SELF-LEARNING MODULE FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12 – UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,SOCIETY AND POLITICS

MODULE 1
THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

PERIOD: Week 1

MODULE DESCRIPTION:

The social sciences namely sociology, anthropology and political science

emerged as a result of the development of modern society. The rise and rapid growth of
the natural sciences influenced the direction of the social sciences.
Social sciences today have drastically changed from being Western-
centered to having a more pluralistic orientation and being multicultural in nature. This
has to do with the efforts of social scientists from non Western countries to indigenize
Western social sciences

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

To discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in / of anthropology,

sociology and political science.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. To give the meaning and goals of the following:

a. Anthropology
b. Sociology
c. Political Science
2. To explore the significant personalities that contributed to the
development of social sciences

CONTENT

Social science is the scientific study of human society and social

relationships. In the development and progress of human knowledge, the social
sciences were the last to develop after the natural sciences. And while the origin
of the social sciences can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosophers
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, their development as separate fields of knowledge
only begun in the modern period.

The social sciences namely (1) anthropology (2) sociology and (3) political
science emerged as a result of modern society.

ANTHROPOLOGY
 Anthropology is the science or study of man. The word anthropology
comes from the Greek terms “Anthropos” which means man and “logos” which
means science or study. It is the study of humans and human behavior and
societies in the past and present. It lets us study the cultural and biological
evolution of all human groups so we can analyze them and apply the findings in
the current situations of man and prepare ourselves in the possible changes in
human in the future.

SOCIOLOGY

The word sociology is derived from the Latin word “societus” meaning
society and the Greek word “logos” meaning study or science , therefore,
sociology means the science or study of society. Sociology is a branch of the
social sciences that deals with the scientific study of human interactions, social
groups and institutions, whole societies and the human world as such. It is a
science that studies the relationship between the individual and the society as
they develop and change in history.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political science is the branch of social science that deals with the study of
politics, power and government. Politics refers to the process of making collective
decisions in a community, society or group through the application of influence
and power. Political science is above all the study of power : how it is created,
exercised, justified, and challenged. He who has the power has the control.

As a social science, political science focuses on group power, the “how”

and “why” of collective decision making. Under the banner of political science we
gather the study of democracy, war, law, rights, wealth and authority as well as
the institutions that shape and secure them.