TWINS, BUT WITH DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES- SOCIAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

 The posts discusses the stark, yet subtle, difference between social science and social studies along with their properties, characteristics and examples.

" Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment it develops in the body and in the soul of the student, all the beauty and all the perfection which he is capable of " - Plato


The aim of education is, to put simply, behavioural/attitude change. It is a man making role, making of man's adjustments, knowledge and skill. For that, a curricular structure uses a variety of subjects as their tools, no matter which philosophical school the curriculum belongs to. Social aspects if the human being is the essence of those interdisciplinary approaches in itself. But then there comes Social Science, and Social Studies. What is the difference between these- needs to be discussed in detail.

SOCIAL SCIENCE 




Wesley and Wronski defines social science as the "collection of scholarly materials about the interrelationship of human beings with one another, with groups and with their environment." 
Report of the Commission on Social Studies says that social science is the “compilation of all present knowledge concerning man and society that has been obtained through SCHOLARLY         RESEARCH and investigation”

In short, Social Science is vast in content depth, and is all about detailed descriptions.

SOCIAL STUDIES


As per Wesley, social studies are “a term designed to SCHOOL SUBJECTS which deal with human relationships.”.  J F Forrester opinionates that social studies "...is the studies of society, and their chief aim is to help people understand the world…so that they may become RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS .”

In Short, Social Studies is a curriculum point of view studies that is school centered. It is at school levels.


NEED OF SOCIAL STUDIES

John Dewey was the first to talk about integration of knowledge in the sense that a child can only understand better and get benefitted if the subjects are integrated and taught inter related. Later in India, Mahatma Gandhi, Kothari Commission and University Education Commission tried to implement the same in India, which resulted in the emergence of the subject Social Studies at school levels. Evenif we plan toteach social science at the school level, there are practical difficulties like the intellectual growth at the school level, and how there is limited time frame to multiple subject matters. But also, students split into different streams by higher secondary classes, so if we leave out the subject matter of social science, it will be difficult for the entirety of development of a child.


SCOPE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE



Social science deals with man and himself, man and his society, man and his environment and the study of man’s past, present and future. The subject matter includes,

·        Anthropology

·        History

·        Geography

·        Political science

·        Economics

·        Sociology, etc

 

SCOPE OF SOCIAL STUDIES


Social Studies deals with matters that are framed for specific objectives, picked from social science, and is focused on cultivating a capable- worth youngsters/ future generation. The subject matter includes,

  • ·     Study of Human Relationship
  • ·        Physical and Social Environment
  • ·        Fine Arts and Natural Science
  • ·        Promotion of International Understanding
  • ·        Current Affairs
  • ·        Education for social life and citizenship.
Inshort, it is an interdisciplinary approach not just involving social science but also other subject matters like maths, science and languages.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
1.      Direct bearing on man’s activities
2.      Advanced studies of human society
3.      Truth providing objectives
4.      Adult approach

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL STUDIES

1.      Compound, rather than mixture
2.      Socio- economics themes
3.      Realistic course, Human study
4.      Inter disciplinary social science
5.      Commitment to action

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

·        Nature

Adult centred v/s Child centered

·        View Point

Theoretical approach v/s Practical approach

·        Aim of subject

Study v/s utility

·        Integration

            Isolated subject v/s Unifies different subjects

·        Complexity/ Readers

            University level v/s Primary

·        Scope of Subject

            Own fields of study v/s embracing all subjects

·        Utility

            Social utility v/s instructional utility


SIMILARITIES

1.      Social studies receive its content from social science

2.      Theory and practice of same concepts

3.      Social studies if the simplified form of social science

 


CONCLUSION

There still exist confusion among masses and even the teachers themselves about the conceptual difference between social science and social studies. But it is easy to understand, that the subject matter is divided based on the purpose to serve. Social studies is the new order solution to make social science fun. In short, social studies is the integrated and disciplinary approach.

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