2 What are the social sciences
People have thought about how they relate to others, for as long as there have been people. Some of the earliest surviving human artworks are found in caves in Indonesia, Spain and France – and include depictions of people working and living together. The modern, academic study of society is more systematic. Wherever possible, social scientific research also aims to be evidence based – drawing on reliable, careful research rather than assumptions, common-sense or guesswork.
For this reason, social scientists are deliberate about the kinds of questions they ask, and how they go about trying to answer them. Three basic foundations of social science thinking include:
- Asking questions, particularly those which start with ‘why’.
- Making claims that propose an idea about, or interpretation of, social life or events.
- Looking for or producing evidence that can support (or refute) claims.
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