11 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Disciplines and Ideas

in the Social Sciences
Quarter 2 – Module 12:
Key Concepts and Approaches in Social
Sciences
Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 12: Key Concepts and Approaches in Social Sciences
First Edition, 2020

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i
 11
Disciplines
and Ideas in
the Social
Sciences
Quarter 2 – Module 12:
Key Concepts and Approaches in
Social Sciences

ii
INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE
For the facilitator:

Welcome to Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences 11 Alternative

Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Key Concepts and Approaches in Social
Sciences!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the
teacher or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore,
this also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while
taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box
in the body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to
encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the
module.

iii
For the learner:

Welcome to the Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences 11

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Key Concepts and Approaches
in Social Sciences!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and
time. You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource
while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

competencies you are expected to learn in the
What I Need to Know module.

This part includes an activity that aims to check

what you already know about the lesson to take.
If you get all the answers correct (100%), you
What I Know
may decide to skip this module.

This is a brief drill or review to help you link the

current lesson with the previous one.
What’s In

In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced

to you in various ways; a story, a song, a poem, a
problem opener, an activity or a situation.
What’s New

This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
What is It understand new concepts and skills.

This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and skills
of the topic. You may check the answers to the
What’s More
exercises using the Answer Key at the end of the
module.
This includes questions or blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
What I Have Learned what you learned from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will help
you transfer your new knowledge or skill into
What I Can Do real life situations or concerns.

This is a task which aims to evaluate your level

of mastery in achieving the learning competency.
Assessment

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 In this portion, another activity will be given to
Additional Activities you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned.

This contains answers to all activities in the

Answer Key module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities included
in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.

If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do

not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind
that you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful

learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You
can do it!

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 How do you use this Module?

In this module, you are required to go through a series of learning

activities in order to complete each learning outcome.

To get the most from this Module, you need to do the following:

1. Begin by reading and understanding the Most Essential Learning

Competencies and Learning Objectives. These will tell you what you
should know and be able to do at the end of every lesson.
2. Find out what you already know by taking the Pre-test then check
your answer against the Answer Key. If you get 100% correct in the
pre- assessment, skip the lesson. This means that you need not to
go through the Lesson because you already know what it is all
about but if not and only get 50% to 99% correct, then proceed with
the lesson.
3. Do the required Learning Activities. They begin with mini lessons.
The mini- lesson contains important notes or basic information that
you need to know. After reading and understanding the mini-lesson,
test yourself on how much you learned by answering the varied
activities. Refer to the Answer Key for correction. Do not hesitate to
go back to the lesson when you do not get all test items correctly.
This will ensure your mastery of basic information.
4. It is not enough that you acquire content or information. You must
be able to demonstrate what you learned by doing the activity in
“What I Can Do”. In other words, you must be able to apply what
you have learned in real life.
5. To test how well you performed, accomplish the scoring rubrics.
6. Finally, answer the Post Assessment to test and measure the
learnings you have acquired in the lesson.

Each Lesson also provides you with glossary and references for

your guide. Enjoy and happy learning!

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 What I Need to Know

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas:
a. Feminist Theory
b. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
c. Human-Environment Systems

MODULE Key Concepts and

Approaches in Social Sciences

In the previous module, you have learned about the first set of the
basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas, namely:
Psychoanalysis, Rational Choice and Institutionalism and its importance in
examining socio-cultural, economic and political conditions. In this
module, you will learn another set of the basic concepts and principles of
the major social science ideas which is the Feminist Theory,
Hermeneutical Phenomenology and Human-Environment Systems.

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 Key Concepts and Approaches
in Social Sciences

Content Standard

The learners demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts

and approaches in Social Sciences.

Performance Standard
The learners shall be able to evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of the approach

Learning Competency MELCS - DISS (Week 11-12)

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major social science ideas:
a. Feminist Theory
b. Hermeneutical Phenomenology
c. Human-Environment Systems

Learning Objectives

At the end of the module you should be able to:

Knowledge: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Skills: Compare and contrast the three approaches.
Attitude: Assess personal and social experiences using relevant
approaches in social sciences.

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 What I Know
I. Multiple Choice. Read each item carefully and write the letter of the
correct answer in your activity notebook.

1. It is the study of gender and its relation to power.

A. Feminism B. Hermeneutical
C. Human-Environment D. Sikolohiyang Pilipino

2. A method of interpreting human experiences as a means to

understand the question of what it is to be human.
A. Rational Choice B. Hermeneutical
C. Institutionalism D. Psychoanalysis

3. An approach that refers to the study of the complex interactions

among human and environment systems.
A. Human or Environment B. Human/Environment
C. Human and Environment D. Human-Environment

4. A social belief that supports gender inequality

A. Gender sensitive B. Gender inequality
C. Gender ideology D. Gender biased

5. Refers to the development of meaning or association with a given location.

A. Mental Map B. Sense of Place
C. Primary Landscape D. Spatial Distribution

II. True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F is the statement
is false. Write your answers in your activity notebook.

