Republic of the Philippines

Region VII, Division of Dumaguete City

Dumaguete City National High School
Calindagan, Dumaguete City Negros Oriental
6200

DISCIPLINE and IDEAS in the SOCIAL SCIENCES

COMPILER: IAN ROGER O. VALDEZ

QUARTER 2, Module 1 & 2: KEY CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Content Standard
The students demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and approaches in the Social Sciences.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learners should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the approach

Learning Competencies (MELC)

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas:
a. Psychoanalysis
b. Rational Choice
c. Institutionalism
d. Feminist Theory
e. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
f. Human-Environment Systems
Apply the social science ideas and its importance in examining socio-cultural, economic, and political conditions:
a. Psychoanalysis
b. Rational Choice
c. Institutionalism
d. Feminist Theory
e. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
f. Human-Environment Systems

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the module you should be able to:
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
- Analyze each approaches.
-Assess personal and social experiences using relevant approaches in social sciences
-Apply the social science ideas and its importance in examining socio-cultural, economic, and political conditions.

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Concept
A school of thought developed by Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis refers to a theory of the mind and its direct
connection to personality and behavior. The basic premise of Psychoanalysis is that the human mind has an unconscious
state. There are thoughts, memories, emotions and feelings that are hidden from a person’s conscious mind, which without
him/her knowing, affects the way he or she thinks, feels and acts. There are also drives and desires in a person’s
unconscious mind that influence his or her view of the world and how he or she decides to go about his or her daily.
Psychoanalytic Practice is the method by which the troubling unconscious material, such as memories and desires,
is brought to the level of the conscious mind so that the individual could better understand himself or herself better.
Specifically, Freud developed a personality theory called Psychosexual Development of Personality, which posits that at
different stages of growth, the individual derives pleasure from the different parts of the body- thus the term Psychosexual,
relating to pleasure and the human body. The central idea in this theory is how the mind relates to the body and the
pleasure derived from the activities of the body. An important term in this personality theory is called libido, which is defined
as the natural mental energy that operates the mechanisms of the mind.
What are the Three Levels of Awareness?
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Personality theory provides three levels of awareness: conscious, preconscious, and
unconscious. The conscious level of the mind is the accessible information, memories and thoughts that an individual has.
The preconscious is the level where the accessible and retrievable information are situated, but are not currently in the
conscious level. The unconscious is the inaccessible memories, thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are most populated
by childhood events.
What are the Three Structures of Personality?
Key Concepts of Psychoanalysis
Id, Ego, Superego
The id, ego and superego are the parts that are constitutive of personality that occupy these three levels of the mind.
The first part to develop is the id, which occupies the unconscious level. Because the id is the biological aspect (instincts
and basic urges) of personality, it only seeks pleasure and demands instant gratification. It does not take reality into account
as it demands what it wants without reason or logic.
Second to develop is the ego, which resides in the conscious and preconscious levels of the mind. Because the ego
is considered the center of logic and reason, it is also described as the decision maker. The superego is the third to develop
and it resides in all three levels of the mind. As the moral and social aspect of personality, it is considered as a person’s
conscience. The superego demands strict adherence to the laws of society and conformity to social norms. It makes a
person feel guilty. Like the id, it does not take reality into account as it merely asserts and demands moral perfection.
Who is the main proponent of Psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud, He was an Austrian neurologist and is known as the Father of Psychoanalysis. Freud’s theory states
that behavior and personality are driven by past events, which are mostly inaccessible to an individual’s consciousness.
Through a treatment called Psychotherapy, the originating event or circumstance which hinders an individual to live a
healthy life is brought to the surface of consciousness.
One technique used in Psychotherapy is called free association, a technique that allows the patient to have an inner
dialogue with oneself by saying freely the words that he or she associates with a thing, person, or an event. By having an
inner dialogue, the unconscious reveals itself and the words associated with an object would gradually lead to the
originating event which caused a mental problem to the patient. Freud relates free association to what is now known as the
Freudian slip or slip of the tongue.
Criticisms and Limitations
Psychoanalysis is mainly criticized as unscientific or, even at times, a Pseudoscience. This phenomenological
approach is characterized by the lack of quantitative and experimental research in its theory and practice. It is also argued
that it lacks scientific basis and at times is associated with the mystical practices of witch doctors. Because most of the
psychoanalytic theories are based on case studies, their applicability is questioned to be limited only to the specific cases
studied and not to the general public.
The field of psychoanalysis has been heavily influenced by the works of Sigmund Freud. While routinely questioned
and criticized, its approach in understanding human behavior remains relevant today, especially for the treatment of deep-
seated mental illnesses. As part of the social sciences, Psychoanalysis provides an alternative lens in understanding the
complexity of human behavior through the context of personality, consciousness, and ideology.

