INTRODUCTION TO
TEACHING SOCIAL SCIENCES
MEANING, DEFINITION, NATURE AND SCOPE OF
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Social
Science
Social Science is a generic term covering the scientific study of
man. It is a discipline or
branch of science that deals with the socio-cultural aspects of human
behaviour. The social sciences generally include cultural anthropology,
economics, political science, sociology, criminology, and social psychology.
What are the seven social sciences?
Definition of Social Science:
Social science is
defined as any scholastic discipline or scientific field that investigates
human society.
According to James High
“Social Sciences as those bodies of learning and study which recognizes the
simultaneous and mutual action of physical and no-physical stimuli which
produce social relation”.
According to Charles Beard
“Social Sciences are a body of knowledge and thought pertaining to human
affairs as distinguished from sticks, stones, stars and physical objects”.
Bining
& Bining defines Social Science as “the subject that relate to the origin,
organization, and development of human society, especially to man in his
association with other men”.
Social Studies:
Social
Studies is a field of study which deals with man, his relation with other men
and his environment; its content is drawn from several social sciences. It is a
course of study including anthropology, history, geography, economics,
political science, sociology, law, civics, etc.
Definition of Social Studies:
According
to Michaelis, “the Social Studies
are concerned with man and his interaction with his social and physical
environment; they deal with human relationships; the central function of the
social studies is identical with the central purpose of education – the
development of democratic citizenship”.
National
Council for the Social Studies defined Social Studies as
“the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic
competence".
Nature of Social Science:
The real nature of this discipline can be well understood by
analyzing the above definitions.
1. A unique combination of various disciplines.
2. A study of human relationships.
3. A study of man’s development through ages.
4. A realistic course of study.
5. It forms an important part of the core-curriculum.
6. It includes commitment to action.
7. Aims at preparing the learner for wholesome social living.
Scope of Social Studies:
The scope of Social Studies is very vast and wide as wide as the
world itself and as lengthy as the history of man. According to Michaelis “the breadth of social
studies programme should provide for a variety of experiences so that the
child’s learning will be well rounded and well balanced”.
The main points are as follows:
1. Vast and wide as the world. It is as wide as the world and s
long as the world. It is the study of human relationships in areas such as:
a. People of one’s own nationality and
people across the world.
b. People and various kinds of
institutions.
c. People and Earth.
d. People and Time.
e. People and resources.
2. A functional study of Natural and Physical sciences and Fine
Arts.
Social Science - Natural Science –
Physical Science are inter related
Development, change, etc. in one field
effect the others
3. A study of current affairs.
4. A study leading to International Understanding.
5. Practical study of various resources.
Similarities between Social studies and
Social Sciences:
Social Science and Social Studies are
not only related generically. They also share common body of content.
Both are related to society and have
same aims and objectives.
Both emphasis on inculcating good
qualities like truthfulness, sincerity, etc. of human being.
Both helps to understand the various
aspects of the society and utilize them.
Both are must be accurate and
reliable- only then can be useful.
Difference between Social Studies and
Social Science:
1. The
focus and emphasis of both are different:- When
a student studies geography as a social science, he has to focus his attention
on the methods of geography, tools and concepts, etc. Wile studying geography as a social
studies, he should focus attention on using ideas and concepts from geography,
to understand man, how his
efforts to control his environment have led to a better life, how various
geographical factors influence his life, etc.
2. Social
Sciences represent an adult approach, while the social studies represent a
child-approach: Social
sciences are to be taught at the high school and college level. Social Studies
are simplified portions of social sciences to be taught at primary level.
3. Social
sciences are the theory part of human affairs; social studies are the practice
part of human affairs: Social
sciences are large bodies of organized and authentic knowledge representing human affairs. While
social studies gives an insight into various aspects of man and society.
4. The
social sciences are far larger than the social studies: The purpose of
the social sciences is to find out new truth about human relationships; the
purpose of the social studies is to guide adolescents in their learning of
selected portions of what has been discovered in social sciences.
5. In
social sciences, social utility is the primary object; in social studies
instructional utility is the primary object.
6. Social
sciences are the part of cultural of knowledge having direct bearing on man’s
activities in any field, Social studies offers learning situation and insight
into all knowledge.
Evolution of social science as a subject
History
As a subject
Social science can be described as all of the
following:
·
Branch of science –
systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of
testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
·
Major category of
academic disciplines – an academic discipline is focused study in one academic
field or profession. A discipline incorporates expertise, people, projects, communities,
challenges, studies, inquiry, and research areas that are strongly associated
with academic areas of study or areas of professional practice. For example, the
branches of science are commonly referred to as the scientific disciplines. For
instance, gravitation is strongly associated with the discipline of physics,
and is considered to be part of that disciplinary knowledge.
Need
and significance of teaching Social Science in the present context
§ “There
are two sides to a coin – social sciences help us understand both and to make a
choice.”
§ “Pure
Sciences teach us about how technology is developed and used. Social sciences
help us understand the impact of technology.”
