Social science

The Social Sciences ( often referred to as social sciences ) include those sciences, guided by theory, the phenomena of social life of the people and / or investigate empirically.

It analyzes the structure and functions of social interdependence relationships of institutions and systems and their interaction with action and behavior processes of individuals ( actors).

Based courses under the collective term social science or social science offered Chance in German-speaking, such as at the Humboldt University in Berlin, the University of Bielefeld, the Ruhr- University Bochum, Stuttgart University, the University of Augsburg, from the Justus -Liebig- University Giessen, the University of Mannheim, the University of Dusseldorf and the University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich. These courses are similar mostly sociological, political science and / or economics professional studies, but emphasized by the name of its interdisciplinary nature. They are often characterized by an in-depth statistical methods training. At the Georg-August -Universität Göttingen there from the winter semester 2011/12, a bachelor's degree Social Sciences, which is different from the above. There, all the subjects of the Faculty ( Educational Science, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Indian studies, political science, sociology, sports science ) and economic and / or law can be chosen freely in a broad education.

Scope

In a broader sense among the " social sciences" (also: " Social Sciences " ) following disciplines:

• Anthropology (Social and Cultural Anthropology )
• Demography (Population Studies)
• Anthropology ( Ethnology ) and folklore ( European Ethnology )
• Childhood Studies ( interdisciplinary)
• Communication studies, media studies, media studies, and ( formerly ) journalism
• Art History, Cultural Studies
• Nutritional Sciences (household and Nutrition )
• Education (among school education, adult education, social work, special education )
• Political Science ( Political Science ) and former political science ( interdisciplinary)
• Psychology ( interdisciplinary)
• Study of religion
• Social and Human Geography
• Social History ( Historical Social Science )
• Social Medicine, Salutologie, nursing science, Diakonik ( diakonia and Caritas Science )
• Social philosophy, social ethics
• Sociology
• Sports Science
• Linguistics (Linguistics )
• Management Science
• Economics (Business Administration and Economics)

Accruals

In the social sciences, scientific methods are used, which are the natural and related to part with those of the humanities in part. Therefore, the distinction has become blurred. There are no uniform regulations beyond the traditions of those institutions that use the terms.

Among the natural sciences

The term originated on the one hand as opposed to the so-called natural sciences, where the social sciences, however, converge in the post- positivist direction.

A significant difference is seen here is that the objects of the natural sciences, the predictions of scientists do not understand and so through them also not be affected. In the social sciences, however, the objects of the research are also acting subjects, they can social science predictions take (eg, election predictions ) for knowledge and this knowledge just - do that too ( self-fulfilling prophecy ) or not ( self -destroying prophecy ) exactly - the. This is the empirical examination of social scientific statements - for example, through experiments - difficult in a different way, as it is the scientific examination. Logically, this difference is treated, for example in Guenther logic.

To the Humanities

Distinguish can be here between the more focused on understanding the humanities and the more thoughtful on explaining social sciences.

Given the tendencies for interdisciplinary work, this distinction has been relativized. A more modern concept formation summarizes called human sciences together all the sciences that have some aspect of the people on the subject matter. This includes both the humanities and social sciences as well as a few natural sciences such as human biology or medicine.