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ACTIVITY 1: Situational Analysis
Directions: Read the situation below and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
Situation: Marissa went to the mall to buy a pair of school shoes. Upon entering the shoe section, a pair of ragged shoes
caught her attention. She was having a hard time choosing between buying a pair of school shoes or buying the pair of
ragged shoes.
Questions:
1. What was the situation all about?
2. If you are in the same situation, what will you choose to buy? Why?

ACTIVITY 2: APPLICATION
As a student, what do you think is the importance of applying psychoanalysis in examining the socio-cultural conditions in
our society? Write your answer on a separate piece of paper.

Rational Choice
What is Rational Choice?
The Rational Choice Theory explains that human action and behavior are products of choice. Individuals rationalize
their situations by processing between the most beneficial choices and the lesser individual cost. In the Rational Choice
Theory, Cost-Benefit Analysis is always performed in every given situation and is considered an instinctual response of
every human. Cost is something disadvantageous to or what is lost by an individual, while benefit is that which is gained by
or is advantageous to the individual after making the choice.
Basic assumptions of Rational Choice Theory:
1. Individuals act purely on self- interest
2. Individuals understand their interests enough to rationally categorize them according to what they most prefer.
3. Preferences are transitive in nature. This means that choices have a hierarchical order and that the highest preference
will always be favored.

Key Concepts in Rational Choice Theory:

Social Consequence of Scarcity-based Decision Humanity’s unlimited wants and perpetual desires drove
civilizations to either their prominence or destruction. With natural resources being finite and the requirements of human
ambition unending, the most rational choice is to conserve the limited resources we have, and share this with each other.
However, the problem is that individuals only seek self-interest and would end up deciding what benefits them the most
Who are the proponents of Rational Choice?

Important Theorists:
William Stanley Jevons
He was an English economist who applied the principles of Rational Choice Theory in Political Economy. Jevons
was one of the first to advance the Theory of Marginal Utility, which sought application in determining and understanding
consumer behavior. Jevons also identified the concept called Equation of Change, which says that in order to get the most
utility, the ratio of marginal utility must be equal to the price of the commodity. Marginal utility, in this sense, points to the line
wherein the value for a certain object is still within satisfactory levels.

Gary Becker
He was an American Economist who expanded the study of Economics to the realm of sociology and the other
social sciences. Suggesting that human behavior is subject to economic analysis, Becker argued that individuals act to
maximize their own welfare, thereby taking the scope of Economics beyond mere calculation of financial gains. Like the
other thinkers of Rational Choice Theory, Becker ascribes to the principles that humans behave according to their
“perceived values and preferences.”

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Criticisms and Limitations
Rational Choice Theory is heavily criticized for its neglect of ethical and moral standards. The main philosophy of
Rational Choice Theory is the acquisition of personal interests, power, and wealth. It is not strict with the method and the
product of decision-making
Rational choice Theory banks on the key idea that humans are actively calculating the pros and cons of a particular
choice, which affects the type of behaviors that they exhibit. These choices are often determined by an individual’s
preferences and the extent by which he or she perceives them as immediate needs or wants. This theory remains relevant
today in providing an analytical lens for understanding the choices that humans make, especially with regard to deviant acts.
ACTIVITY 3: Analysis and Application
Direction: Answer the following questions and write your answers on a separate piece of paper. (5 points each)
1. What is Rational Choice Theory?
2. According to the Rational Choice Theory, how do people make decisions?
3. What gave rise to Rational Choice Theory as a dominant approach in explaining human behavior?
4. Why did you take the track that you are currently enrolled in?
5. What are your desired goals or outcome, alternatives and strategies?
6. Would you say that you applied rationality in making that decision?
7. Aside from your choice of which track to enroll in, cite an instance in your daily life wherein you applied rationality in
making a final choice or decision. Elaborate your answer by giving not only the choice and options available but also the
reason for your choice.
8. As a student, how will you apply rational choice in your economic condition?

