Term Paper

Social Science 201- Introduction to Social Science

Prof. Oscar L. Evangelista

Social Science. One of the oldest discipline in the academic world. It

bumps into every facets of human existence. Having this subject gave me

the opportunities to have an overview on this field. It introduced me the

dimensions of its field thus, giving me more insights and perspectives about

every issues concerning our society. Having this course introduced me to a

more adept interpretation of things and issues concerning every issues inside

this disciplines premises. It enlightens me to every issues in the present

situations of our economy, government and education. Furthermore, it

creates a thread that traces the connection between every other fields.

The whole semester, aside from the lectures and discussion given by

our professor, we have made criticisms on different articles concerning the

social science. This paper would contain insights and interpretations, from

those articles and lectures that I have encountered in this course.

The first lecture is about the essence of social science. It includes the

approach and the domains of this field. It defines the social science. The

lecture draw the lines that shows how broad and how deep the social

sciences is. It names the fields of the social science and how it became a

social science. It tells that social science has its knowledge domain, nature,
content and history. How the different fields developed from the rudiments of

the ancient thinkers up to our post-modern paradigms. The history of writing

history from how it developed from the deeds of the kings to the history from

the grassroots. The methodologist that the social science must be aware of

and the things that would be taken in able to have a more useful skill. About

this topic. Social science is the same and also different to other science. It is

the same in the sense that it is an organized body of knowledge based on

facts. Everything in this field is a product of a deep social science research

which came from tested scientific methodologies. Social science is also a

different thing from the other sciences I the fact that in every social science

phenomena, social science will give different answers depending on the

perspective of its different fields making every topics different but the same.

The first two reports is about the articles on the development of the

social science in the Philippines. From the foundation laid by our illustrados,

such as Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, and may other great mind that sprang

from a Filipino descent, to establishment of Social Science department on

universities pioneered by the University of the Philippines- Diliman, up to

decentralization and now a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary one. Truly,

Social Science has gone far in our country. We shifted our paradigms in

different directions, we have encountered different philosophies and time-to-

time, we have including more and more fields into our concerns. Social

science has life. As long as there is a society, there will always be rooms for

improvisations and development.

 Another article is about the Islam religion. It studied if Islam is

compatible of democracy. The article provided evidences from the Quran

that proves that the Muslims tradition is able to adapt to democracy as a life

and socio-political philosophy. The argument here is whether the Muslims are

able to include democracy in their rigid system of government. For an

instance will they be able to accept that the women are to be regarded

coequal to men? Will they be able to create an environment that will help

everyone exercise their free will? The article posed many questions about the

Muslim culture. The author presented some excerpts from their holy book

that serves as evidence that the Islamic doctrine is capable of a democratic

life.

There was an article presented that tackles about fraternity. The

injuries and the deaths caused by the so-called initiation rites performed

by every fraternities. As far as I remember, this article seek deeper within

the cause of this phenomena. The reporter referred this acts as deviance

behavior. It is furthermore observable that many of our politicians have been

members of this kinds of organization. Is really pain a necessary factor in a

brotherhood? What is evident is that more from the elite classes of the

Philippine society are the ones involved in these kinds of activities. Their

philosophy is somewhat leaning towards pain as a test in acceptance. I want

to stand contrary to the author and the reporter. The reporter remarked that

this kind of activity is a form of deviant behavior. I dont see this phenomena

as a deviant behavior. I would like to use blacksmithing as a metaphor. A

metal is strengthened by fire and heavy hammer strikes. This seem to make

sense that the more a person is faced with troubles the more he becomes

strong. We must take into perspective that a thing that is acquired in pain

and hardship is a thing that is being valued the most. It only shows the

reality that the value of something has something to do with hardships.

I have learned that social science is the most complete science. This

field is far more than knowledge. Each field is different from another but,

those differences produces a perspective for universal questions.

After months of being acquainted with the introduction to social

science, I leaned that social science can is related into every discipline of

the academic world. I have learned how history was written from the an elite

perspective into history from the grassroots, the development of the social

sciences in the Philippines, I have learned how the other fields such as

anthropology could be produce insights that could complement history,

sociology, or humanities and vice-versa. I have learned further how to

approach and take into perspective every social phenomena. I was indeed

introduced to the social sciences. Back when I was a kid I admire history

lecturers, until now having a professor that is undoubtedly competent boosts

my morale. Since we are asked to indicate the grade that we expect, I would

expect the grade 1.75.