ONLINE ASSIGNMENT

MUHAMMAD THAMEEM
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Candidate Code:
HKM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
UMAYANALLOOR, KOLLAM

NEEDS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE LEARNING

We know that Britains social scientists are world leaders in their fields, but
why do we need them? And if they werent around to analyse whats going on, would
you miss them?
Audrey Osler suggests 10 reasons why you need social science:
1

Social scientists help us imagine alternative futures. Social science can open
up debate and give us a say in shaping our collective future. The social sciences
developed as a field of study during the nineteenth century. Social science helped
people understand the consequences and application of the new technologies of the
age, such as steam power. The growth of railways and factories not only
transformed the economy and the world of work, but also changed forever the way
people organised their family lives and leisure. Today nanotechnology and
advances in medical research will have a significant impact on the way we live.
They present us
with a bewildering range of ethical, legal and social issues. But it isnt enough to
rely on the scientists. We also need social scientists to analyse and critique whats
going on. That way we will make informed choices that shape the future.

2 Social science can help us make sense of our finances. Social science is not just
important for the future but for whats happening now. We all resent paying to
withdraw our money from cash machines. Charges can amount to 120 per year.
Social scientists working on behalf of the Runnymede Trust found that this
doesnt just this depend on where we live, but that black and minority ethnic
people are more likely to live in areas where theyre forced to pay. This put
pressure on banks to ensure we all have access to machines that dont charge. A
range of social scientists not just economists but also psychologists,
sociologists and political scientists, for example can help us understand the
economic crisis and weigh up decisions we make for ourselves and those which

governments make on our behalf. Without this kind of analysis we may feel like
pawns in a global game of chess. With the knowledge and understanding that
social science offers us, we will feel empowered to act for ourselves, and to
influence decisions being made on our behalf.
3 Social scientists contribute to our health and wellbeing. From sports
sociologists to public health experts, from those interpreting medical statistics to
those evaluating policies for our care in old age, social scientists are working
hard to make sure that our health, leisure and social care services work to best
effect. Social geographers at the University of Sheffield, for example, have
shown that those of us who dont follow eating advice are not simply weak
willed or ignorant. Our eating habits are influenced by a whole range of
circumstances. Some apparently unhealthy choices may seem rational: if the
person doing the shopping knows that others will simply not eat the healthy
option and it will just go to waste, they may simply not buy it. So its no good
just giving people a booklet on healthy eating. Effective nutritional advice needs
to be tailored to peoples everyday lives and contexts.
4 Social science might save your life. Psychologists at the University of Liverpool
spent time in a steel factory to work out what needs doing to create a safer
environment. Accidents at work happen even in the best regulated companies
that provide staff training and take all necessary precautions. A topdown
imposed safety regime simply doesnt work. Its when people see unsafe work
practices as unacceptable and take decisions as teams that workplaces become
safer. Employers need to see people as individuals who take their lead from those
with whom they identify. These principles have also been shown to work in
crowd control. When those responsible for crowd management at football
matches are trained in techniques which take this into account, theres virtually
no trouble.
5 Social science can make your neighbourhood safer. One common myth is that
if you take measures to reduce crime in one neighbourhood the criminals simply
move on, leading to increased crime in another area. Sociologists at Nottingham
Trent University worked closely with police to reduce crime through a method

involving scanning for crime patterns. They were able to identify patterns that
regular police work had not picked up, so avoiding guess work and lost time. A
technique called situational crime prevention developed by the same team is now
regularly used by the police, working with the public and private sectors to
prevent crime. Together they make things more difficult for wouldbe criminals.
For example, in one area there was a serious problem of lead being stolen from
community building roofs. By working with dealers in the scrap metal market,
and persuading them to keep records, it then became too risky to buy what might
be stolen lead.
6 We need social scientists as public intellectuals. British society is sometimes
said to be antiintellectual. Yet in our fast changing world, there is a place for the
social scientist as public intellectual. This doesnt have to be a succession of
boring grey talking heads, such as you can find on French TV any night. Thats
enough to cause anyone to start channel surfing. Social scientists have a duty to
make their work interesting and engaging to the rest of us. They need to explain
not only why social science is relevant but do it in a compelling way. Then we
will want to listen, read and find out more. Perhaps more social scientists will
have to become active listeners, talking more often to the public, each other and
to scientists. Then we can get all the disciplines around the table together. In a
knowledgebased world, we need people who can integrate a variety of different
types of knowledge, and that come from different intellectual roots and from a
range of institutions to work together.
7 Social science can improve our childrens lives and education. All societies and
all governments want to show they are dong the best for children. Yet too often
education reform seems to take place without regard for the best interests of the
learners. Education research shows that many parents, particularly parents of
younger children, are more concerned that their children enjoy school, than that
they are academic stars. By working with students of all ages to understand their
perspectives on schooling, researchers at the universities of Cambridge and
Leeds have discovered new insights into what makes effective schools, and what
makes for effective school leadership. We just need to listen to children, provide

structured opportunities for them to give their views, and prepare adults to really
listen. Today even OFSTED, the school inspection service, has to listen to
childrens viewpoints.
8 Social science can change the world for the better. We can generally agree that
world needs to be a safer place where all people can enjoy basic dignity and
human rights. This is the case even when we cant always agree on what we
should do to make this happen. Social scientists working in interdisciplinary
teams have made their mark in the area of human welfare and development. They
are concerned with the social and economic advancement of humanity at large.
They work with government institutions, UN organisations, social services,
funding agencies, and with the media. They are influencing the work of
strategists, planners, teachers and programme officers in developing and growing
economies, like India, to influence development so that it impacts on the lives of
the poorest members of society. For example, social scientists from the Delhi
School of Economics are cooperating with colleagues at SOAS, University of
London to explore the impact of legislation in India to guarantee minimum
wages for rural unskilled manual labourers on the loves of women. They found
the new law provided opportunities for some women to become wage earners
where none had existed before, reducing the risk of hunger and the chances of
avoiding hazardous work. But they also identified barriers to women benefitting
from the changes, including harassment at the worksite. Those working in
development studies are then able to support womens ability to benefit by
looking for creative solutions to such problems.
9 Social science can broaden your horizons. For debates about feminism, peace,
ecology, social movements, and much more, social science offers each of us new
perspectives and new ways of understanding. Whether your idea of relaxation is
visiting a museum, watching soaps, or chatting online, social science encourages
a fresh look at our everyday activities and culture. Social scientists at the
University of Leicester are making an impact on museums across the world, with
the goal of making them more inclusive, abler to challenge prejudices, inspire
learning and be more relevant in contemporary society. One example is their

work with the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow to involve local communities
and international visitors alike in engaging with exhibitions on a range of social
justice issues from sectarianism to gay rights, through programmes including arts
workshops and residencies.
10 We need social science to guarantee our democracy. Social science offers
multiple perspectives on society, informs social policy and supports us in holding
our politicians and our media to account. The Centre for the Study of Global
Media and Democracy at Goldsmiths College, London is monitoring how
transformation from traditional to digital media is examining the move away
from traditional journalism and politics to where we as citizens try to be
community journalists, presenting our own accounts online. The work brings
together specialists in media and communications, sociology and politics.
Individual citizens may feel empowered by this but there are risks in turning
away from traditional journalism, including fewer.