The Human Sciences
Having a range of academic disciplines, the human sciences as a major area of knowledge (AOK) in the theory of knowledge opens up the big branch of study on humans and their behavioral actions. Studies of psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, and geography co-exist with their respective nature, scope, perspectives, research methods and tools, and ethical stance.
While anthropology answers the how and why for different cultural existences, economics is to do with the creation of wealth and welfare. Psychology opens up discussions on human behavior explained through the holism of nature and nurture, and sociology creates a scope of curiosity in the knowers to know the socio-cultural impacts on human mankind.
The real charm of dissecting the human sciences as an area of knowledge is to look at a big human science problem through the multiple perspectives of different disciplines. For example, the extent to which alcohol abuse is caused by boredom might be discussed through psychological principles of cognitive behavior, or dearth of exposure and low income frustration, or even the social cultural influence of peers on the behavioral action.
The methods and research tools used in creating knowledge in the Human sciences open up how humans think, feel, and act. Starting from self-reporting to direct interaction with the sample, or the experimental methods used in a naturalistic real setup, to observations in a controlled laboratory setup- might be used in different branches of study to evaluate certainty and objectivity of the same piece of knowledge.
Bias in human sciences may impact the validity of the knowledge produced as it may look at the knowledge from the researcher’s point of view or it might be the case that the participants are keen to show demand characteristics in behaving the way the researcher wants or they may be subject to observer effect or hawthorne effect.
The impact of unconscious bias of socio-cultural set up on knowledge construction, cannot be denied.
Ethics in the human sciences occupy an important seat when we reflect on deception, informed consent, protection of privacy, and confidentiality of the participants.
Connecting human sciences research with the core theme of ‘knowledge and the knower’, may open up knowledge questions for a knower to reflect on:
‘Do you personally agree that ethical issues vary with people of different cultures?”
If you like what you read, you might consider reading The Arts
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