Section one

The Humanities and Social Sciences are the study of human behavior and
interaction in social, cultural, environmental, economic and political contexts. The
Humanities and Social Sciences have a historical and contemporary focus, from
personal to global contexts, and consider challenges for the future. Humanities and
social science degrees can be vastly different, but all have one thing in common: they're
focused on human life. While humanities subjects are mostly analytical or philosophical,
social sciences subjects are more scientific and experimental.

Humanities Definition

Humanities subjects, traditionally known as the liberal arts, date back to the
ancient Greeks who first used the discipline to educate their citizens. The modern
conception of humanities was used as a course of general education dating from the
Sophists in the mid-5th century BCE, which prepared young men for active citizenship
in the polis, or city-state. From an academic standpoint, the humanities refer to those
branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human thoughts, creative
expressions and their culture and are classified as non-science academic disciplines.
Generally speaking, the humanities include the study of history, philosophy, religion,
modern and ancient languages and literatures, arts, media and cultural studies, and other
fields. Humanities focus on understanding the meaning, purpose and goals and further,
the appreciation of singular historical and social phenomena -uncovering the truth of the
natural world. Humanities also explore the process of how human beings construct a
world of meanings and interpretations around their lives.
Humanities research adds to our knowledge of the world, as scholars investigate
differences between cultures and communities around the world and across time,
consider the ways art is made and received, or unveil the undercurrents that have shaped
history. Humanities education encourages students to think creatively and critically, to
reason, and ask questions. And, as the humanities offer insight into nearly every aspect
of life, they have been considered a core element of a well-rounded education since
ancient times. Put simply, the humanities help us understand and interpret the human
experience, as individuals and societies.
The Encyclopedia Britannica (2006) defines the Humanities as “Branches of knowledge
that investigate human beings, their culture and their self-expression” .These branches include
philosophy, literature, languages, the arts, religion and history. Disciplines that study human
conditions in totality are referred to as Humanities or Human Sciences. We could define
humanities as the study of how humans have expressed themselves through the arts, throughout
history. Expressing oneself through the arts is one of the earliest and most basic of human
activities. Unlike other sciences, the Humanities employ methods that are creative and
speculative by nature. Analysis and exchange of ideas are emphasized. Hence Humanities
provide us with stories, the ideas and the words that help us make sense of our lives and the
world. It helps us to decide what is important in our own lives and how we can improve our
existing conditions. It also helps us in identifying what is right and wrong by connecting us
with others and also in understanding our heritage and history better. The meaning, purpose and
aim of the human condition is emphasized here. There is no search for objective truth in
humanities. Humanities often employ narrative imagination as an important tool in
understanding and reproducing the meanings of culture, literature and history. The Humanities
seek to describe how experiences shape our understanding of the world. .What distinguishes
the humanities from the natural Sciences is the mode of approach to any question. Humanities
focus on understanding the meaning, purpose and goals and further the appreciation of singular,
historical & social phenomena. It neither seeks objective truth nor tries to explain the causality
of events. The Humanities examine the human condition by studying the elements of culture
that describe what is or was valued and considered important at a particular point in time.
Humanities are essentially self-reflexive in character and explain human relationship & answers
the fundamental question what it means to be human.

The Similarities and Differences between Humanities and Social Sciences

Humanities are academic disciplines that deal also with human and his society and
culture in terms of philosophical and spiritual aspects. It refers to the study of the ways in which
human experience is processed and documented. For example: Human’s productions and
achievements in Literature, music, art, language and philosophy besides to religion and history.
 Despite the closeness between the two fields (both deal with human beings, cultures and
societies), social science, however, differs partly from humanities in some points:

Social
Science It is most concerned with
those basic elements of
culturethat determine the
general patterns of human
behavior.
Study issues in a
systematic and a
scientific way.
Humanities
It is concerned with
special aspectsof the
human culture that express
spiritual and aesthetic
values and
discover the meaning of
life
Focus more on emotions
and feelings that the
system employed.

Humanities are more

Social sciences are more subjective since they rely
objective since they rely on experience, feelings,
on facts, experiments assumptions and
and reality. philosophy

Seek to reveal wisdom,

understand spiritual Produce and Generate
aspects of men, and meet new knowledge, facts .
challenges in human life.

Social Sciences as an Academic Discipline

As the name itself suggests, Social Science is concerned about society. It aims at
understanding all aspects of society as well as finding solutions to deal with social
problems. Social science is the scientific study of social, cultural, psychological,
economic, and political forces that guide individuals in their actions. This branch of
science studies how people interact with each other, behave, develop a culture and
influence the world. Many scholars have attempted to elaborate a simplified definition
to this complicated field:

 According to Seligman, social sciences as those mental or cultural sciences which

deal with the activities of the individual as member of the group. The term social
sciences thus embrace all those subjects which deal with the relationship of man to
the society.
 According to Mitchell, the term social science is loosely applied to any kind
of study concerning man and society. In the strict sense, it should refer to the
application of scientific method to the study of the intricate and complex
network of human relationship and the form of organization designed to
enable people to live togetherin societies.
 According to Fairchild, social science as a general term for all the sciences
which are concerned with the human affairs.
 According to Peter Lewis, social sciences are concerned with the laws that
govern society the social department of man.

From the above mentioned definitions, one can induce that the field of
social sciences studies views ‘man’, the unique living creature, from two
different dimensions:

a) Man as an individual being: Understanding the human being as an

isolated item. Example: Study his way of thinking (Psychology).
b) Man as a social being: Understanding the human being within
society.Example: Study his behavior with others (Sociology).

The Importance of Social Sciences in Foreign Language Learning

Humanities and Social Sciences are at the heart of knowing about human
condition. Language aids in this field of knowledge as it is the heart of the
matter in foreign language classes. It represents a means through which learners
interact with each other and the subject on which they focus their studies.
The purpose of this course incorporation is to draw a correlation between
Social Sciences and Humanities and Language Learning for the purpose of
understanding and improving the knowledge and linguistic competence along
with socio-cultural concerns of students. Foreign Language Learning involves
more than the acquisition of target language as learners develop cognitive,
social and linguistic competence at the same time.
Studying Social Sciences and Humanities helps foreign language
students to develop a deep understanding of the target language by
manipulating knowledge about other societies, culture and people.
Therefore, learners will communicate effectively and practise the
language appropriately. Social sciences and humanities open the window to
learners to well see the learned language from many corners; this make them
able to build the confidence to lead it better.
The importance of social science goes far beyond the specific social
sciences. It is social science thinking that underlies much of the law as well as
our understanding of international relations and government. All these fields are
the natural byproducts of social science inquiry. Thus, a knowledge of social
science is necessary for anyone trying to understand current world events.