Institutionalism

What is Institutionalism?
In order to understand Institutionalism, it is important to first define institutions in this theoretical perspective.
Institutions are patterns, routines, norms, rules and schemes that govern and direct social thought and action.
Institutionalism therefore, is an approach that aims to understand and analyze how actions, thoughts, and meanings
penetrate into the social consciousness deeply enough to embed themselves into the social psyche. There are different
types of institutionalism, but their common concern is to find out the effects of these institutions and determine how these
affects the manner by which the society functions.

What are the reasons why Institutionalism claims that institutions exists?
1. Social legitimacy
2. Survival

Try to answer this question.

Why do you need to continue your studies amidst the pandemic we are facing right now?
An institution such as education exists because a person would have a bleak
future without it. That’s why the Department of Education made a Learning Continuity Plan. Being educated means having
to ascend social hierarchies and organizational structures, which in turn affect the economic prosperity of the person and
survival in a capitalist market. Institutions provide social legitimacy and survival through isomorphism

What is isomorphism?
Isomorphism refers to the similarity in form, shape or structure. Institutions arise, change, and persist due to their
regulative, normative, and cognitive functions. These functions are isomorphic in nature as they adopt in form, shape or
structure to provide social legitimacy, survival or both.
The regulative function operates through coercive isomorphism, which places value on expediency as an effect to
compliance. Change either happens or not depending on external factors such as rules and laws. The normative function
operates through normative isomorphism, which places value on complying with social obligations. Change either happens
or not depending on external factors such as accreditations and certifications. The cognitive function operates the mimetic
isomorphism, which places value on what is being complied with by others. Change either happens or not depending on
internal factors such as uncertainty and prevalence of others’ performance

Key Concepts in Institutionalism

Formal and Informal Institutions

Formal Institutions are codified rules, policies, and norms that are considered official, originating from state laws,
government and organizations. Informal Institutions on the other hand, are equally known rules and norms but are not
commonly written down. Institutional actors refer to the people who make up society, whose actions are controlled and
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regulated by institutions. Institutional actors can be an individual, a group, an organization, or a government that creates or
follows rules. In political science, institutional actors and their relationship with one another is often the subject of research
Who are the proponents of Institutionalism?
David Mitrany
He was a Romanian-born British scholar, historian, and political theorist. He is considered the father of
functionalism in international relations, which is classified under liberal institutionalism.
Jean Monnet
He was a French political economist and diplomat. As one of the originators of the European Union, he saw the
needs of the state are to be achieved through the principle of supranationality. As Mitrany argued against territory being the
source of authority, Monnet used the argument to erase country borderlines.
Stephen Krasner
He is an American professor of international relations. Krasner argues that the American government and non-
government organizations should prioritize the stabilization of weakened states so that American interests would be
protected.

Criticisms and Limitations

Institutionalism has, as many definitions as there, are scholars who practice it. Unsurprisingly, Institutionalism has
many forms, and as such, there is no central approach that can define the method of Institutionalism and that the
predictability of outcome changes as different researchers conducted their studies. One criticism against Institutionalism is
that while it can describe and analyze differences between institutions, it lacks the ability to analyze changes happening in a
certain situation. Another criticism against Institutionalism is the assessment of institutions themselves. Since there are
many approaches to Institutionalism, there are also a variety of ways by which institutions can be identified.
The theory of Institutionalism allows for a discourse on how institutions affect the decision of humans within the
frame of a society. Today, this theory finds its relevance in creating opportunities for growth and development among
institutions whether in the macro or micro context.

ACTIVITY 4: Analysis and Application

Directions: Read and answer the following questions. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. How is an informal institution different from formal institution?

