SAP EXAM NOTES
Social Science- A branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of
human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of
society. Focused on theories and conditions surrounding human behavior and the
reason why individuals, groups and societies act the way they do.
Anthropology- the study of human societies and cultures and their development
Sociology-the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society
Psychology-the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those
affecting behavior in a given context
The Scientific Method
● Observe and question
Ex. Why is happiness different based on gender?
Why are women happier than men?
● Research
Ex. Happiness based on gender
● Create a hypothesis
Ex. Women smile more than men because they are happier
● Test your hypothesis
Ex. Interview both men and women about their happiness
● Analyze + Conclude
Ex. Use results to see if it is accurate and make necessary changes
● Share results
Ex. Create detailed report
Social Science Inquiry Model
● Identify a problem - the first part is making a question, inquiring about a problem
(i.e. does today’s music have a bad influence on kids)
● Develop a hypothesis - a hypothesis is a possible answer to the question, which
serves as a starting point for further investigation. It indicates what needs to be
tested and what research method has to be used.
● Gather data - the researcher must then find some way to gather information about
this topic, where the method usually correlates to the hypothesis asked. Some
examples include: case studies, sample surveys, experiments, interviews,
observations, etc.
● Analyze data - Once data is gathered, it must be organized into meaningful ways,
such as charts, graphs, forms, statistics, and such. Until it is organized, data is
generally useless.
, ● Draw conclusions - with enough data collected, the researcher can then determine
whether the research backs up the hypothesis from before. The hypothesis can
then either be accepted, rejected, or modified based on the findings.
How does ethics play a role in science data collection methods?
3 Main Factors:
- Respect for persons-need to give consent
- Beneficence- no negative effect on participants
- Justice- results must be fairly shared
Checking The Value of a Social Science Study
● Any theory is falsifiable - no theory is 100% accurate - there is always going to be
exceptions to anything
● Correlation is not causation - just because the theory connects two things does
not mean that is the root cause to the issue; there is a striking difference between
finding the connection and the cause behind something
● Selective windowing - The broader the research is, the more valid it is. Avoiding
windowing, or surveying either a small group or a specific group makes it less
valid.
Physical Anthropology - the study of human’s past (origin, migration, etc.) to understand
our present behavior and characteristics more clearly
● Branch 1 - primatology - the study of primates
● Branch 2 - paleontology - the study of bone and stone remains of our ancestors
● Branch 3 - human variation - the study of physical differences and similarities of
existing human populations
Cultural Anthropology- the study of how cultures shape human ideas and learned
behavior
What Makes Us Human?
● Being cable of oral speech and languages
● Having opposable thumbs
● Bipedalism-ability to walk on two feet
● Having religions and the awareness of death
● Creativity and complex thinking
How do Cultures Adapt?
A culture is said to be the result of the adaptation of humans to their environment.
Learned behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, and values all make up a particular society. These
, cultures adapt to many things, from their physical environment to the progression of
societal norms around the world. Most societies changed from hunting & gathering to
agriculture and industrial culture, as shown below:
● Forging culture (hunt & gather) -> horticulture -> agriculture -> pastoral culture ->
industrial culture -> communication-based culture
● Foraging Cultures - searching/hunting for food. The foragings bands moved
regularly, carrying few possessions and following the animals and plants in
season.
● Horticultural Cultures - transformation from food gathering to food production.
Early farming, found ways to produce more food using tools. Life became more
settled as hunting was not the main goal in life. People made and kept personal
possessions like pottery and woven. Abundant food allowed populations to grow
and introduce decision making. Changed out mentality.
● Agricultural Cultures - involves working the land intensively and continuously,
using techniques that horticultural had not yet developed, chemical fertilizers.
Natural extension of horticulture.
● Industrial Cultures - people moved from small towns to cities where they found
jobs in factories. Introduced capitalism (owning property) and communism .
● Communication based Cultures - our era, technological era. It’s good but also bad
because of addiction.
Approaches to Sociology(Four School of Thoughts)
● Structural Functionalism: takes the view that various segments of a society serve
a purpose for the society as a whole
● Conflict Theory: expresses the view that power, not function, holds a society
together. Expresses that the view of power holds a society together, competition
between groups
● Symbolic Interactionism: focuses on how individuals learn about their culture-
how they interpret, then act upon, their social worlds. People are internally
motivated by what they have learned, not externally motivated by social or
economic conditions
● Feminist Sociology: focuses on women and gender inequality in society. This view
emphasizes a better understanding of the social roles of men and women in
different cultures
What is Socialization?
