According to the definitions below, social scientists study people in all their glorious complexity. Each field takes on this challenge from a different perspective, creating the disciplines themselves. To simplify, sociology studies people en masse, and seeks explanations for human being-ness in terms of how people constitute groups. Anthropology studies people through the lens of culture, examining how individuals and groups define themselves and live through those definitions. Psychology takes the mind (and in more recent times, the brain) as the starting point for studying people. Another way of looking at this is through the role of the individual person in each discipline. Sociology starts with the group, and gets to the individual by drilling down to one person as an exemplar of group behavior. Anthropology starts with the individual (preferably, more than one) in order to create understanding of the larger context in which individuals act out their lives. Psychology starts inside the person, with the human mind, ending quite literally at the boundary of the individual.
Further, each of the definitions mentions that their particular discipline wants to apply their knowledge to solve human problems or make life better. Thus, the social and behavioral sciences includes basic research and applied research.
Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge. Sociology provides many distinctive perspectives on the world, generating new ideas and critiquing the old. The field also offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency, corporate downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or education reform, how families differ and flourish, or problems of peace and war. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work. (http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?section=Sociologists&name=What+is+Sociology%3F)
Psychologists are frequently innovators, evolving new approaches from established knowledge to meet changing needs of people and societies. They develop theories and test them through their research. As this research yields new information, these findings become part of the body of knowledge that practitioners call on in their work with clients and patients. Psychology is a tremendously varied field. Psychologists conduct both basic and applied research, serve as consultants to communities and organizations, diagnose and treat people, and teach future psychologists and other types of students. They test intelligence and personality. Many psychologists work as health care providers. They assess behavioral and mental function and well-being, stepping in to help where appropriate. They study how human beings relate to each other and also to machines, and they work to improve these relationships. And with America undergoing large changes in its population makeup, psychologists bring important knowledge and skills to understanding diverse cultures.(http://www.apa.org/topics/psychologycareer.html)
Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present. To understand the full sweep and complexity of cultures across all of human history, anthropology draws and builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences as well as the humanities and physical sciences. A central concern of anthropologists is the application of knowledge to the solution of human problems. Historically, anthropologists in the United States have been trained in one of four areas: sociocultural anthropology, biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. Anthropologists often integrate the perspectives of several of these areas into their research, teaching, and professional lives. (http://www.aaanet.org/about/whatisanthropology.cfm)
Contents
- Research Report
- Review Papers
- Research Reports
- Review Papers