Module Six Introduction
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Module Six
Learning ObjectivesBy the end of this module, you will meet these learning objectives:
Module OverviewHard as it may sound, whoever controls the narrative, controls the people.
And the only way to break that spell is to practice reason, but without losing your warmth.
― Abhijit Naskar, I Vicdansaadet Speaking: No Rest Till the World is Lifted
The ssoocciiaall sscciieenncceess focus on the ways humans engage with each other and the systems we create. In many
ways it is the study of large human patterns. Social scientists study social structures that can be measured
and often use the tools of statistic and demographic information to support research. The social sciences
include subjects like economics, sociology, geography, and political science. Even psychology is framed
around order and disorder, measurable objectives, and established and tested methods.
The social sciences analyze the cultural and behavioral similarities and differences that affect our awareness
of diversity. This can include various social constructions, including race, ethnicity, and cultural identity;
gender identity; social class; caste; and the barriers imposed based on age and ability.
It can sometimes be tricky to differentiate the social sciences from the humanities. While the humanities
might explore ideas about good and evil, the social sciences would keep the focus on ethics and justice. The
social sciences include the study of order, equity, and social justice, whereas the humanities would describe
imagination, expression, or emotional reaction. When you use the tools and language of the social sciences,
you should focus on information about demographics, laws/policies, and de�nitions, not about meaning-
making and metaphor. Examples of social science questions might be: What is the demographic information
about this population? Are certain types within the demographic more likely to be deeply invested in a
Analyze a topic in diversity through the social science lens
Explore a topic in diversity from the perspectives of different general education lenses
Examine the societal impact of critically analyzing topics in diversity
Explore the role of diversity in society
Listen
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particular aspect of culture? Why might they be so invested in that aspect of culture? How does this aspect
of culture affect their daily lives?
Social science language is used to understand the priorities humans have for how they live. If we look at
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the social sciences help us to measure the situations that arise when the basic
needs of shelter, food, and safety are not being met. A stated priority for the United Nations is addressing
inequality and global issues of poverty. In an article entitled “Ending Poverty” on the UN’s website (2021),
poverty is described in social science language:
Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable
livelihoods. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other
basic services, social discrimination and exclusion, as well as the lack of participation in decision-
making. In 2015, more than 736 million people lived below the international poverty line. Around 10
per cent of the world population (pre-pandemic) was living in extreme poverty and struggling to ful�ll
the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name a few. There
were 122 women aged 25 to 34 living in poverty for every 100 men of the same age group, and more
than 160 million children were at risk of continuing to live in extreme poverty by 2030.
Notice how the author leverages population numbers, statistics, demographics, and social constructions to
explain the understanding of basic needs and whether they are being met. These critical analysis tools allow
social scientists to construct an argument and de�ne a situation.
Increasingly, conversations related to diversity, equity, and social inclusion require large, complicated data
sets to make sense of the human patterns that exist globally. The United Nations works with a data set called
the Multidimensional Poverty Index to understand the complicated web of barriers and challenges that
individuals experience. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs has found that improving the lives of
those living in extreme poverty is not simply a moral imperative. Rather, it is actually impossible to make
progress on the most important global initiatives if these populations remain unsupported: “Various social
groups, especially indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and rural populations, suffer
disproportionately from income poverty and inadequate access to quality services and, generally, disparities
between these groups and the rest of the population have increased over time” (2021).
With shared water, air, and food sources, mapping population numbers and facts matters more than ever.
Consider this research �nding: “… nearly two-thirds of multidimensionally poor people live in households in
which no girl or woman has completed at least six years of schooling” (United Nations, 2021). Developing
accurate and conceivable measurements such as this is essential to making progress towards a more
equitable society. This statistic is from the 2013 Report on the World Social Situation (2021), which de�nes
a working model for social justice that continues to be used by the United Nations today. It begins to
illuminate where social justice and institutional support are most needed around the world, re�ecting the
social science lens.
As you look at the resources and work on the discussion for this module, think about how communicating
with social science tools and language might support understanding critical information about a topic. How
can measuring and mapping critical data strengthen the analysis you are attempting to share?
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can measuring and mapping critical data strengthen the analysis you are attempting to share?
References
Naskar, A. (2020). I Vicdansaadet speaking: No rest till the world is lifted. Amazon Publishing.
United Nations. (2021). Ending poverty. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ending-poverty
United Nations. (2021). 2013 Report on the World Social Situation. https://www.un.org/development
/desa/dspd/world-social-report/2013-report-on-the-world-social-situation.html
United Nations Development Programme. (2021). The 2021 global multidimensional poverty index (MPI).
Human Development Reports. http://hdr.undp.org/en/2021-MPI
Module at a GlanceThis is the recommended plan for completing the reading assignments and activities within the module.
Additional information can be found in the module Resources section and on the module table of contents
page.
Review all module resources.11
Participate in the Module Six discussion.22
Complete the Module Six activity.33
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Reflect in ePortfolio Download Print Open with docReader
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Activity Details
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Read this information to get started on your module.
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