Social Sciences and Natural Sciences | (2023)

Science is a popular field that is best described as the body of knowledge that involves unbiased perceptions and orderly experimentation, seeking to understand the world using a systematic approach.Looking atthe social sciences and the natural sciencesas separate branches of science, we will realize that they are similar in some respects and yet different in others.To better understand them, see theirdefinitions, origins, scope of the study, methods, etc.

What are the social sciences

It is one of the branches of science thatdeals with human beings and how they interact with each other in society.Its main focus is society as a whole and the interactions of individuals in it.It borders on practically all aspects of human existence.

The origin of the social sciences

The origin of the social sciences dates back to the19th century.Some of the ideologies that make up the body of knowledge that we call Social Sciences existed before that date, however, it became a recognized field of study in the 19th century.

At this time, people began to be more interested in therelationships that exist between individuals in the state, institutions and how these elements interact.From this point on, the social sciences began to develop as a field of study over the centuries.

The scope of the social sciences

The social sciences are avery broad body of knowledge.It is vast because it encapsulates the various fields of study.All these fields of study that make up the social sciences deal with the study of human interactions.

Sub-branches of the social sciences

As mentioned earlier, the social sciences cover several other disciplines or fields of study.Each of the sub-branches focuses on specific areas of human existence within society.There seems to be a form of controversy over the exact number of social sciences that we have.However, we will see them below.

Sub-branches of the social sciences includePolitical Science, which deals with the political affairs of government.We havepsychologythat deals with how humans think and exercise their minds.Theanthropologydeals with the origin of humans and theevolving culture.Thesociologydeals with the systems of cultural and social beliefs of human beings.Thelegal professiondeals with the regulatory framework of human conduct and activities.

Other sub-branches arearcheologythat deals with the study of the objects used by the first humans,geographythat studies the components of the earth that is the habitat of man and theeconomythat deals with the means of production of wealth. and its distribution.

The method of the social sciences

The social sciences employ a variety of methods in their study.Usually it begins byquestioning a phenomenon.This inquiry arises from a place of curiosity about the subject.Thus, it develops questions that the research study must answer at the end of it.

After developing questions from the research field, social scientists willformulate a hypothesisabout the possible answers to the question they have posed.This reasonable question arises from other results they came up with in previous research.

After constructing a hypothesis, they proceed to gather enough information to help them test the hypothesis.Social scientists also examine and compare the information collected using themethod of experimentation.

It is from the results obtained during experimentation that they candraw their conclusionsand answer the questions that they had tried to answer when they initially embarked on the investigation.

The social sciences adopt the method of experimentation to arrive at answers to research questions.This experimentation refers to the information you collect through surveys, interviews, case studies, etc.These sciences do not always use scientific methods, they also resort to non-scientific methods to reach their conclusions.

What are natural sciences

In short, the word “natural science” describes is a branch of science that deals with thestudy of the physical world, the world in which we live.Try to understand thenatural phenomenaof the world.

The origin of the natural sciences

The origin of the natural world dates back to thetime of the Renaissance.It started with the thinkers of that time who were interested in how the world worked.Some people are of the opinion that the study of the physical world dates back to a period before society became aware of the inquiry into the body of knowledge.

Before this time, people had to survive and learn how the world they lived in works.They began toobserve natural phenomena in their environment.They studied plants, animals, and herbs that were helpful to them when they fell ill.Over time, the body of knowledge we refer to as natural science continues to evolve.It is the development and evolution of this field of study that makes up what we have today as a natural science.

The scope of the natural sciences

Natural science, as a branch of science, covers a wide range of topics related to the natural world.Study natural events, seek to understand them, and draw conclusions from their study.

Subbranches of the Natural Sciences

Natural science also has several sub-branches that encompass the study of natural elements and events.Its main categories arethe physical sciences and the life sciences.It is these two main categories that cover the other sub-branches that make up the natural sciences.

Physical science focuses on the physical world we live in, while life science deals with biological elements.Astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, and biologybelong to the natural sciences.

Astronomy deals with the study of planets, stars, and other celestial bodies.Biology studies living things, while chemistry studies the components of certain substances.Physics studies space, matter, time, energy, and how they interact with each other.

The method of natural sciences

The method that natural science employs is quitemathematical.He also bases his research on observation and experimentation.Sometimes you also use peer review to make sure your conclusion at the end of your research is valid.

Differences between social sciences and natural sciences

Just as there are similarities between the social sciences and the natural sciences, in the same way, there are also differences between them:

One of the significant differences between the social sciences and the natural sciences lies in theirarea of ​​focus.Social science focuses on the interactions of humans and society.The natural sciences, on the other hand, focus on the physical world.

Another difference between the two branches is that the natural sciencesoperate in a closed system.The variables they use for their research work are restrictive and the outcome of the work can be easily predicted.The social sciences, on the other hand, operate in aliberal or open system.Your outcome cannot be predicted because you cannot control or predict how the variables will turn out in the course of the research work.

There has been interest in human interactions in society before, when the social sciences became a distinct body of knowledge.Therefore, we must point out that the origin of the social sciences dates back to a time in history prior to the natural sciences.Consequently, we can say that one of the differences between both branches of science lies in their origin,the social sciences being the ones prior to the natural sciences.

The natural sciences work more withexperimental data, which is the data collected from the experimentation process.The social sciences, on the other hand, work more withexperiential data, which is data obtained from real life experiences such as interviews, surveys, etc.