(nature vs nurture)
Social Science- A branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of
human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of
society. Focused on theories and conditions surrounding human behavior and the
reason why individuals, groups and societies act the way they do.
Anthropology- the study of human societies and cultures and their development
Sociology-the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society
Psychology-the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those
affecting behavior in a given context
The Scientific Method
● Observe and question
Ex. Why is happiness different based on gender?
Why are women happier than men?
● Research
Ex. Happiness based on gender
● Create a hypothesis
Ex. Women smile more than men because they are happier
● Test your hypothesis
Ex. Interview both men and women about their happiness
● Analyze + Conclude
Ex. Use results to see if it is accurate and make necessary changes
● Share results
Ex. Create detailed report
Social Science Inquiry Model
● Identify a problem - the first part is making a question, inquiring about a problem
(i.e. does today’s music have a bad influence on kids)
● Develop a hypothesis - a hypothesis is a possible answer to the question, which
serves as a starting point for further investigation. It indicates what needs to be
tested and what research method has to be used.
● Gather data - the researcher must then find some way to gather information about
this topic, where the method usually correlates to the hypothesis asked. Some
examples include: case studies, sample surveys, experiments, interviews,
observations, etc.
● Analyze data - Once data is gathered, it must be organized into meaningful ways,
such as charts, graphs, forms, statistics, and such. Until it is organized, data is
generally useless.
, ● Draw conclusions - with enough data collected, the researcher can then determine
whether the research backs up the hypothesis from before. The hypothesis can
then either be accepted, rejected, or modified based on the findings.
How does ethics play a role in science data collection methods?
3 Main Factors:
- Respect for persons-need to give consent
- Beneficence- no negative effect on participants
- Justice- results must be fairly shared
Checking The Value of a Social Science Study
● Any theory is falsifiable - no theory is 100% accurate - there is always going to be
exceptions to anything
● Correlation is not causation - just because the theory connects two things does
not mean that is the root cause to the issue; there is a striking difference between
finding the connection and the cause behind something
● Selective windowing - The broader the research is, the more valid it is. Avoiding
windowing, or surveying either a small group or a specific group makes it less
valid.
Physical Anthropology - the study of human’s past (origin, migration, etc.) to understand
our present behavior and characteristics more clearly
● Branch 1 - primatology - the study of primates
● Branch 2 - paleontology - the study of bone and stone remains of our ancestors
● Branch 3 - human variation - the study of physical differences and similarities of
existing human populations
Cultural Anthropology- the study of how cultures shape human ideas and learned
behavior
What Makes Us Human?
● Being cable of oral speech and languages
● Having opposable thumbs
● Bipedalism-ability to walk on two feet
● Having religions and the awareness of death
● Creativity and complex thinking
How do Cultures Adapt?
A culture is said to be the result of the adaptation of humans to their environment.
Learned behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, and values all make up a particular society. These
, cultures adapt to many things, from their physical environment to the progression of
societal norms around the world. Most societies changed from hunting & gathering to
agriculture and industrial culture, as shown below:
● Forging culture (hunt & gather) -> horticulture -> agriculture -> pastoral culture ->
industrial culture -> communication-based culture
● Foraging Cultures - searching/hunting for food. The foragings bands moved
regularly, carrying few possessions and following the animals and plants in
season.
● Horticultural Cultures - transformation from food gathering to food production.
Early farming, found ways to produce more food using tools. Life became more
settled as hunting was not the main goal in life. People made and kept personal
possessions like pottery and woven. Abundant food allowed populations to grow
and introduce decision making. Changed out mentality.
● Agricultural Cultures - involves working the land intensively and continuously,
using techniques that horticultural had not yet developed, chemical fertilizers.
Natural extension of horticulture.
● Industrial Cultures - people moved from small towns to cities where they found
jobs in factories. Introduced capitalism (owning property) and communism .
● Communication based Cultures - our era, technological era. It’s good but also bad
because of addiction.
Approaches to Sociology(Four School of Thoughts)
● Structural Functionalism: takes the view that various segments of a society serve
a purpose for the society as a whole
● Conflict Theory: expresses the view that power, not function, holds a society
together. Expresses that the view of power holds a society together, competition
between groups
● Symbolic Interactionism: focuses on how individuals learn about their culture-
how they interpret, then act upon, their social worlds. People are internally
motivated by what they have learned, not externally motivated by social or
economic conditions
● Feminist Sociology: focuses on women and gender inequality in society. This view
emphasizes a better understanding of the social roles of men and women in
different cultures
What is Socialization?
(nature vs nurture)
