Relationship between Social
Studies and the Social Sciences or other Disciplines
Social studies
is a discipline in which subjects like Political Science, Economics, Geography,
Anthropology, Sociology and even Psychology are distinctively studied. They are
policy sciences because they study and analyze the process of decision and
choice with reference to available relevant knowledge and data as aid in the
solution of peculiar and particular problems in the society. In this condition,
human beings are studied within a restricted perspective.
Political Science as a
Social Science is concerned with the study of the exercise of power. Hence, the
discipline is studied purposely to better understand the general principles on
which government can be carried out successfully. Students are exposed to those
factors that impinge on the everyday life of every single inhabitant of the
world. Integration of political science concepts in Social Studies provides
students with the opportunity of studying how people’s attitudes,
idiosyncrasies and value judgment can be influenced.
Concepts in Geography
on the other hand allows Social Studies students to draw upon social and
physical sciences while the students are studying distribution and spatial
arrangements of natural and human phenomena. The disciplines also afford the
students the chance to study the functional relationship between human beings
and land characters of areas and conditions as well as the processes of the
earth’s surface, that is, air, water and the terrain. Discipline of Geography
can be described as one that is capable of helping Social Studies students to
develop power of observation in field work and provides a context for
understanding regional inter-relationships in Social Studies context. An
acquisition of geographical knowledge and skill assists Social Studies students
greatly in the formation of enlightened opinions and making informed decisions
on a wide range of community, regional and global issues.
Anthropology: emphasizes more
on human evaluation and systematic comparative analysis of socio-cultural data
of ethnic groups. Hence, the concepts in anthropology avail Social Studies
students the opportunity to have key insights into and understanding of, what
it takes to become a human being. Concepts from this discipline encourage
students to study all aspects of a culture.
Anthropology, therefore allows students to collect data on all aspects
of culture in terms of its history, religion, geography, economy, technology
and language.
Economics: the concepts enable the
students to see human behaviour from a unique perspective. They encourage them to
focus on how people try to satisfy their virtually unlimited wants with limited
resources. Hence, the acquisition of skills of how people could use limited
resources to produce, exchange and consumer goods and services becomes a major
rational for studying Economics concepts in Social Studies.
Sociology: the concepts
are considered in Social Studies on the assumption that individuals need group
for their survival, and that their behaviour is largely shaped by group norms
and sanctions. Students are afforded the opportunity of studying classes of
phenomena and their common characteristics. This encourages the students to
avoid moral judgments about classes, cultures and societies being studied
Thus, Social
Studies tries to integrate the knowledge of Social Sciences with various
experiences of life in an attempt to identify and provide solutions to societal
problems necessary for human survival.
One could therefore say that, while
the social sciences are concerned primarily with expanding the boundaries of knowledge
and developing highly specialized scholars in fields like Geography, Economics,
and Political Science, the Social Studies on the other hand is concerned with
wide dissemination of information, the development of social and inquiry skills
and the improvement of social attitudes as well as behaviours. The purpose of
Social Studies is not greatly concerned with learners acquiring what is done in
Social Sciences but primarily to enable learners use information and knowledge
to better understand the environment.
Hence, one could
not say that Social Science is Social Studies in totality or vice versa, rather
Social Studies could be said to begin where the Social Sciences end.
Social studies and Arts
It is however;
feel that connecting students to the Social Studies through Arts may bring
help, similar inspiration and emotion into the classroom. By means of the arts
in Social Studies, students connect to the topic under study in an emotion-
filled genre. The relationship between the Arts and the Social Studies could
also be found in the fact that when Arts are brought into Social Studies, they
facilitate learners’ ability to discover content and help them to interpret the
past, compare it with the present and gather implications for the future in
order to ensure human survival. There is also a relationship between Social
Studies and History as part of the Arts. They also assist in increasing
learners’ awareness level about people and the importance of human
relationship.
TEACHING
OF VALUES & NORMS IN SOCIAL STUDIES
The three basic values
are the substantive, behavioural and
procedural values.
The
substantive values, consisting of instrumental and terminal
values which are concerned with enduring issues of life time – religion,
capitalism, socialism, education, honour and glory etc. However, because of the
plural nature of Nigeria’s society and the fact that particular substantive
values may differ from one family to another, they are better taught in the
home and reinforced at school.
The behavioural values involve the use and
observance by the learners of specific rules to ensure orderliness in the
school and classroom. The extent to which a learner Obeys these rules is a
direct measure of the value he attaches to interpersonal relationship,
orderliness care of equipments and materials, the rule of law, and
institutional authority.
Procedural
values
include the use of the process of logical reasoning, critical thinking,
experimental and inquiry method in the treatment of data and information. It
should be clear from the foregoing that both the behavioural and procedural
values have to be taught conscientiously and effectively as a prerequisite to the creation of an
enabling environment for successful teaching and learning to take place. Another
implication is that, in face of this unprecedented rapidity of change, the
primary school teacher of Social Studies can no longer rely solely on the use
of memorization, direct formal instruction, reading, and other indoctrination
techniques in the teaching and learning of values. The point being made is that
it is no more a simple matter to foster in children the desirable attitudes and
values. Firstly, the Social Studies teacher has to be familiar with these
values. There are three basic ones, namely, the substantive, behavioural and
procedural values. The substantive values, consisting of instrumental and
terminal values are concerned with enduring issues of life time – religion,
capitalism, socialism, education, honour and glory etc.
However, because of the
plural nature of Nigeria’s society and the fact that particular Substantive
values may differ from one family to another; they are better taught in the
home and reinforced at school. The behavioural values involve the use and
observance by the learners of specific rules to ensure orderliness in the
school and classroom. The extent to which a learner obeys these rules is a
direct measure of the value he attaches to interpersonal relationship,
orderliness care of equipments and materials, the rule of law, and
institutional authority. Procedural values include the use of the process of
logical reasoning, critical thinking, experimental and inquiry method in the
treatment of data and information. It should be clear from the foregoing that
both the behavioural and procedural values have to be taught conscientiously
and effectively as a prerequisite to the creation of a conducive environment
for successful teaching and learning to take place.
DIFRENCE
BETWEEN NORMS AND VALUES
The difference has to do with cultural norms. The term 'culture'
refers to attitudes and patterns of behavior in a given group. ‘Norm’
refers to attitudes and behaviors that are considered normal, typical or
average within that group
Norms and values
are used interchangeably in our day-to-day discourse. But they are used in
specific terms when it comes to social scientist term. We can view social norms
as being standards, rules, guides and expectations for real behaviour,
meanwhile, values are said to be abstract conceptions of what is important and
worthwhile or what doing. Looking at honesty society sees it as being a general
value; it is expected that students should not cheat in exam or use such
material forbidden material in the examinations in this case it is a norm.
Values are general
guidelines, while norms are specific guidelines. Values are general standards,
which decide what is good and what is bad. Norms are rules and expectations
that specify how people should and should not behave in various social conditions.
For one to fully
adapt in a particular value in a society there can various norms. Norms are
said to link values with real norms. In short, values are said to be ends while
norms are the means to achieve ends. Sometimes, values and norms of a society
conflict with each other.
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