Conceptual Classifications Of Social Science

1.0 CONCEPTUAL CLASSIFICATIONS

Methodology: Etymologically, the term methodology literally means the study of methods. Thus, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term is defined as “a method or body of methods used in a particular field of study or activity” (www.gommarphibia.com). In other words, it encompasses a broad system of rules or principles used in the study of a particular phenomenon within a giving academic discipline. Over the years, the term, methodology has evolved to imply a fancier alternative to the term, ‘method’. To this effect, I may employ both terms interchangeably in this work.

Keywords: Explanation, prediction, D.N. Model, Science methodology, social science

2.0 INTRODUCTION The question of methodology

However, the pertinent question is, could there be scientific study of the human community, in otherwords, Social sciences? This leads us to the evaluation of the concept of social science.

4.0 THE MEANING OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

According to the Economic Research Council (ESRC),

Social Science is, in its broadest sense, the study of society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us (www.esrc.ac.uk/about10/01/2015)

The foregoing definition reveals that the social sciences do study humans in terms of their common behaviours. It seeks to identify regularity and similarity of patterns in human actions living in a society. The Wikipedia of Free English Encyclopedia identified this thought where it viewed social science as a: major branch of science and a major category of academic discipline concerned with society and the relationships among individual within a society.

Social science is distinguished from the natural science which studies physical (organic and inorganic) substances external from the human

To this effect, I deem it fit to do so by weighing the status of the social science against that of the natural sciences. The question therefore is: could social science be said to be strictly scientific in the sense of the physical sciences? I the answer is obviously no. However, looking at the inductive method which we have examined, some disciplines in the social science, economics for example, seem to utilize this approach through collection and analyses of data, and providing of laws and theories based on the data. However, there is a great deal of disparity between the social and physical science using the above parameter. Whereas the explanatory powers and predictions of the physical sciences are higher, those of the social sciences are comparatively lower. The reason is that human actions cannot be explained nor predicted accurately, because of the indeterminacy of the invisible human motives and intentions. Experience has confirmed that unlike in the natural sciences, no two persons act exactly alike. There may be various hidden reasons for human actions unknown to the social scientists. This in turn weakens the predictability of his future