What are social sciences and what is Social Education?
Social Sciences Explained – Many people wonder what the term social sciences actually means and what the profession entails and I have been asked many times to explain exactly what this term means. Social sciences in their widest form is the procedure of studying society and the way that people behave and also the way they influence each other in the world that is around us.
You may hear of many experts in the industry that social science can not be defined to any one particular discipline and this is true in many ways but it can be defined into many sections of academic disciplines. There are many different subjects world wide that social sciences can be applied to and each of these subjects holds their own values of the subject as a whole.
Each of the disciplines within a Social Science Course have some type of social science skills entailed within it be it either a small amount to an almost dominating amount but each has there own accordance with the subject. Nearly all of these topical subjects use some range of social sciences from surveys to questionnaires to interviews and statistics. Social sciences like many other types of scientific studies act to evolve from the interplay between ideas and theories as well as the evidence that acts to support or refute them. In addition there are courses that specialise in select areas such as Sociology and Psychology courses as well as a Social Work degree.
The subject of social sciences can be seen to influence all of our lives each day even though most of the time we are unaware of their existence around us which is a key element of how this science works as a whole. Social sciences influence our lives in many ways such as helping the government understand the way people act towards each other and how they will react to certain changes in legislation and so forth. Oxford University have a great resource for social policy and intervention which we highly recommend browsing,
Resources of Interest – Social Sciences at Bangor University– A well established and reputable UK based Social Sciences University.
Please take a look at this fantastic video below, showing what Social Sciences is and what it covers!
This can be extremely important as if these governments did not understand the way people would accept or reject changes then these changes could cause immense problems across the country. The national health service is a great example as to how social sciences work as this entity was created by an economist who had worked out that people would greatly accept and appreciate a health service that was completely free and would create a great deal of harmony across the country. The United Kingdoms social benefit service is also a product of social sciences as there was much research into the way this type of entity would affect the lives of the people as a whole. A Useful source of information can be found on The Bangor University Social Policy course details page.
Another great example of the way social sciences work is to look at the social services department who actively each day help thousands of vulnerable children find better lives as well as providing protection against hazards and angers. These social workers help children with a wide array of problems to beat their problems by offering support to them as well as someone that they can talk to. They use their skills to make the child feel at ease and to eliminate the suffering they may be suffering. Another key use of social sciences is its use in the subject of criminology as this helps the court and probation services understand the reason for much of the countries criminal behaviour.
It is exceptionally useful for this type of study to take place as it provides magistrates and judges as well as the government to be fully aware of why someone has done what they have done. In summary social sciences are used every day in many walks of life and are a integral part of the way our lives and our country runs and without them we may find things increasingly more difficult to solve.
Finally take a look at “The Wisdom of Sociology” TED talk below, a great learning resource, that details how we are shaped.
Credits
Bangor University School Of Education in the UK