Why Is It Important To Take Social Science Courses?

As students are entering college and adulthood, it's important to develop an awareness and understanding of the world they live in. Social science courses help students increase their knowledge of the world around them, enhance their critical thinking skills, and deepen their cultural understanding.

Studying social sciences and the humanities teaches students to observe and evaluate interrelations between countries and cultures, which is important because of the significant impact the global economy has on daily life. Learning about global events and their causes and effects prepares students to analyze and make accurate inferences about other aspects of the world's societies.

As humanities and social science programs provide students with a deeper comprehension of world events, this gives them a solid foundation for many college degree programs and career choices. Social science is so important, Ontario has specific curriculum requirements at the elementary and 9-12 grade levels. Comprehension of social science topics can help create empathetic, responsible, and proactive citizens.

What Is Social Science?

Social science is the study of the relationships between individuals in communities along with the development and function of societies. Courses in this field examine human behavior from many different perspectives and help students learn to analyze human interaction based on social and cultural influences.

The social science curriculum includes courses in several related yet distinct disciplines, including anthropology, geography, history, sociology, psychology, political science, and economics. Developing knowledge in each of these subjects provides students with a broader and more comprehensive understanding of how individuals and societies function.

What Do You Learn in Social Science Courses?

Students gain many educational insights from social science that can deepen understanding regarding communities from the family level to national and global structures. Here are many of the things that are learned from studying social science.

Through the study of history, students learn the significance of analyzing historical events and using the past to evaluate modern trends and occurrences. Global history allows students to see how today's worldwide society developed, and to make projections on possible future outcomes of actions and events.

The discipline of social sciences broadens an individual's political awareness and deepens the understanding of political systems. Examining past and current political conflicts can let students understand human life on a different level.

In addition to the political culture, social science focuses on many different aspects of human relationships and interactions. Psychology, sociology, and anthropology explore the development of individuals and societies. This knowledge is critical for human beings to continue to advance in globally beneficial ways.

Social science provides a basic understanding of economics at a worldwide level, clarifying the interactions of countries and societies and the impact this has on both individual and global economies.

As the student progresses through the social science curriculum, they develop a deeper cultural understanding and see the complexity of the different global themes and how they combine to affect daily life. They develop broader awareness of cultures and can understand societal themes at both the micro and macro levels. Knowledge of social science subjects like geography, economics, politics, psychology, and sociology enables students to see the importance of each topic individually along with the interaction of these distinct disciplines.

A sound understanding of social science allows students to positively understand and interact with the world around them. They develop a sense of global responsibility as they learn to respect and appreciate the diverse makeup of the human race.

What Are the Benefits of Taking Social Science Courses?

A social science program is an excellent foundation for many different college majors. Courses in social science also prepare students for career success by developing professional skills that employers value. Here are some of the many benefits of taking social science courses.

• Develop advanced research and inquiry skills. Students develop advanced research skills as they progress through a social science program. Assignments teach students how to effectively investigate topics and conduct research. Students learn a variety of research techniques, including both qualitative and quantitative methods. As they determine the reliability of data sources and evaluate information, students make inferences and draw conclusions.
• Improve oral and written communication abilities. Students develop effective communication orally through group discussions and presentations and hone their written skills as they collect and organize research for projects and reports.
• Enhance critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Social science studies enhance critical thinking skills as students compile information, analyze data, and look for patterns in their findings. After conducting analyses, students determine conclusions based on the information they compile. They also process this information during discussions, presentations, and other classroom activities.
• Expand cultural understanding: Learning details about human society and individual and global relationships increases cultural understanding. Students gain significant insight into the structure and function of society and human interactions through social science programs.
• Understand human welfare and development: Deepening cultural awareness gives students a wider perspective of the development of the human race. A global perspective gives students a much more comprehensive understanding of the interrelations of different countries, systems, and economies. Social sciences and humanities expose students to a wide variety of different cultural belief systems and broader awareness of human welfare.

Conclusion

Social science programs provide a solid foundation for students pursuing a university degree after graduation. Many university degrees require some social science courses, and having a previous understanding of these subjects can be beneficial. 

Social science prepares graduates for success in a variety of positive, impactful careers in many different industries and positions. They might work successfully in business, education, human resources, insurance, law, or economics.

Blyth Academy's social science courses prepare students for post-secondary education or the workplace. Blyth Academy has nine campuses across Ontario including Burlington, Lawrence Park, and Waterloo.

In-person classrooms are small to ensure maximum attention for students, with an average class size of 12 students. Blyth Academy students can attend in-person or study online with one of 160 self-paced online courses or via teacher-led virtual classrooms. Instructors at Blyth tailor the curriculum to the individual student to provide a customized plan for each student to ensure their success. Contact us to get a quote from Blyth Academy.