Introduction to the Course

Question 1

Define social science.

Answer 1

The organized study of people and their activities/customs in relation to others.

Question 2

What three traits do all social sciences share?

Answer 2

• Language
• Critical thinking
• Social science inquiry

Question 3

Give a formal definition of anthropology.

Answer 3

The study of humans including their origins; behaviour; & physical, social, & cultural development.

Question 4

What two parts is anthropology divided into?

Answer 4

• Cultural Anthropology
  > Learning about the origins and cultures of different races, studying the history & structure of language, examining the ways humans communicate, and studying the physical remains of past cultures.
  > Social anthropology (ethnology)
  > Archaeology
  > Linguistics
• Physical Anthropology
  > Examining bone and stone remains of our ancient ancestors, studying primates, and examining the physical differences and similarities of existing human populations.
  > Paleoanthropology
  > Forensic anthropology
  > Primatology

Question 5

Explain anthropology generally.

Answer 5

• Studies the origin, development, and costumes of human beings.
• The study of people, both in the past and in the present day, through studying and classifying fossils and artifacts, and analyzing behaviours, languages, and other characteristics of specific cultural groups.
• Anthropology examines what humans “human”

Question 6

Give a formal definition of psychology.

Answer 6

The study of the human mind, mental states & human behaviour.

Question 7

What are three subfields of psychology?

Answer 7

• Psychoanalytic
• Behavioural
• Cognitive
• Humanistic

Question 8

Explain psychology generally.

Answer 8

• How the human mind functions
• Finds links between human behaviour and mental processes.
• Psychologists will study the following mental activities:
  > Cognition; knowledge and beliefs
  > Emotions; affect, mood, and feelings
  > Motivations; drives, needs, desires, and goals
• Psychologists are intrigued by what’s happening inside the mind.

Question 9

Give a formal definition of sociology.

Answer 9

The study of human social life, groups, & societies. Involves studying the behaviour of individuals, groups & social institutions.

Question 10

What are the two approaches to sociology?

Answer 10

• Macrosociology
  > Society as a whole
  > Analyses social systems/populations on a large scale
• Microsociology
  > Role and interactions of an individual or small group

Question 11

Give a general explanation of sociology.

Answer 11

• Studies how humans relate to one another
• Finds patterns in human behaviour
• Uses statistics to study societal trends, issues, individuals, and groups.
• Interested in human interactions and how social systems/institutions shape
  individuals and groups in society

Question 12

What are the four forms of truth?

Answer 12

• Belief or Faith.
• Pronouncement of some recognized expert.
• Simple agreement among ordinary people.
• Scientific Truth
  > logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation.
  > rests on empirical evidence (information we can verify)

Question 13

Define facts vs opinions.

Answer 13

• Fact: a thing that is known or proven to be true.
• Opinion: a view or judgement formed about something
  > not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

Question 14

What research methods will each social scientist use?

Answer 14

• Psychologists
  > Experiments
  > Surveys
  > Questionnaires
  > Interviews
  > And more
• Anthropologists
  > Participant observation
  > Questionnaires
  > Interviews
  > Cross-culture comparison
  > Analysing historical documents
• Sociologists
  > Questionnaires
  > Surveys
  > Historical analysis
  > Observation-naturalistic
  > Experimental research

Question 15

List out the steps of the Social Science Inquiry Model.

Answer 15

1. Questions: ask questions about a topic of interest with potential to be answered through investigation.
2. Focus: take notes about what you already know and previous research. Identify sources.
3. Formulate a Hypothesis: turn your question into a hypothesis.
4. Collect data: which method will provide the most relevant information to confirm your hypothesis?
5. Assemble and Analyse Data: organise your data into charts, graphs, or another format
   that best communicates your main ideas.
6. Stop & Check: Determine if you have collected enough data to confirm or refute your
   hypothesis. If not, return to step 4.
7. Present Results: draw conclusions, identify any limitations from your research, and make some recommendations about the next steps.
   Share your findings.
8. Reflection: evaluate your research process and results. What went well? What would
   you do differently next time?

Question 16

Define open-ended and closed-ended questions.

Answer 16

Open-ended Question: allows opinion-based answers, and they usually consist of long answers.
Closed-ended Question: has a set of options to choose from or may lead to a specific answer.

Question 17

Define independent variables, dependant variables, and control groups.

Answer 17

Independent Variables: the variables whose effects are being studied. (The one who causes the effect)

Dependent Variables: what is being measured and what may change in response to the
independent variable.

Control Group: a comparison to the group under study. Not exposed to the independent variable.

Question 18

Define objective information vs. subjective information.

Answer 18

Objective Information:
- Observable
> See it
> Hear it
> Touch it
> Smell it
> Taste it
- Factual
> Can count it & repeat it

Subjective Information:
- Opinion, judgement, assumption, belief, or rumour.
- Varies from person to person, day to day,
& can be completely false.