA VICTORIA M. CABUNDOC, SST-II

LIEZL F. MERCADER, SST-II