Humanities and social science focus on humans, their evolution and behaviour in the social and cultural context. While humanities include subjects such as literature, philosophy, and fine arts, social sciences cover subjects such as psychology, history and economics. The subjects of both branches converge in several areas, although they take a different approach individually. Humanities is a subjective study that uses a critical and analytical approach that does not entail scientific research. Social sciences follow a scientific and evidence-based approach while objectively studying humanity and its evolutions based on trends and predictions.
| Points of comparison | Humanities | Social Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is the study of human culture, art, creativity, literary and philosophical expressions of human societies. | It is the study of human activity and human behaviour in a social context. |
| Nature | Subjective | Objective |
| Approach | Analytical | Scientific |
| Focus | It focuses on disciplines that delve into human expressions, behaviour and interactions. | It aims to understand how society functions and examine human behaviour in a social context. |
| Subject specialisations | History, Philosophy, Literature, Languages, Religious Studies | Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology |
| Research Methodology | Qualitative research | Qualitative and quantitative research |
Humanities is a subjective area of study where the subject provides scope for arguments and doesn’t have one right answer. In humanities subjects, qualitative research methodologies are applied for moral or speculative interpretations of traditions, cultures and creations. Whether it is examining ethics in philosophical queries or the voice of the poet in a classical ode, humanities subjects delve into understanding the meaning of life, traditions, cultures and creating art.
Social sciences have an objective focus on observable patterns through scientific research. It employs specific methods to study a subject and uses different techniques and approaches to understand society, the world and all the interactions.
Humanities and social sciences are often referred to interchangeably though they both differ in terms of the method of inquiry, and what they study. Humanities approaches subjects from theoretical, conceptual and abstract perspectives. Social sciences look for empirical evidence, concrete solutions and practical data to prove a hypothesis.
Social sciences teach us how things work whereas humanities searches for meaning. Both fields study similar issues of gender relations, poverty and human rights, but the approach differs vastly.
Humanities focuses on studying human activities related to politics, historic events, philosophy and literature. The aim of studying these subjects is to understand the individual through examining the broader context of personal experiences and roles in society. It focuses on people’s thoughts, interactions and reactions.
Social sciences are focused on the larger society and working of social institutions, groups and identities. It studies financial institutions, government structures, business organisations and human cognitive processes.
Humanities studies subjects such as history, language, literature, religious studies, fine arts, or philosophy. These subjects aim to teach us the meaning of life and give an account of the evolution of human society and how to live well in it. Through studying abstract aspects of humanity such as cultures, emotions and feelings, it tries to explain what drives human intentions and the commonality in society and social groups.
Social sciences are referred to as the ‘soft sciences’ because they are driven by scientific inquiry into human social structures and activities. The social sciences try to answer questions such as why do people choose certain careers or what motivated people to vote for a particular leader and the veracity of the political ideology.
Humanities subjects lead to more creative and research careers. Humanities students become the examiner and voice of the society’s collective conscience. Through careers such as journalist, author, painter or educator, they give voice to social issues and find resolutions that are grounded in good ethics and strong moral principles.
Social science students can aim for careers as counsellors, psychologists, therapists, researchers or anthropologists among others. They can apply their objective and subjective understanding to do data-driven research for concrete solutions.
Both social sciences and humanities are relevant to the functioning of a human being in society. Students must consider their aptitude, interest and career aspirations when choosing the subjects to study. Both fields lead to a wide range of career opportunities and many fields will apply ideas and principles from both streams.
Both fields require critical thinking, writing, research and communication skills, which are honed further through the programme. Social science require more analytical skills to apply in data analysis, econometrics and statistics. Humanities requires creative abilities.
Both the fields have lucrative areas of study that lead to fruitful careers in diverse fields. Students must examine their interests and career goals while making a choice.
Both the fields have lucrative areas of study that lead to fruitful careers in diverse fields. Students must examine their interests and career goals while making a choice.
In humanities one studies subjects such as literature, language, history, philosophy, religious studies and fine arts. In social sciences, we study subjects such as anthropology, economics, political science, sociology, and psychology.
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