2. What are the reasons for the creation of institutions?
3. Why is institutional change costly?
4. As a student, how will you apply institutionalism in our political conditions today?

Feminism
First, let's define Feminism in general. The global idea of Feminism refers to the belief that men and women
deserve equality in all opportunities, treatment, respect, and social rights. In general, Feminists are people who try to
acknowledge social inequality based on gender and stop it from continuing. Feminists point out that in most cultures
throughout history men have received more opportunities than women. While this basic idea of Feminism seems simple
enough, there are many people who misunderstand what the goal of Feminism is. Some people imagine that all Feminists
are angry, bitter women who only want to subjugate men! Of course, this stereotype offends actual Feminists. Why is there
such a big difference between stereotype and reality when it comes to Feminists? One of the reasons for this discrepancy
might be because there are, in fact, lots of different, specific types of Feminism. Let’s cover four of those types now -Radical
Feminism, Socialist Feminism, Cultural Feminism, and Liberal Feminism. Maybe you are a Feminist, and you didn't even
know it!
Feminist theory includes attempts to describe and explain how gender systems work, as well as a consideration of
normative or ethical issues, such as whether a society's gender arrangements are fair. Feminist theory is a major branch
within sociology that shifts its assumptions, analytic lens, and topical focus away from the male viewpoint and experience
toward that of women.
In doing so, Feminist theory shines a light on social problems, trends, and issues that are otherwise overlooked or
misidentified by the historically dominant male perspective within social theory. Feminist theory encompasses a range of
ideas, reflecting the diversity of women worldwide. Feminism counters traditional philosophy with new ways of addressing
issues affecting humanity, calling for the replacement of the presiding patriarchal order with a system that emphasizes equal
rights, justice, and fairness. Liberal feminists cite women’s oppression as rooted in social, political, and legal constraints.
Radical Libertarian Feminists hold that the patriarchal system that oppresses women must be completely eliminated and
that women should be free to exercise total sexual and reproductive freedom. Radical Cultural Feminists urge women to
extricate themselves from the institution of compulsory heterosexuality. Marxist–socialist feminists claim it is impossible for
anyone, especially women, to achieve true freedom in a class-based society. Multicultural feminists explain how the idea of
‘sameness’ could counter intuitively be used as an instrument of oppression rather than liberation. Postmodern feminists
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challenge Western dualistic thinking. Global feminists stress the universal interests of women worldwide. Eco feminists
focus on the connection among humans to the nonhuman world.
Feminist theory has impacted virtually all structures, systems, and disciplines, challenging traditional ontological
and epistemological assumptions about human nature as well as ‘maleness’ and ‘femaleness.’ Modern feminism, which
began 200 years ago, has evolved in three waves. The first wave dealt with suffrage; the second centered on equal access;
and the current wave is focusing on global equality.
Feminism studies gender and its relation to power, and the dynamics these two concepts play out in economics,
politics, sexuality, race and nationality among others. It is both a sociological perspective and a philosophy that aims to
promote gender equality, social justice, and women’s rights. However, the primary concern that feminism tries to address is
the oppression of women in society and the patriarchal structure of most societies. Patriarchy, in its most basic sense, is a
social organization wherein the father or eldest male heads a society or government. The head of the family is the father,
and the mother is subordinate to the decisions of the father. In some contexts, however, patriarchy constructs a social
structure where men are seen as more powerful than women.
Key Concepts in Feminism
Gender Ideology and Inequality
• Gender ideology is a social belief that supports gender inequality. It is a social divide that establishes perceived roles for
men and women and relegating them to specific roles. Some gender ideologies include women staying at home while men
go to work, and women being more delicate, emotional, and nurturing compared to men who are more aggressive, assertive,
and dominant. Gender ideology is also actualized in how toys are determined for children. Typically, action figures are
supposed to be played by boys and dolls are to be played by girls. A boy playing with a doll is ridiculed as being gay, while a
girl playing action figures is teased as a lesbian.
• Gender inequality is the actualization or realization of gender ideology. There is gender inequality when the perceived role
of women subordination to men reflects hiring procedures and requirements. For example, a secretarial post accepting only
female applicants. Salaries are also unequal when it comes to men and women.
Important Theorists in Feminism
Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was an English writer, philosopher, and women’s rights advocate. Wollstonecraft
advocated that the human rights written by John Locke also be accorded to women. Although Locke’s human rights did not
discriminate sexes, their application during that time was relegated only to men. Wollstonecraft thus, argued that women
should also have the right to life, property, pursuit of happiness and suffrage
Nancy Cott
Nancy Cott (born 1945) is an American historian and professor. Cott traced the historical roots of the feminist movement in
America and identified its paradoxes, struggles, and periods of decline. One paradox by Cott was the rise of two feminist
ideologies-human feminism and female feminism. Human feminism argues for equal treatment of women and disapproves
discrimination based on sex. Female feminism, on the other hand, argues solidarity among women and acknowledges that
there are differences in human capacities that are based on sex.
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich (1929–2012) was an American poet, and feminist. She used poetry to bring to light the oppression of women
and lesbians in society. Her poems explored themes such as women’s roles in society, racism, and war. Her collection of
poetry, “Diving Into the Wreck”, garnered wide praise and accolades. In her essay, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and
Lesbian Existence”, Rich defined how heterosexuality becomes an alienating and oppressing concept that only lends to the
establishment of male dominance over women. Rich defined being a lesbian as more than a sexual preference, but a
cumulative lived experience of women and their history.
Judith Butler
Judith Butler (born 1956) is an American philosopher and gender theorist, whose key idea is her theory of Gender
Performativity. Gender performativity is a theory on the creation of gender similar to how theatrical actors create roles
identifiable to audiences. Butler claims that gender is an action which is separable from the actor. Gender is performative in
a sense that gender roles and norms have already been established in society throughout history. Humans are so
accustomed to these traditions that we associate certain acts to a particular gender. For Butler, gender is not a
preestablished identity, but an act of existing in as much. Gender is a choice- a choice to act according to how society
established norms of masculinity or femininity.

