EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE

 SOCIAL SCIENCE as the study of society

 Basically, social science refers to the systematic study of various aspects of human society. It is a
major category of academic disciplines, dealing with society and the relationships among people
within a society. Established in 19th century

 Natural Science
 A major branch of science that deals with the description, prediction and understanding of natural
phenomena, basically based on observational and empirical evidence.
Two main branches of natural science:
1. LIFE SCIENCE OR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
2. PHYSICAL SCIENCE

 SOCIAL SCIENCE VS. NATURAL SCIENCE

THINGS IN COMMON
 Both science employ the scientific model in order to gain information.
 Both science use empirical and measured data evidence that can be seen and discerned by senses.
 Both science, theories can be tested to yield theoretical statements and general positions.
 DIFFERENCE:
NATURAL SCIENCE
 Started during the 16th and 17th century.
 Deals with object
 Characterized by exactness, controlled variables, and predictability.
 Experimental Data
 The typical method of science is doing repetitive and conventional laboratory experiments.
 Closed System.
SOCIAL SCIENCE
 Arose 300 years later
 Deals with subject. (Human being)
 it is spontenous, unpredictable, as it delas with human emotions and behavior.
 Experiential Data
 Typically involves alternative methods of observation and
 Interaction with people within community
 Open Sytem.
 Humanities
 Refers to the study of the ways in which the human experience is processed and documented.
Encompasses the field of philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language.
 Emerged in the 15th century
 Humanities involved a more of a scientific approach
 Deemed to be more philosophical and concerned with heritage and the question of what makes us
human. Comprise applicatiion of an interpretative methodolgy.
 Six Discipline of Social Science
 ANTHROPOLOGYDerived from the Greek words anthropos meaning “human” and logos meaning
“word” or “study of”. Therefore, Anthropology is “the study of man” Anthropologist study humans
and their societies in the past and present.
Two fields:
1. Physical Anthropology
 The study of the past and present evolution of the human species and is especially concerne with
understanding the causes of present human diversity. All existing creatures, he argued, descended
from a small number of original or progenitor species.
2. Cultural Anthropology
 The branch of anthropology concerned with the study of human societies and cultures and their
development.
 ECONOMICS
Aims to study how to manage the limited resources to satisfy the unlimited wants of individuals. it is also
seen as the production, consumption and transfer of goods.
It is how people interact with the market to attain or accomplish their certain goals.
Two major fields:
1. Microeconomics
 The part of economics concerned with single factors and effects of individual decisions.
2. Macroeconomics
 The part of economics concerned with large-scale or general economic factors, such as interest rates
and national productivity.
 GEOGRAPHY
 Deals with studying the lands and features of the earth.
 HISTORY
 Derived from the word “historia” meaning “to inquire or research”. History mainly focuses on the
evolution of mankind and the events that has taken place within that evolution. The study of the
past and its records events.
 Linguistics
 The scientific study of languages and focuses on the three aspect of language: language form,
language meaning, and language in context.
 PSYCHOLOGY
 The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
 DEMOGRAPHY
 The study of human population and dynamics which include components such as population size
(actual head count of location), population composition (age,sex,religion), population growth,
population distribution.

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
 Structural Functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system
whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability According to functionalism, society is a
system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and
social equilibrium for the whole.
The terms that describe the effect of societal elements are:
 Functional- serve a purpose and that all are indispensable (essential) for the long-term
survival of the society.
 Dysfunctional- disruptions in society and its parts that threaten social stability.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
 Symbolic Interactionism assumes that people respond to elements of their environments according
to the subjective meanings they attach to those elements, such as meanings being created and
modified through social interaction involving symbolic communication with other people.
In Charles Horton Cooley's The Looking Glass Self theory
 He argued that the way we think about ourselves is particularly apt to reflect other people's
appraisals or more accurately, our imagination of other people's appraisals and that our
self-concepts are built up in the intimate groups that he called "primary groups.
There are three components in this theory:
1) We imagine how we appear to others; 2) We imagine the judgment of that appearance; and 3) We
develop ourselves (identity) through the judgments of others.
In Erving Goffman's Dramaturgical Perspective on Social Interaction theory
1. Performance - refers to the activities an individual does in front of observers, or audience. In this
stage, the individual or actor gives meaning to themselves, to others, and to their situation.
performances deliver impressions/messages to others, and information is exchanged to confirm
identity.
2. Setting - refers to the place where interaction takes place, such as scenery, props, and location.
3. Manner - refers to the way an individual plays his/ her role. Manner functions to warn the audience
of how the performer will act or seek to act in the role. However, there are cases when the audience
gets confused because of contradiction and inconsistency between appearance and manner.
4. Front - refers to the image or impression an individual is giving off to the audience. A front can also
be regarded as a script. Certain situations or scenarios have social scripts that suggest how the actor
should behave or interact in that situation.

