ToK Reading Assignment on Social Sciences

The social sciences are usually considered to include: economics, psychology/linguistics, sociology/anthropology and, less commonly, political science/history. It is clear from the name that they are (considered by some to be?) related to the natural sciences that we have already looked at. BUT THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES!  So beware. The main difference between the two categories – natural and social – is obviously their subject matter, but this in turn has quite an impact on their methodologies.

 

Read Chapters 11 and 14 of Abel and answer the following:

     1.     p. 107: What are the differences between natural and social sciences?  What are the similarities?

     2.     p. 108: What was Poincaré’s jeer?  What does it mean?

     3.     p. 108: Explain what is meant by “human actions… are charged with meanings” and give two or more of your own examples of this.  How does this affect how social sciences are done as compared to natural sciences?  What did Isaiah Berlin have to say about this?  How does this relate to Verstehen? 

     4.     pp 109-120:  The book describes 12 claims of the Verstehen position.  List the 12 with a clear sentence describing each claim and try to give some clarifying examples where possible.

     5.     pp. 151-153: Give some (three or more) examples of aspects of “human nature” from those quoted that you agree with.  What are the dangers of assuming such a nature?  Why do thinkers in the social sciences continue to do this? 

     6.     p. 153:  What is a cultural invariant?  What does the existence of such a universal imply?  (Bonus:  Go to Dr. Donald Brown’s list of cultural universals at condor.depaul.edu/~mfiddler/hyphen/humunivers.htm and list the ten you find most surprising and why you find them so.)

     7.     Research: Social sciences rely heavily on statistical methods in their search for hypotheses.  Why is this? How does this relate to the question of determinism considered in the Science Teaser questions? Investigate the following terms and phrases: statistical correlation, correlation coefficient, causation, and “correlation is not causation.”  A correlation between two quantities implies one of (or a mix of) three things.  What are the three possibilities? Find an example for each of these possibilities from correlations that have been found by social scientists, or generate your own feasible example.  (Start by looking at www.cambridge2000.com/memos/correlation.html and then try the joke article at www.obereed.net/hh/correlation.html.)

     8.     Future importance: Of the four sub-areas of social sciences (economics, psychology/linguistics, sociology/anthropology, political science/history) list them according to the likelihood you will be taking courses in that area next year (from most likely to least likely).