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Patricia Hill Collins
Patricia Hill Collins (born 1948) is an American sociologist. Her work studies feminism in the perspective of a black woman.
Collins argues that different oppressions happen within the context of race, gender and class and that there are overlapping
instances of oppression. Collins claims that knowing the point of view of a black woman’s struggle and feminism can provide
a window for other similarly oppressed groups or individuals. She also argues that the dynamics of oppression must be
seen from all angles, and not simply on one form or factor of oppression.
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was an American novelist, philosopher, and playwright. Calling her philosophy objectivism. She
aimed to use reason in order to achieve personal happiness. Her theories and arguments were not limited within the
confines of the feminist agenda, but encompassed all of human existence. She did not identify differences between genders
because she talked about universalities such as human rights. Objectivism, in particular, is living for one’s own sake without
sacrificing himself or herself for another. It is a philosophy determined to find personal truth and fulfill without the use of
force or violence. She is considered a feminist due to her stance that all human beings are equal- equal in their pursuit of
self-interests and equal in upholding their rights.

ACTIVITY 5: Analysis and Application

I. Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. How does Gender Ideology affect our society?
2. Have you experienced being unfairly treated? Under what circumstance/s? How did you handle it?
3. As a student, how can you promote gender equality in your family? In the society?
4. Choose three (3) significant women that have a great impact in your life, and explain how they have inspired you as a
student.
II. Read the poem and answer the questions that follow. Write your answer on a separate piece of paper.
I Stay at Home
A Social Justice Poem by Guy Farmer

Brother goes off to school

While I stay at home
Tending to the boiling pot
On the stove, scrubbing the
Floor to a fine shine,
Cleaning the streaks off the windows,
Dreaming of being in a classroom
Traveling to colorful new worlds.

Questions:
1. Who do you think is the persona of the poem, I Stay at Home?
2. What do you think is the poem all about?
3. Do you agree with the idea of the persona, staying at home?
4. What can you do to change the society’s traditional culture of gender inequality?

