Prof. Rodney Frey’s Definitions of the Humanities and Social Sciences

The humanities and social science are both academic disciplines which seek to study, understand, appreciate and critique the human conduction in all its depth and range of meaning.   In varied ways, they consider the specific and finite, as well as the "big questions," both of the contemporary and the historic periods, and with these understandings and methodologies engage civic life, both locally and globally, to address the challenges faced by humanity. 

What distinguishes the humanities from the social sciences is not a certain subject matter, but rather the mode of approach and inquiry to any given question; what distinguishes them is their methodology.

Humanities research methods are analytical, critical, reflective, speculative and imaginative in nature and apply interpretative methods to understand meaning, purpose, goals, and find truth.  The humanities are not part of the “scientific method paradigm.”   They do not use an empirical research design.  The humanities do not typically express themselves through the action and production of artistic texts, performances and exhibits, which is the domain of the arts.

The humanities disciplines typically include anthropology and ethnography, the classics, communications studies and cultural studies (such as American, Black, International, Latin American, Native American, Religious, Women's Studies); they include the ancient and modern languages, law, literature, history and philosophy.  The humanities can also overlap with and include the reflection and theory endeavors within creative writing, within the performing arts of music, dance and theatre, and within the visual arts of painting, sculpting and architecture.  As such, there is typically a differentiation between the humanities and the arts, as reflected in funding sources.

The social science empirical methods may be divided into two broad schools, both of which seek to use empirical means to explain causality of events and uncover truth in the natural and social world: 

·         Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases (or across intentionally designed treatments in an experiment) to create valid and reliable general claims.

·         Qualitative designs emphasize understanding of social phenomena through direct observation, communication with participants, or analysis of texts, and may stress contextual and subjective accuracy over generality

The social science disciplines typically include anthropology and archaeology, business administration, communications, criminology, economics, education, geography, history, international relations, law, linguistics, political science, public administration, psychology, sociology.    As you can see, some disciplines rely upon both humanities and social science methodologies.