What is social science?
Studying Social Science will offer you a fascinating insight into everyday life, community and personal lives. Social Science will stimulate your curiosity about the society in which you live and how we each interact in families, communities and broader society. Social scientists examine the ways in which people behave, both individually and collectively, and the ways in which people’s actions shape the world. Engagement in the social sciences helps students to develop critical perspectives on the great issues of our times—such as poverty and exclusion, culture, identity, equality and social justice, globalisation and the environment.
Social science is interdisciplinary in nature. In trying to understand the social world, social scientists will adopt many different approaches. As such, the B.Soc.Sc. degree offers a broad–based introduction to the social sciences and will appeal to students who are interested in studying subjects such as Social Policy, Sociology, Applied Psychology, Economics and Philosophy. These are the core subjects within the B.Soc.Sc Year 1 programme.
Social science is a ‘science’ in that it is strongly research-oriented and emphasises scientific enquiry. The social sciences aim to gain an understanding of social issues through observing, questioning and investigating social phenomena. In Years 2 and 3 of the B.Soc.Sc. degree, you will continue to study subjects introduced in Year 1, but the emphasis of the degree will develop increasingly around social policy and social research. Therefore, particular emphasis is placed on acquiring social research skills in generating and analysing data, and in communicating and reporting findings. Research modules thus form an integral part of the curriculum in Years 2 and 3.