Hermeneutic Phenomenology
Historical Context
Hermeneutic refers to the theory of text interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical and philosophical texts,
as well as wisdom literature. It is a broad discipline that includes communication, both verbal and non-verbal. It came out as
a theory of human understanding beginning in the late 18th and early 19th centuries through the work of German theologian,
biblical scholar, and philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher and German historian, psychologist, sociologist, and hermeneutic
philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey. But the father of phenomenology is the German philosopher Edmund Husserl, who criticized
psychology for applying methods of the natural sciences to human issues, thus paving the way for the beginning of
phenomenology or the study of lived experience or the real world. His focus was on the world as lived by a person, not the
world or reality as something separate from the person. He developed the concept of bracketing, or setting aside the outer
world as well as individual preconceived notions to achieve contact with senses. Through bracketing, one understands a
phenomenon. A discipline of Husserl, Martin Heidegger, is credited for having started hermeneutical phenomenology. Both
hermeneutical phenomenology and phenomenology share such concern with the life world of human experience as it is
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lived. Hermeneutical phenomenology emphasizes the instructive facts and minor aspects within experience that are often
taken for granted in everyday lives, hoping to create meaning and obtain a sense of understanding. It was Hans-Georg
Gadamer, a student of philosophy at Marburg and Freiburg, who extended Heidegger’s work into practical application. He
agreed with Heidegger that language and understanding always go together as structural aspects of human “being-in-the-
world”. Gadamer believes that language is the widespread medium for understanding to happen, and understanding take
place in interpreting. He considers interpretation as a “fusion of horizon”. A dialectical interaction between the expectation of
the interpreter and the meaning of the text. He believes that questioning is a necessary aspect of the interpretive process as
it makes possible the occurrence of new horizon and understanding.
Hermeneutic Phenomenology
Hermeneutic refers to the art of understanding and the theory of interpretation while phenomenology means the
science of phenomena. Hermeneutics means “to interpret” and the term came from the name of Hermes, the wing-footed
messenger of gods in Greek mythology. Hermeneutic Phenomenology came up out of German philosophy and aims to
reveal the life world or human experience as it is lived. It advocates the idea that instead of simply one truth as conceive by
the scientists, there are in fact many truths. Hermeneutics, therefore, means the process of making the incomprehensible
understandable. Meanwhile, phenomenology becomes hermeneutical when its method takes an interpretive instead of
solely descriptive nature. Every description is always ready interpretation; to understand is ready to interpret, and every
mode of human knowledge is interpretive. Understanding is already a form of interpretation. This approach emphasizes the
importance of language, types of questioning, the phenomenology of human conversation, the value of prejudice,
historicality, and tradition in human understanding.
This approach asserts that meanings are not straightforwardly handed down to us, and we must use hermeneutics
to understand human actions and behavior. Hermeneutic phenomenology, emphasize on the understanding and
interpretation of individual experiences in order to explain human actions and behavior, promotes a micro-level analysis of
society.
Hermeneutic Phenomenology: Strengths and Criticism
Strengths
● Helps researchers to clarify lived experience and expose meaning through a process of understanding and interpretation
(Wilcke, 2002).
● It allows the experiences of people to be presented in a straightforward and suggestive manner, giving the reader an
opportunity to imaginatively take part into the experiences described.
● Readers are given the chance to intensify their understanding of the intricacies of experiences as actually lived by people.
● It also serves as a vehicle for readers to reflect on the meaning of the experiences described, reminding them that
experiences are far more complicated that we actually think.

Criticism
● Its subjectivity and specificity, cannot be used as basis for policy framework
● Its micro-level analysis is also cited as one of its weakness since if focuses on individual experience and not on the
effects of structures on individuals’ understanding and interpretation of their experiences.