5/6. Front Stage and Back Stage - In the front stage, the actor knows that s/he is being watched. Hence,
s/he will act according to her/his role. While in the backstage, the individual can truly be himself/herself
and get rid of the role s/he is playing when in the front stage.

Psychoanalysis
 refers to both a theory of how the mind works and a treatment of modality. As a treatment method,
it helps people understand themselves, their relationships, and how they behave in the world.
Psychoanalytic treatment is based on the idea that we are commonly motivated to act by impulses
that we don't recognize because they originate in our unconscious. These unconscious conflicts can
create negative feelings - emotions such as unhappiness, anxiety, or depression - which can be
expressed in many ways, including self- destructive behavior or difficulties with personal
relationships or work.

Defense Mechanism
 Is a coping technique that lessens anxiety or pain due to unacceptable or potentially harmful
impulses. The use of defense mechanism is unconsciously done and is most often learned behaviors,
most of which following:
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 Rational Choice Theory:

 This theory posits that individuals make decisions by logically weighing options to maximize their
benefit or satisfaction. It assumes people act in their own best interest to achieve the greatest
pleasure or profit.
 Rationality: Acting based on reason or logic.
 Choice: The act of selecting among alternatives. Choices are considered rational if they are
consistent with decision theory and effectively meet the individual's goals given the constraints.
 Preferences: These are the positive or negative evaluations people attach to potential outcomes of
their actions, shaped by factors like culture, personal habits, and commitments.

 Institutionalism
 Institutionalism, in the social sciences, is an approach that emphasizes the role of the institution. The
study of institutions has a long pedigree. It draws insights from previous work in various disciplines,
including economics, political science, sociology, anthropology, and psychology.
 Institutionalism is a social theory that focuses on developing a sociological view of institutions, the
way they interact, and the way they affect society. Accordingly, the Institutionalism is frequently
characterized by the attention it gives to history.
 According to Scott (2001), institutions are social structures that have attained a high degree of
resilience. They are composed of cultural-cognitive, normative, and regulative elements that provide
stability and meaning to social life (Arcinas, 2016).
The main job of an institution is to regulate three (3) parts of society:
a. Economy
b. Politics
c. Ideologies

 Thorstein Veblen - He argued that their institutional and sociocultural context shapes individuals. He
emphasized habit, instinct, and emulation as alternatives to utility-calculation models of behavior.
 John R. Commons - He defined institutions as the working rules of collective action laid down and
enforced by various organizations, including the state.
 Karl Polanyi - He argued that economic relations are historically contingent and cannot be
understood outside of their social context. For Polanyi, economics is always embedded in
 Carl J. Friedrich - He focused on institutions in their cross-national work on constitutional. For
Friedrich, constitutionalism was characterized by a concern for individual autonomy and institutional
arrangements— divided government and federalism-to prevent the concentration of power,
especially in the state.
 Chester Irving Barnard - He argued that an organization is a complex system of cooperation and
highlighted the need to understand the behavior of the individuals that compose it.
 James March and Johan Olsen - He initiated the New Institutionalism. They argued that institutions
themselves are important as an indispensable variable in political results and as an epitome of
standards and power relations.

 Rational Choice Institutionalism

 It argues that the political actors' rational choices are constrained or bounded in rationality.

 Two kinds of Institution

 Formal institutions are those officially established by the government, such as laws and
constitutions.
 Informal institutions are not officially established, but the practices are commonly accepted
throughout society.

 Feminism
 is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although mostly originating in the
West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to
activityon behalf of women's rights and interests (Brunell & Burkett, 2020). Feminist philosophers
brought a particularly feminist lens to issues of science, globalization, human rights, popular culture,
and race and racism.
Dominant Feminist Theories
 Liberal Feminism is the oldest of all feminist theories. It argues that since women are rational like
men, they should be given equal opportunities like access to education, the right to vote, and be
elected to public office.
Distinct feminist Discipline
 Epistemology
 It talks about how women think. It explains that there is a difference in the ways of how women
think compared to men. A feminist approach to epistemology seeks to establish knowledge
production from a woman's perspective. It theorizes that knowledge is derived from personal
experiences, which helps each individual to look at things from a different insight.