ST. ANDREW MONTESSORI AND HIGH SCHOOL INC.
,
NANCAYASAN, URDANETA CITY, PANGASINAN
S.Y. 2020-2021
DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES
SUBJECT DESCRIPTION: This course introduces some Applied Social Sciences, namely
Counselling, Social Work, and Communication, which draw their foundation from the theories
and principles of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and other Social Sciences. The course
highlights the seamless interconnectivity of the different applied social science disciplines while
focusing on the processes and applications of these applied disciplines in critical development
areas.
At the end of the course, students shall demonstrate competencies in interacting and reacting
with other individuals, groups, and communities; apply social sciences principles, practices, and
tools in addressing the development areas identified by the class; and analyze how processes in
these applied disciplines work in specific life situations.
Defining Social Sciences – is made of several disciplines and these include history, political
science, sociology, psychology, economics, geography, demography, anthropology and
linguistics. As a body of scientific knowledge, the social sciences provide diverse set of lens that
help us understand and explain the different facets of human society. The varieties of lens that
social sciences study refer to the different fields of the social sciences that investigate human
society.
Branches of the Social Sciences
1. Economics studies the allocation of scarce resources and the production and exchange of
goods and services in society.
Economics has different subfields:
Environmental economics- studies the allocation of natural resources
Labor economics-focuses on the study of the decision- making and behaviors of
employees and the relationships between employers and their employees.
Business economics- examines the behavior of companies and firms by studying the
factors that result in profit maximization, price setting, production goals, and the role of
incentives.
Monetary economics- on the other hand, studies the nation’s production, inflation,
income, interest rates, and monetary policies.
2. Anthropology is the scientific study of humans and their cultures in the past and present
time.
Anthropologist are trained in the different areas:
Cultural anthropology studies the development of human culture based on ethnologic,
linguistic, social, and psychological data analysis. It explains how people in other
societies live and affects their environments to their respective lives.
Physical anthropology studies human biological nature, particularly its beginning,
evolution, and variation in prehistory
Archeology studies human life in the past through the examination of things left behind
by the people.
3. History is systematic study of human past events in order to understand the meaning,
dynamics, and relationship of the cause and effects of events in the development of
societies.
History has several subfields:
Political history studies history of political institutions
Economic history studies the development of economic institutions and other economic
factors.
Social history studies the history of ordinary lives of people like women, children, ethnic
groups, and the different sectors of society from historical point of view.
Environmental history looks into the history of the interaction of humans with the
environment
History of medicine and public health examines the history of public health and human
medicine
Business history studies the history of the development of businesses, companies, and
industries
Biographies studies the history of great persons in history
4. Political Science primarily studies human behavior in relation to political systems,
governments, laws, and international relations.
Political has several fields of study:
Domestic politics studies public opinion, elections, national and local governments.
Comparative politics studies politics within countries and analyzes the similarities and
differences between among countries
International Relations focuses on the study of political relationship and interaction
between and among countries
Public administration studies national and local governance and bureaucracy
Public law examines legal systems, civil rights, and criminal justice
5. Psychology studies how the human mind works in consonance with the body to produce
thoughts that lead to individual actions.
Psychology subfields:
Experimental psychology studies of humans and animals examines how and why learning
takes place
Developmental psychology studies the ways people change and behave as they go
through their life
Personality psychology studies human nature and differences among people
Environmental psychology studies the effects of surroundings on a person’s attitude and
behavior
6. Sociology a systematic study of people’s behavior in groups
Sociology subfields:
Applied sociology focus on the use and proper application of sociological theories,
methods and skills to examine data, solve problems and communicate research to the
public.
Urban sociology studies societal life interactions in urban areas through the application of
sociological methods like statistical analysis and ethnographies
Cultural sociology analyzes the development of social institutions, norms and practices.
Rural sociology studies the social life of people in rural areas
Medical sociology examines the societal aspects of health and medicine of people
Sociology of education analyzes how social forces and institutions like politics, economic
systems, and culture affects school and educational systems.
Political sociology examines how social structure affects and influences politics.
Military sociology is a sociological study of the military organization, the different
civilian and military relationships, war experiences, and the use and control of force
7. Geography is the study of interaction between people and their environments.
Geography subfields:
Physical geography studies the natural features of the earth, including land, water, and
atmosphere
Human geography studies how people create cultures in their natural environments.
8. Demography according to the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (2016)
demography is the scientific study of human populations across time.
Major subfield:
Population studies or social demography analyze demographic data to define, explain,
and foresee social phenomena. It also studies social – status composition and population
distribution.
Defining the Applied Social Sciences-branch of study that applies the different concepts,
theoretical models, and theories of the social science disciplines to help understand society and
the different problems and issues. The applied social sciences is utilized to provide alternative
solutions to the diverse problem of the society.
Three main career tracks for applied social scientist:
1. Counseling is one of the fields of applied social sciences as an application of the social
sciences, counseling provides guidance, help, and support to individuals who are
distraught by a diverse set of problems in their lives.
Counseling can be done by the following:
Guidance counselor and life coaching are applications of the social sciences and these
professions, expert help is given to individuals who needed guidance or advice pertaining
to their business successes, general conditions and personal life transitions, relationships
and career.
Life coach analyzes the present condition of the client, discovers different obstacles or
challenges that a client faces, and provides a certain course of action to make the client’s
life better.
Career counseling is needed by people who are in the process of entering the job market,
searching for possible career change, or those wanting career advancements.
Personal growth counseling concentrates on the evaluation of different aspects of a
client’s life.
2. Social work practitioners help individuals, families, and groups, communities to improve
their individual and collective well-being.
3. Communication Studies- Applied social science provide adequate training for careers in
the field of journalism and mass communication because of multidisciplinary knowledge
and skills that graduates learn from social sciences.
NAME:____________________________________________________
Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer
Social Science Applied Social
Science
How are they alike?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
How are they different?
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
_________________ _________________
Guide Questions:
1. What is the connection between social sciences and the applied social sciences?
2. How do they differ from one another?
3. What is the difference between counseling and social work?
4. Why do we consider journalism and communication studies as fields of the applied social
sciences?
Prepared by:
Reynaldo C. Paris
Subject Teacher
