What Is Social Science?

Social science is the study of how people interact with one another. The branches of social science include anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Social scientists study how societies work, exploring everything from the triggers of economic growth and the causes of unemployment to what makes people happy. Their findings inform public policies, education programs, urban design, marketing strategies, and many other endeavors.

Understanding Social Science

Social science as a field of study is separate from the natural sciences, which cover topics such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Social science examines the relationships between individuals and societies as well as the development and operation of societies, rather than studying the physical world. These academic disciplines rely more heavily on interpretation and qualitative research methodologies.

Branches of Social Science

Some say there are seven social sciences, while others claim there are four, five, six, or something else. Opinions vary on what should be included, yet most pundits agree that the following five fields fall into this category:

• Anthropology
• Economics
• Political science
• Sociology
• Social psychology

History is also sometimes regarded as a branch of social science, although many historians often consider the subject to share closer links to the humanities. Both humanities and social science study human beings. What separates them is the technique applied: Humanities are viewed as more philosophical and less scientific.

Law, too, has some ties to social science, as does geography.

Social Science in Schools

In the United States, early education in social science begins in elementary school and progresses throughout middle and high school, with an emphasis on aspects of core social sciences such as economics and political science. At the collegiate level, more specialized disciplines are offered. Nowadays, colleges and universities offer numerous social science programs. For example, the University of California, Berkeley has 15 academic departments categorized as social sciences. They are:

• African American studies
• Anthropology
• Cognitive science
• Demography
• Economics
• Ethnic studies
• Gender and women’s studies
• Geography
• Global studies
• History
• Linguistics
• Political economy
• Political science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Master’s degree and Ph.D. programs at colleges and universities offer further opportunities for deeper specialization.

Social Science Careers

Typical careers in social science include working as an advertiser, psychologist, teacher, lawyer, manager, social worker, and economist.

The subject matter of social science—human behavior, relationships, attitudes, and how these things have changed over time—is useful information for any successful business to possess. The concepts of social science, such as demography, political science, and sociology, are frequently applied in many different business contexts. For example, advertising and marketing professionals often use theories of human behavior from these fields to more efficiently market their products to consumers.

Naturally, the social studies field of economics is key to the business sector. Many industries use economic analysis and quantitative methods to study and forecast business, sales, and other market trends. In fact, economists are some of the most sought-after workers in the U.S., especially behavioral economists, who use psychology to analyze and predict the economic decision-making processes of individuals and institutions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the projected change in employment for economists from 2021 to 2031 is 6%, about the same as the average 8% projection for all occupations. Social workers, too, are expected to reach a similar level of demand, with the BLS predicting employment in this particular field to grow by 9% from 2021 to 2031.

Social Science Wages

The BLS also reports that those with a social science degree generally command higher salaries than their peers with other types of degrees but it can depend heavily on the field of employment they enter into.

According to BLS research, the median wage for a social worker was $55,350 in May 2022 while the median pay for an economist was $113,940 at that time. The median wage for those with a social science degree overall was $68,000 a year earlier in 2021, almost $13,000 more than that of a social worker a year later.

History of Social Science

The origins of social science can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. The lives they led, as well as their early studies into human nature, the state, and mortality, helped to shape Western civilization.

Social science as an academic field of study developed out of the Age of Enlightenment (or the Age of Reason), which flourished through much of the 18^th century in Europe. Adam Smith, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, Immanuel Kant, and David Hume were among the major intellectuals at the time who laid the foundations for the study of social science in the Western world.

Individuals began to take a more disciplined approach to quantifying their observations of society. Over time, similar aspects of society, such as linguistics and psychology, were separated into unique fields of study. Here’s more on the five key branches.

Anthropology

Anthropology, the study of the origin and development of human societies and cultures, has been a focal point for centuries but it really got off the ground and gained importance during the Age of Enlightenment. During that period, there was a big focus on advancing society and knowledge, and the key to achieving that goal was understanding human behavior.

Economics

The history of economic thought goes back all the way to ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Xenophon. Their works laid the foundation of nearly all social science, economics included. As travel became easier in the 15th to 18th centuries, and more nations were able to partake in international trade, the economic system of mercantilism grew. The economic actions of many nations were suddenly motivated by the belief that a country should maximize exports and minimize imports.

This predominating school of thought was challenged by writers such as Smith, commonly known as the father of modern economics. Smith’s ideas, along with those of Rousseau and John Locke, promoted the idea of a self-regulating economy and introduced the concept of what is known today as classical economics. Smith’s book The Wealth of Nations is still studied today and admired by many politicians.

Two other important economists who have shaped the way we think of the subject today are Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. Marx famously challenged capitalism as an appropriate economic model by placing an emphasis on the labor theory of value. While Marx’s ideas are by no means widely endorsed by most of today’s politicians, his critique of capitalism has had a huge impact on many thinkers.

The Keynesian school of economics, meanwhile, is very popular among today’s economists. Keynesian economics is considered a demand-side macroeconomic theory that focuses on changes in the economy over the short run and was the first to separate the study of economic behavior and markets based on individual incentives from the study of broad national economic aggregate variables and constructs.

Political Science

The origins of political science can be traced back to ancient Greece. Back then, the philosopher Plato wrote various dialogues about politics, justice, and what constitutes good government.

Plato’s early contributions would gradually take on a more scientific approach, led by thinkers including Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Marx, and Max Weber. Centuries of research into politics helped to boost democracy and assist politicians in making popular policy choices and get voted into power.

Psychology

Psychology is one of the fastest growing fields of social science. It began as a medical field of study in the late 1800s and grew popular in the Western world throughout the 20th century, thanks in part to the work of Sigmund Freud.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20.3% of adults had received some form of mental health treatment in 2020. Although many still use psychiatric medicine to treat their mental health issues, more people in recent years are seeking alternative treatments, such as mindfulness and yoga in addition to traditional talk therapy.

Neuroscience, drug treatments, and a growing variety of approaches to psychotherapy are adding to the options for psychological treatment. Research on animal learning, social psychology, and economic psychology are other branches of the field.

Sociology

Sociology as a science developed in Europe in the mid-1800s, a period of rapid social change. Political revolutions and the Industrial Revolution drastically altered how many people live—and not always for the better—prompting early sociologists to wonder how to maintain stability when everything is shifting so fast.

The first sociology course in the U.S. was taught at Yale University by 1875. In the years that followed, other colleges followed suit and the subject arrived in high schools in 1911.

The Bottom Line

Social science helps us to gain knowledge of our peers and the society in which we live. Human behavior is important, and having a decent grasp of it should, in theory, lead to greater efficiency and quality of life for everyone.