Human-Environment Systems

Historical Context
Research about global environment change until 1988 was carried out by earth science disciplines such as
meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric sciences and geology. In 1987, the International Geosphere Biosphere
Program (IGBP) was initiated because of the need for an international joint research enterprise on the phenomenon of
global change. From 1987-1990 a Special Committee was tasked to initiate the planning and implementation of the program
and in 1988 this team, composed of around 500 scientists, turned to social scientist and asked them to collaborate with
them in an effort to understand human dimension of global environment change. In 1992, they were able to publish book,
Global Environmental Change: Understanding the Human Dimensions, which set the tone for research in this area. It
focused on climate change, biodiversity, pollution and international environmental pacts driven by the arising awareness of
global impacts such as build-up of earth-warming gases, the increasing amount of ultraviolet radiation due to the changes in
the appearance of ozone layer and proof of glacier meltdowns. Because of these changes, humanenvironment research
become important (Moran, 2010).
Human-Environment Systems
It refers to the interactions between the human social system and (the “rest”of) the ecosystem. It is a system that is
both complex and adaptive. It combines both human and natural components to show complex interactions, and feedbacks
between them.
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Key Concepts of Human-Environment Systems
Landscape is an important concept in the study of coupled human-environment systems. It refers not only to the beautiful
spot that you view from a scenic perspective but the mixture of environmental and human phenomena that coexist together
in a specific place on Earth. Landscape include physical features such as rivers, hills, forests, and soils as well as human-
made buildings, roads, bridges, and mines. A good example of a landscape is our very own Banaue Rice Terraces, a
landscape showing a closely joined human-environment system: the Ifugaos built terraces because the environment was
hilly (impact of environment on human): the terraces structure itself makes crops easier to harvest by hand (impact of
human on the environment). This example shows how human-environment interactions shape natural and cultural
landscapes.
Feedback Mechanism refers to the phenomenon of system components both affecting each other and which creates a
feedback loop: feedback is effect to a system component that is a result of an action done by that component. In human-
environment system, humanity affects the environment, and the environment affects humanity.
Sustainability refers to the ability for something to be maintained. It is the capacity of a system to maintain its health and
continue in existence over period of time. When applied to human-environment system, sustainability limits human goals
and material aspiration because it requires that production does as little damage as possible to the delicate global
ecosystem.
Related Concepts on the Study of Human-Environment Systems
a. Environmental Change- it is caused by a perturbation to the landscape system as a result of internal or external natural
disturbance or humaninduced disturbance. It can either be pulsed or ramped.
b. Environmental Threshold- refers to a point whereby the environment changes from one phase or trajectory to another. It
can therefore be reached after a period of slow accumulation of natural capital, when an internal or external natural
disturbance (that has either been progressively changing or that changes rapidly), or human imposed catastrophe, disturbs
the existing trajectory.
c. Sensitivity- the high susceptibility of the landscape to the external impact
d. Resilience- According to Holling (1986), it is defined as the magnitude of disturbance that a system can experience
before it moves into a different state or “stability domain”. Resilience suggests that the landscape has the potential to
recovery from any degree of damage inflected by human or other factors.
e. Adaptation- the ability of an organism, human or non-human, to survive and reproduce itself in a particular environment
(Kirch, 1980)
Approaches in Studying Human-Environment Systems
A. Environmental Determinism- asserts that the natural environment dictates the course of culture. In this model, human
society is restricted to a range of outcomes or even a single possible outcome by a particular set of environmental
parameters. Environmental determinism was stimulated by Darwin’s work on the impact of natural conditions on the
evolution of organism, and as a theory, it flourished in popularity among geographic scholars between 1870 and 1940.
Environmental determinism was used among early academic geographers such as Carl Ritter (1779-1859), Ellsworth
Huntington (1876-1947) and Ellen Churchill Semple (1863-1932) to explain social variation within different geographical
location alleging that individual and natural character, culture, health, religion, economic practices and social life are all
derived from environmental influences.

B. Possibilism- claims that although nature may circumscribe the possibilities for human, historical and cultural factors
explain what possibility is actually chosen, Franz Boas, its proponent, rejected the environment as a determinant of culture
and instead sought an explanation for cultural differences in the particular cultural history of a society. He suggested that the
availability of resource does not predispose a population to use it in a particular manner and concluded that cultural
decisions, rather than nature itself, dictates the direction of cultural change

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C. Cultural Ecology- defined by its proponent, the American anthropologist Julian Steward, as the study of processes by
which a society adapts to its environment. This approach to the study of Human-Environment System introduced the
concept of an integrated system within which cultural and environmental factors interact

Cultural core refers to subsistence

related traits.
Other parts of culture refer to non-
subsistence related traits

D.Historical Ecology- this approach utilizes the notion of ecology as an attempt to understand the reciprocal relationship
between people and environment and draws its understanding of these relationships from their mutual influence over time.
Moreover, this approach maintains that landscapes can be understood historically, as well as ecologically, with the
landscapes and artefact of human activity that can be used to understand the development of culture over time.

