Meaning, Scope and Nature of Social Studies – JSS1 Social Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Social studies is the study of man and his environment. It deals with the totality of man’s physical and social environment and how people interact with it and with one another. Its scope covers the physical environment, the social environment, and science and technology. It draws on subjects such as Geography, History and Economics.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• define social studies;
• name the two environments with which man interacts;
• give examples of how the physical and social environments influence man;
• explain science and technology and state how they have influenced man;
• list the subjects that make up social studies.

What is social studies?

Social studies can be defined as the study of man and his environment.

Social studies can also be defined as the totality of man’s physical and social environment.

What is the scope of social studies?

The word “man” in the definition above means human beings. Man’s environment has a huge influence on mankind in all spheres of life. It affects his language, dress, food and every other thing one can think of in society.

Man interacts with two environments:

1. Physical environment (natural)
2. Social environment (artificial)

What is the physical environment?

The grassland, mountains, rivers, deserts, seas, oceans and valleys are created by God for the benefit of mankind. They have a great influence on man in many ways.

For example, those who live in riverine areas, like the Ijaws and Ilaje, often take fishing and farming as their occupation. Those who are surrounded by forests, like those living in rural areas, often become hunters.

What is the social environment?

The social environment consists of man-made social ways of life. These include religion, tribe, customs, language, ways of dressing, morals and values.

For example, an adult who has never spoken the Hausa language may relocate from Yoruba land to the Northern parts of Nigeria. Within a few years, he may find himself unconsciously taking on Hausa culture, such as the way of greeting, eating, language and dressing. This happens because of his daily interaction with the environment he finds himself in.

What are science and technology, and how do they affect man?

• Science: the systematic way of acquiring knowledge through observation and experiment.
• Technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

The scope of social studies has a wider range in the area of science and technology. These innovations have greatly influenced man by making life more comfortable.

For example, they have helped man to keep in touch with happenings worldwide through the internet, television, cable and telephone. They have also helped man to dam rivers and get electricity from them.

What is the nature of social studies?

Social studies is made up of several subjects, including:

1. Geography
2. History
3. Civics
4. Government
5. Sociology
6. Economics

• The combination of these subjects reflects how man uses the resources within his environment to find solutions to his problems and improve his life generally.
• Social studies studies how man lives together in harmony in society, and how people interact with and influence one another.
• It helps us to know about conflicts and their causes in society.
• It gives a better understanding of the effects of such conflicts and the ways of resolving them.

Evaluation

1. Define social studies.
2. How many environments does man interact with?
3. Explain the concepts of science and technology.
4. Highlight the subjects that make up social studies.
5. State three reasons why we study social studies.

Assignment

Name the two environments man interacts with. For each one, explain how it influences man and give one example.