Social Sciences
What are Social Sciences?
Social sciences are a broad category of academic disciplines dedicated to the systematic study of human society, social relationships, and the structures that shape them. This field encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science, each focused on understanding the complexities of human behavior, social institutions, cultural norms, and the interactions between individuals and groups within societies.
The Basic Idea
Social sciences examine how individuals and groups behave, interact, and influence each other within a society. The disciplines underneath this umbrella utilize various methodologies, from qualitative research like interviews and focus groups to quantitative approaches like closed-ended surveys and experiments; they also include both micro-level (individual and small group) and macro-level (institutions, systems, and societies) analyses. This variety is part of what makes social science so robust!
The disciplines that make up the social sciences are also extremely varied within the field; the workday of a psychologist is very different from the workday of a political analyst. Social scientists can work in a variety of environments, whether that be in the field, in laboratories, or focusing on literature reviews or research applications. However, the social sciences often intersect with each other, along with many outside fields (like neuroscience, data science, and environmental science), which not only deepens our understanding of human behavior but widens the impact that the social sciences can have. Ultimately, the goal of all social sciences is to generate insights that can improve societal well-being, inform public policy, and enhance our understanding of social phenomena and humanity.
Social science means inventing a certain brand of human we can understand.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Lebanese-American essayist and mathematical statistician
About the Author
Annika Steele
Annika completed her Masters at the London School of Economics in an interdisciplinary program combining behavioral science, behavioral economics, social psychology, and sustainability. Professionally, she’s applied data-driven insights in project management, consulting, data analytics, and policy proposal. Passionate about the power of psychology to influence an array of social systems, her research has looked at reproductive health, animal welfare, and perfectionism in female distance runners.