6. The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its

deterministic approach in understanding social phenomena.

7. Critics of meninism see feminism as an attempt to make women’s

rights and power more than or in supervision of men.

8. The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the

application of the scientific method.

9. Environment systems are the various institutions and activities humans

created in society.

10. Primary landscape is the underlying structure responsible for

the spatial distribution of things.
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 What’s In
The basic concepts and principles of the major social science
ideas are Psychoanalysis, Rational Choice and Institutionalism. The field of
psychoanalysis has been heavily influenced by the works of Sigmund
Freud. 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.
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.
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.

What’s New

Task 1: Guess Who?

Directions: Study the pictures below and identify the women who became
famous in their own field of endeavor. Write their names and their
advocacy/ field of endeavor in your activity notebook.

[Link]
[Link]
mage/ar_1:1%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_sr [Link]
[Link]/images/uploads/
gb%2Cg_face%2Cq_auto:good [Link]/wp-
[Link]
%2Cw_300/MTE5NDg0MDU1 [Link] content/uploads/2020/04/a
MDE2MDgwOTEx/angelina- rg/wp- lyssa-valdez-
[Link] content/uploads/2017/08/0009c wpcf_200x200.jpg
50a56ce709d50167d0726947072
-[Link]

1. 2. 3. 4.

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 What is It

Feminist Theory

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 which 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. To illustrate this,
one only has to look at the traditional Filipino family structure or of most
societies for that matter. The head of the family is the father, and the
mother is subordinate to the decisions of the father. In labor and
economics, for example, the father goes to his job every day while the
mother is left at home to take care of the children. In the past, women did
find the opportunity to leave the house and gain employment but the jobs
offered to them were limited to being a secretary or nurse. This is but one
struggle that feminism undertook in its advocacy for women.

Feminism developed in three waves. Each movement addressed a

particular issue, which women struggled with at that time, and these are
as follows:

1. The first wave of feminism took place during the 19 th and 20th
centuries, which challenged the legal issues concerning women.
Women at that time surrendered their properties to their husbands,
were not allowed to hold public office, and were not given the rights to
suffrage. It was only in the 1920s that women first voted in America.
Women also advocated their right to choose their own profession.
When World War I went in full swing, men were sent to battlefields
leaving women to take on factory jobs. This development showed that
women were productive as men in the workforce.
2. The second wave of feminism began during 1960s up to the 1990s and
was born out of the civil rights’ movement. The primary issues that this
movement tried to address was of sexual equality and reproductive
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 rights. This movement saw “feminine” objects such as bras, lipsticks,
and high heels as forms of male oppression and an objectification of
women.
3. The third wave of feminism began in the late 1980s and continues until
today. Feminists from the third wave do not consider “feminine”
objects as artifacts of

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 male oppression, but as tools to enrich their femininity. This advocacy
rules the blame-the-victim practice in which sexually harassed women
are treated as sex objects and are actually blamed because of what
they wear and because they put on makeup.

Key Concepts in Feminism

Gender Ideology

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 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. For instance, a research
on gender pay gap revealed that women in the
U.S. receive less than men even if they have the same position and title.

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. It is
evident that at this early stage of development, children’s perception of
gender roles is already being established and affirmed. The gender
ideology in children’s play evolves in adulthood as gender bias and
prejudices, which further support inequality.

Criticisms and Limitations

During the first wave of feminism, anti-feminism was already
present, which opposed the granting of women’s right to vote, hold to
public office, and attain higher education.
Anti-feminism also argued that traditional values, beliefs, and
established religious norms be upheld, and that divorce is considered
taboo. Feminists claim that history has provided the roles by which society
has come about and that should be the way it is. Women are to be
relegated to their homes while their husbands go to earn for the family.
Other critics of feminism are feminists themselves, who see
feminism as an attempt to make women’s rights and power more than or
in supervision of men. Yet, they argue that feminism must advocate for
equality and not create a new form of oppression.
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ESSENTIAL LEARNING

As the capacity of humans to reason and make sense of their world

became complex, we were able to look closely at issues that are often
seen as non-issues merely because they have been practiced traditionally.
The issue of gender equality is one of these neglected issues that have
been finally addressed by scholars and activists alike. Today, women and
other sectors of society who are prey to the dissociating and selective
systems instituted by powerful classes are still fighting for their rights,
which allows the rebirth of a new form of feminist movement.

Hermeneutical
Phenomenology

Hermeneutical phenomenology is a philosophy of and a method for

interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the question of
what it is to be human. This philosophy was developed by Martin
Heidegger (1889–1976) as a continuation and divergence from
phenomenology, the philosophy developed by his mentor and colleague,
Edmund Husserl (1859–1938). Hermeneutical Phenomenology is
sometimes referred to as interpretative phenomenology or existential
phenomenology, while the phenomenology developed by Husserl is
sometimes referred to as descriptive phenomenology or pure phenomenology. In
order to understand the fundamental similarities and differences of both
ideas, let us first examine Husserl’s phenomenology.

