Social studies is a program of study in elementary and high school. Social studies deals with the individuals, groups, and institutions that make up human society.
Social studies includes many of the social sciences, the fields of study concerned with people in society. For example, students in social studies classes study anthropology to learn about world cultures. They study sociology to investigate social relationships and groups. The students learn economics to discover how people make and distribute goods. They also study geography to find out where and how people live, history to gain knowledge of the past, and political science to understand different forms of government. In some programs, students study philosophy, psychology, religion, and art.
The term social studies first gained widespread use about 1916. That year, the Committee on Social Studies of the National Education Association issued a report on such studies. The committee defined social studies as studies that enable students to understand others and become good citizens.
Goals.
A major goal of social studies programs is to provide knowledge of the world and its peoples. Social studies students investigate their own and other cultures to determine the similarities and differences. Early programs concentrated on the cultures of the United States and Western Europe. Today, social studies courses also cover many non-Western cultures.
Educators design social studies programs to teach four chief types of skills: (1) study skills, (2) intellectual skills, (3) group work skills, and (4) social skills. Study skills help students gather information from books, maps, and other materials. Intellectual skills enable them to define and analyze problems. Group work skills help students operate effectively in committees and other groups. Social skills help them get along with others.
Social studies programs are also designed to help students develop certain attitudes and beliefs, such as respect for others and a sense of fairness. However, educators, parents, and community leaders often differ on what values these programs should stress.
Methods.
Educators sometimes organize social studies content around key concepts. For example, a teacher may base a unit on the concept of justice, an important idea in political science. Another unit might deal with the concept of region, as used by geographers.
Social studies teachers encourage students to ask questions and to seek answers for themselves. This method, sometimes called the discovery method or inquiry method, teaches young people how to think, rather than what to think.