E. DPSIR (Driver, Pressures, State, Impact, Response) Model- recognizes the human activities which place pressure on the
environment and how these pressures modify the current state of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
This leads to impacts on the environment as well as on social and economic systems. In turn, human society attempts to
problem-solve in order to remove, reduce or prevent the drivers and pressures, restore the state of environment and
mitigate impacts.

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Human-Environment Systems: Strengths and Criticism

Strengths
● Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach in the study of interrelations between human and environment, it brings together
scholars from the field of science and social science to analyze the role of people in global environmental changes and
consequently determine what people can do to promote sustainability and prevent environmental degradation.
● It can also utilize a macro-level analysis by determining how people affect the environment.
●Human-environment research findings can be used as framework in policy making which might affect results and favor
sustainability of humanenvironment interactions.

Criticisms
● Since human-environment systems research requires a multi-disciplinary approach, it requires bringing together a large
team of scholars, scientists, as well as social scientists, which is not an easy thing to do given the fact that most scholars
prefer to work alone than in teams.
● Critics also argue that a weakness human-environment systems research wherein one must collect analogous data in a
number of nations and regions so as to test the variety of biophysical and social processes, otherwise one is more likely to
assume that what applies in one country applies to all countries.

ACTIVITY 6: ANALYSIS and APPLICATION

Directions: List down concepts which you could associate with the given main concepts. Do it on a separate piece of paper.

B. Combine one concept from each “concept map” to form another concept which will refer to… Do it on a separate piece of
paper.

C. Do it on a separate piece of paper. Relate the concept of Hermeneutic Phenomenology in dealing with issues and
problems in:
a. Society
b. Economy
c. Politics

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D. Write your answer on a separate piece of paper. Human-environment systems, also known as environmental social
science, sustainability science and coupled human natural system research/coupled human and natural system (CHANS),
refer to an integrated scientific agenda for studying the border and mutual interactions that link human to natural
subsystems of the planet. How could Human-Environment System help in improving our:
a. Society
b. Economy
c. Politics

E. During this pandemic, we are restricted to do the usual things we used to do. Even we are living in the new normal
situation due to pandemic, I still believe that we can still make a difference even most of our time are just spent at home.
Now, how could you promote the following amidst the health crisis we are facing now? Write your answer on separate sheet.
a. Equality between men and women
b. Socio-Cultural differences
c. Promoting human-environment landscape

F. Based on the approaches you have learned from the lesson, what are the causes and practical solutions that you can
offer to the following social issues? Do it on a separate piece of paper.

Do you observe these social issues in your community? Why or why not?

G. Complete the table below by providing at least one strength and one criticism on each given approach. Do it on a
separate piece of paper.

APPROACH STRENGTH CRITICISM

Psychoanalysis
Rational Choice
Institutionalism
Feminist Theory
Hermeneutical Phenomenology
Human-Environment Systems

This the rubrics for your written outputs.

CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS OBTAINED

Content The student was able to explain the social issues and analyze them using the assigned 10
social science approaches
Analysis Analysis was clear and concise based on the data presented. 6

Organizations The paper was well-written with ideas easily conveyed to readers. 4

Total 20

REFERENCES:
https://www.coursehero.com/u/file/99842679/DISSQ2MODULE1docx/?justUnlocked=1#question
https://www.coursehero.com/u/file/87716695/DISS-mod11-The-Importance-of-Feminist-Theory-Hermeneutical-
Phenomenology-Human-Environment-Systems/?justUnlocked=1#question
https://www.coursehero.com/file/67526636/DIASS-HUMSSdocx/
https://www.coursehero.com/u/file/108971457/Importance-of-social-sciencespptx/?justUnlocked=1#question

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