The Role of Social Sciences in Understanding Human Behavior (Essay Sample)

The Role of Social Sciences in Understanding Human Behavior The social sciences are concerned with the study of human behavior and the interaction within social organizations and the culture. Therefore, the social sciences lessons, which include the qualitative and quantitative research, are helpful in giving information on how different people or groups of people, organize themselves, or relate with each other within the social setting.Social sciences have a particular contribution of teaching people on how to conduct themselves in the society and what is acceptable within cultures. For example, sociology aims at studying how institutions in the society and the relationships created within the society affect the behavior as well as the attitudes of the people involved. According to Giddens et al., sociology allows for revealing the structural factors that govern the behaviours of individuals and groups, thus providing the understanding of how social institutions work (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr, 15). Such knowledge is crucial in responding to the social questions, including inequality, crime, or the nature of families.Psychology is another important branch of social sciences and it concerns about behaviour and mental processes of individuals. Cognitive, and social aspects in relation to human behaviour are among the focus of this paper, which identifies how emotions, thoughts and feelings affect or determine actions and choices. As Myers puts it, psychological research helps in the determination of mental health, motivation and interpersonal relations (Myers 22). This knowledge is important as it helps to increase efficacy of therapeutic ...