1st Edition

Social Science and Historical Perspectives Society, Science, and Ways of Knowing

By Jack David Eller Copyright 2017
    310 Pages
    by Routledge

    310 Pages
    by Routledge

    This accessible book introduces the story of ‘social science’, with coverage of history, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and geography.

    Key questions include:

    • How and why did the social sciences originate and differentiate?
    • How are they related to older traditions that have defined Western civilization?
    • What is the unique perspective or ‘way of knowing’ of each social science?
    • What are the challenges—and alternatives—to the social sciences as they stand in the twenty-first century?

    Eller explains the origin, evolution, methods, and the main figures, literature, concepts, and theories in each discipline. The chapters also feature a range of contemporary examples, with consideration given to how the disciplines address present-day issues.

    Introduction

    Features of the Book

    Chapter 1 What is Social Science?

    Chapter 2 Historical Thinking

    Chapter 3 Science of Politics

    Chapter 4 Economic Outlook

    Chapter 5 Psychological Careers

    Chapter 6 Sociological Imagination

    Chapter 7 Anthropological Perspective

    Chapter 8 Geographical Worldview

    Chapter 9 Social Science and Other Ways of Knowing

    List of Key Terms

    Bibliography

    Biography

    Jack David Eller is Associate Professor (Emeritus) of Anthropology at the Community College of Denver, USA. An experienced teacher and author, his other books for Routledge include Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives (third edition, 2016), Cultural Anthropology: 101 (2015), Culture and Diversity in the United States (2015), and Introducing Anthropology of Religion (second edition, 2014).

    Eller’s book is a logically structured and highly readable overview of the key tenets of various social science disciplines.

    - Wendy Rouse, San José State University, USA