The aim of society and that of its education system are
intertwined. While the aim of education is explicitly stated in policy
documents, legal instruments and curriculum frameworks, it is tacitly woven in
the selection, arrangement of content, its frequency and the transaction modes.
Social science content not only defines and validates societal aims it also has
the capacity to provoke learners to critically examine them on the anvil of universal
values of social justice and environmental sustainability.
The NCERT National Focus Group on ‘Teaching of Social
Sciences’ puts it thus – “The Social Sciences carry a normative responsibility
to create and widen the popular base of human values, namely freedom, trust,
mutual respect, and respect for diversity. Given this, social science teaching
should aim at investing in children a critical moral and mental energy to make
them alert to the social forces that threaten these values. Through the discussion
of concerns such as threats to the environment, caste/class inequality, state
repression, through an interdisciplinary approach.”
Social Sciences provide a framework to look at content
emerging from other subjects – to see how that content is used in society, for
whose benefit. Even the so called pure sciences are embedded in a certain
social culture and are influenced by it. More often than not the technology
based on application of science is selectively used for the benefit of the
dominant groups who control it by aiding research and development or by
influencing policies including those related with education. The impact all
these have on defining the character of a society can be understood by the use
of tools rooted in social sciences.
‘The popular perception of social sciences is that it is
a non-utility subject’. The low status accorded to social sciences in formal
education is the reason behind this. The importance given in the school
timetable to pure sciences, math, (and increasingly English in India) as
against social sciences and regional languages is one obvious indicator of
this. Teachers who deal with these subjects are often given a special status
vis-a-vis those teaching social sciences. Students interested and excelling in
social sciences are not considered bright. It is assumed that high scoring
students will naturally opt for streams leading to engineering, medicine, and
not humanities. The choices are also influenced by gender and caste/class
dimensions. Upper-caste, better-off boys are groomed to choose branches related
to pure sciences and girls, SC/ST, economically weaker sections are driven to
opt for social sciences. Overall, low self-esteem, disinterest, casualness
dominate the educational culture.
The reasons are many. In school they are directly related
to the fragmented, incomprehensive content load and lack of critical pedagogy.
Content is selected and arranged not on the natural demands of the subject but
with certain hegemonic compulsions. Instances of exploitation of social
sciences to push a certain political agenda at the cost of justice and peace
are unfortunately many. Skirting issues of gender, caste, glorification of
violence and hatred for other communities under the name of nationalism,
eulogizing and politicizing historical figures out of time and cultural context
.
In general, our educational ethos is steeped in
behaviorist traditions. Discussing real issues that children experience in
everyday life is seen as unnecessarily exposing young minds to ‘delicate’, ‘controversial’
issues. It is argued that this will affect their innocent minds and that
they’ll imitate ‘wrong’ things. The fact that there is an intuitive sense of
wise decision-making in all of us, that the decisions we take are a complex mix
of multitudes of factors is not taken into account. What goes under the name of
social science teaching are mere slogans, platitudes. Efforts at objectively
and scientifically approaching a subject-matter are actively discouraged when
cries of ‘hurting sentiments’ are raised. Thus the dangerous culture of saying
the right things while doing what is convenient comes into play.
In the world of growing commodification and
marketization, social sciences has no takers. This is both a cause and an
effect. Keeping social sciences over- burdened with meaningless information
load, devoid of the pleasure of critical engagement and enthusiasm to create
new knowledge makes the subject disinteresting or ‘unwanted’. On the other
hand, by shunning spaces for critical engagement, the natural spirit of
questioning things in the young is dampened. Thus, gradually, adverse effects
of the use of technology that benefits few, that tramples on human rights and
destroys the environment under the name of development remain unquestioned. The
casualty here is the very essence of science based on empiricism and
questioning.
This takes us to the beginning of this piece. The answers
to the challenges outlined here lie in the ethos, the aim of education. The
nature of social science teaching or for that matter teaching of all subjects
will change when we have the opportunity to re-examine the purpose of
education. Is education just about acquiring high percentages, degrees, doing
jobs devoid of the pleasure of creation, which involve actions that are anti-poor,
destructive to the environment? Is this what is progress? Will this give us a
happy society? The urgency of seeking answers to these questions is immense and
within the frame of formal education the on us of examining these issues is at
the core of social sciences.
SIGNIFICANCE
In recent years STEM (science, technology, engineering,
and maths) sciences have received the majority of investment and support from
government, universities, etc., while these subjects are no doubt important,
the importance of social sciences should not be ignored. In fact, in areas such
as social and primary care, the justice system, and business, to name just a
few, social science is extremely important, and necessary. It is therefore very
important that this educational imbalance be addressed and more support
provided to the social sciences.
While for many people the words “social sciences” may
conjure up images of social workers or teachers, this is a gross
misunderstanding of the range of roles available within this discipline, as
well as the impact that it has on the wider world. In general, social sciences
focus on the study of society and the relationship among individuals within
society. Social science covers a wide spectrum of subjects, including
economics, political science, sociology, history, archaeology, anthropology,
and law. In comparison to STEM sciences, social science is able to provide
insight into how science and innovation work – in effect it is the science of science.
