TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL STUDIES

Learning objective:

1. Define social and social studies.

2. Explain the structure and form of society.
3. Explain the goals of social studies.

1.0 Introduction

Sociology is a scientific and systematic study on human beings and their social interactions in the
society from various angles. All sorts of social phenomenon will occur through interaction. Generally,
sociology is an in-depth study about social groups, emphasising their identities and explaining
various forms of how their behaviours are influenced.

2.0 Definition of Social and Social Studies

 Social relating to society or its organization which is informal social gathering, especially one
organized by the members of a particular club or group.
 Social studies are integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic
competence.
 Young children are beginning to develop an awareness of social norms, customs, personal
responsibility, and strategies for interacting with others.
 Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing
upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law,
philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate
content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.
 The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned
decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an
interdependent world.

3.0 Social Structure and Society

3.1 Social Structure

 There are five basic social structures in the society:

i. Family – main functions are to raise children and act as a support for the
children to rely on
ii. Religion – life principle that can bring meaning to unthinkable phenomena
iii. Education – creates the new generation
iv. Economy – produces and distributes products
v. Responsible government – to govern and protect the country
 3.2 Society and School

 A society has a lot of communities. The school itself is a community that is part
of a larger community.
 Every community or environment around the school has its own characteristics.
There are similarities and differences such as traditional values, ethnicities,
social classes and types of occupation, household, location, beliefs and political
differences.
 The relationships between school and communities in the vicinity are varied.
o For rural area, the relationship between the village community and school is
traditionally close. Villagers are usually prepared to cooperate with schools
in ensuring the success of various activities such as “gotong-royong” to clean
school compound, attending meetings and sports activities.
o For urban area, the local communities do not have close relationships with
schools because of the diversity of the communities’ characteristics and ever
changing nature of the communities.

4.0 Goals for Social Studies

 Social studies has two goals:

o social understanding (knowledge of human societies)
o civic competence (democratic citizenship)
 Schools typically approach these two broad goals by knowledge, attitudes and values, and
skills.

4.1 Knowledge
 Knowledge is a about information of the world, geography of the world, its people and
their cultures, the community, the home state, neighbouring states, the nation and the
other nations of the world. As well as how people live in different parts of the world and
how they interact and depend on each other.
 Another approach is to identify a set of basic content themes. Themes help curriculum
planners and teachers narrow the scope somewhat and give them a better idea of which
social knowledge deserves the most attention.
 Social studies provides learning opportunities for students to:
o The legal and political systems of their own nation and the nations of the world
similarities and differences.
o Basic human institutions such as family, educational, religious other economic
institutes of international and world organizations.
o The environment in the world and how people use or misuse the natural
resources of their own country and the world at a large. The environmental
problems- natural hazards and manmade disasters their dangers to the lives of
people. Their precautionary measures.
o The history of home country and the world. Understanding the cultures, values
and traditions of the country.
 o The basic structures of the society such as production, transportation,
distribution and consumption of goods and services.
o Government services to protect human and natural resources. Facilities for
education, health and recreation.
o Knowledge about the constitution of the nation, rights and duties of citizens and
human rights.
o World organizations, foreign policies, international relations and present status
of India in the world.

3.1 Attitudes and values

 Attitudes and values are directed less at cognitive knowledge and more at emotion,
feeling, and beliefs about right and wrong.
 Particular attitudes (also called dispositions, traits, and virtues) and values are essential
to democratic citizenship. Without attitudes and values, like a boat without a rudder or
a hiker with no compass, democratic government and civic life would be impossible.
 Social studies provides learning opportunities for students to:
o Knowledge the common values of the society as defined by the historical
documents of the nation. Laws of the country, religious and cultural heritage of
the country.
o Understanding national values and international values.
o Developing loyalty and patriotism towards one’s own nation and pride towards
one’s own culture. Equality, freedom etc
o The history of home country and the world understanding the cultures, values.
o Developing a sense of respect for ideals of different communities and different
cultures.

3.2 Skills
 Skills are identifying what students should know how to do with support of knowledge
they know.
 A child is skilful at something because he or she knows how to do it well. A skill, then, is
also called know-how or procedural knowledge.
 Social studies provides learning opportunities for students to:
o Social skills:
Living and working together, sharing, caring, taking turns being a leader and
a follower, respecting the rights of others, being socially sensitive learn self-
control and self-direction.
o Study skills and work habits:
Learn to find information and to use information appropriately, researching
on different topics, collecting information, analysing information and writing
reports by using maps, globe, charts, graphs, magazines, reference material
etc.
o Group skills:
Work as a team. Taking various roles in small groups, large groups-
community etc. Be a leader as well as a follower and decision making in a
 group. Cultivating tolerance, team spirit, and developing independent
thinking.
o Intellectual skills:
Identify problems, conducting inquiry, forming and testing hypotheses as
well as analysing and interpreting data. These would develop thinking skills
and critical thinking, distinguishing between facts and opinions, inferring
cause and effect relationship, reasoning, discussing and decision making.

ACTIVITY

1. How can education create racial integration in Malaysia? Discuss.