In its broadest sense, social science refers to any study of the Earth’s societies.  A mixture of anthropology, history, political science, and geography, it’s often taught at a secondary school level as a substitute for pure history.  Social science usually differs from sociology, which is more of a study of human culture and theory about society itself. Researchers of the social sciences are often divided into Interpretivist and Positivist camps; Interpretivists approach their studies in a less scientific way, using symbolic language and social criticism, while Positivists are more like traditional scientists, trusting largely in empirical evidence and attempting to create and test falsifiable hypotheses.  

This book attempts to explore the topic of social science with a non-traditional strategy, using everyday language and examples to clarify topics rather than a lot of academic jargon and proofs.  The result is a text which feels less like a textbook and is much more accessible to modern readers and students just getting started in the field. Everyday questions which are nevertheless important and unanswered are explored in this book, including religion, gender, and race issues.  The author makes many analogies to put ideas into context and covers a wide range of topics, making this a volume sometimes described as a “must-have” for students of social science.

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