In particular, social scientists are equipped with the analytical and
communication skills that are important throughout many industries and
organizations.
What do social scientists do?
Social scientists are involved with solving many of the
world’s biggest issues, such as violent crime, alternative energy, and cyber
security. They have had profound effects on every part of society.
Strengthening social sciences for the future
It is clear that no subject area can stand alone, walled
off from the outside, and that social science can play an important role in all
fields.
·
It helps explain the
world in which we live.
·
It helps students
figure out their role in society as well as their place in history. A sense of
history gives students good background knowledge as they study other subjects,
such as literature.
·
Citizenship: Social
studies students learn they are part of a larger societal organization that
must have structure in order to operate for the good of all the people in the
group.
·
Making a living: Economics
teaches students the basics of handling their own finances and helps them set
career goals aligned with their personalities.
Social Studies as a core
subject and its relation to other core subjects – language, general science and
mathematics
You live with the unintended consequences of the No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) Act every day. The law has created flawed incentives for
states and school districts to narrow their curricula to English and math. This
fundamentally misguided practice leaves out core disciplines that are essential
to a well-rounded curriculum, including social studies.
To be sure, reading and mathematics are essential subjects.
Students wouldn’t be able to learn about history and civics if they couldn’t
read primary source documents and other texts. In addition to reading skills,
they need a solid grounding in statistics and math concepts to grasp important
principles in economics, geography, and the other social and behavioral
sciences. But we absolutely cannot focus exclusively on reading and mathematics
to the exclusion of other important disciplines, including social studies, as
well as science, the arts, physical education, and others necessary for a
well-rounded education. To marginalize social studies for the sake of reading
and math is not only misguided, it is educational neglect.
Educators and
policymakers need to recognize that social studies is a core subject, critical
to sustaining an informed democracy and a globally competitive workforce.
Today more than ever, the social studies are not a luxury,
but a necessity. To be on track today for college and careers, students need to
show that they can analyze and solve complex problems, communicate clearly,
synthesize information, apply knowledge, and generalize learning to other
settings. The social studies play a critical role in creating civically
competent young people who make informed and reasoned decisions for the public
good and who contribute to an increasingly diverse, but interdependent world.
The Department of Education is supporting the work of
states to create better assessment systems, aligned to the Common Core for
English language arts and math for 2014–2015. But we also need higher standards
and better tests for social studies. Social
studies teachers to work together to encourage states and local school boards
to develop high social studies standards based on themes and skills and to
create authentic growth measures of student learning. In some states where the
curriculum has been narrowed, teachers may even want to work with educational
leaders to include social studies in their accountability system making a bold
statement about the importance of social studies as a core subject.
The greatest thinkers in nearly every society have
concluded that a well-educated person needs to learn much more than math,
science, and how to read in their native tongue. As James Leach, the chairman
of the National Endowment for the Humanities recently put it, a society that
fails to study history, refuses to learn from literature, and denies the
lessons of philosophy “imprisons [its] thoughts in the here and now.” Social
studies teachers have the key to set the prisoners free.
SOCIAL STUDIES VS SOCIAL SCIENCES
Difference
between Social Science and Social Studies
Though Social science and social studies sound
like two similar concepts, they are in actuality, two different fields of
study.
What is Social
Science?
Social Science is a
subject area that studies the society and the relationships among individuals
within a society. Social Science is categorized into many branches such as
Geography (study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena),
Anthropology (study of humans), History (study of past), Economics (study
of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services),
political science(study of theory and practice of politics and the description
and analysis of political systems and political behavior.) etc. The beginning
of Social Sciences dates back to the 18th century. Social Science can be
defined as a scientific study field since almost all the sub-disciplines use
scientific methods to investigate facts.
What is Social Studies?
Social studies can be
introduced as the study of both social sciences and humanities. According to
U.S American National Council for the Social Studies, “Social studies, is the
integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic
competence.” However, social studies is most often used as a name of the
course taught at schools. Social studies is a relatively new term and came
into use in the 20th Century.
What is the
difference between Social Science and Social studies?
The main difference
between social science and social studies exist in their purpose; in social
science, you study the society and social life of human groups while in social
studies, you study both social science and humanities in order to promote
effective citizenry. Another difference is that Social science is divided into
many branches while social studies is divided into two main categories of
humanities and social sciences. Though social studies is a subject that is
taught from primary school onward, social science is only available as a degree
level course. In addition, social studies is a relatively new term while social
science dates back to the 18th century.
|
Comparison
|
Social Science
|
Social studies
|
|
Purpose
|
Studying the society and its individuals
|
promoting civic competence
|
|
History
|
Dates back to Age of Enlightenment
|
Dates back to 20th Century
|
|
Branches
|
Many branches
|
Social science and Humanities
|