Phenomenology, as developed by Husserl is an inquiry on how the

human mind can grasp the nature of things as experienced in the world. It
is a question of how a thorough examination of experiences of the world
can provide deeper insight and perception of the world. In order to answer
this inquiry, Husserl’s ideas revolved around descriptions-by how
descriptions are formed and how descriptions can form truths about
experiences. Husserl suggested that prejudgments, prejudice, and biases
must first be removed in order to grasp the essential nature of things.

Heidegger’s phenomenological approach attempts to interpret

experiences of the world to find truths, which can be used to learn about
human existence or being. Heidegger states that humans are born in a
particular historical period, country, community, and background. Rather
than description, hermeneutical phenomenology is more concerned with
9
how experiences are interpreted and how they generate meaning. The
question of hermeneutical phenomenology is what the revelation of the
thing means for you.

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 The reflections made from experiences are affected by worldviews,
which in turn would be constitutive of future experiences. This is what
Heidegger calls hermeneutic circle, or the process wherein one’s influences
affect his or her experiences of the world, which would then create other
influences that would affect experiencing the world, and so on.

Criticisms and Limitations

The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the

application of the scientific method. However, the absence of such is
intentional since the scientific method is even criticized by Merleau-Ponty
as contrary to perception that holds no preconceived judgments. The lack
of an actual method is another criticism against phenomenology. While
there might be techniques such as phenomenological and eidetic
reduction, these are not the methods per se, but are ways by which
consciousness derives meaning from. The meaning derived from
phenomenological reduction is also relative to the perceiver. The creation
of meanings and perception of things, therefore, are subjective in nature
and cannot be duplicated or lend itself to falsifiability.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING

The field of hermeneutical phenomenology allows for a critical

evaluation of the nature of being. Unlike its counterparts, this field relies
heavily on context and content analysis, which others claim as its
weakness due to the lack of scientific rigor that such process entails.
Today, this field remains relevant in the practice of literary criticism,
cognitive science, and qualitative research.

Human-Environment
Systems

One of the major scientific challenges of our time is investigating

the impact of human activity to our natural environment and how each
system affects one another. Human-environment systems are the
interdisciplinary approaches which study the complex interactions among
human and environment systems. Human systems are the various
institutions and activities humans created in society. These systems
include government policies, industrial waste management, agriculture,
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urbanization, culture, and tradition. On the other hand, environment
systems include the biodiversity of Earth, global weather systems,
landscapes, and animal and plant life, among others.

12
 The idea of human-environment systems holds that society shapes
nature and that nature shapes society. What we do to the environment
affects and changes us. One could see how human systems affect
environment systems by looking at our laws and policies.

Key Concepts in Human-Environment Systems

Sense of Place

A sense of place refers to the development of meaning or

association with a given location. A sense of place is a sense of belonging
or identity, which is developed through the community that occupies it, its
landscape features, and the emotions it brings.

Mental Map
A mental map of a place refers to the mental representation of
things and people of a given location. A mental map is formed by the
memory’s identification of the physical characteristics and features of a
particular place. Over time, mental maps change as new experiences of
the place are acquired directly or indirectly from how others would
describe a place or by watching travel shows. A better focus of the mental
map is also reached when objects and people are associated to the place.
For example, you and your best friend met in a store; hence, you are
reminded of the attached feeling and memory whenever you visit that
place, either physically or in your mind,

Primary Landscape
The place where we grew up is what human geographers consider
as our primary landscape and is the basis for our experience of new places.
It is from the primary landscape that we compare the new places we visit,
and the memories and emotions we attach to it will be transposed to the
new environment and bring a new sense of place.

Spatial Distribution and Spatial Process

Spatial distribution refers to the distribution of anything that exists on
Earth that can be mapped out and is observable through spatial
processes. Spatial distribution maps out natural and physical aspects such
as temperature, weather, and cities. It observes cultural aspects such as
language, nationality, gender, and religion. It also studies the distribution
of how human systems affect environmental systems such as soil erosion,
animal and plant extinction due to deforestation, and air pollution due to
factory fumes.
Spatial Process is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial
distribution of things. For example, the physical distribution of mountain
ranges can be attributed to tectonic shifts, while their cultural distribution
13
can be attributed to technological systems affecting human needs.

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Criticisms and Limitations
The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its
deterministic approach in understanding social phenomena. This
determinism could be seen in Hardin’s work, which highlighted population
as the main cause of social issues.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING
The interrelationship between humans and their environment is a
vital point in the pursuit of understanding human nature and the
populations that they form. The human-environment systems approach
provides a diverse source of interplay between humans and their
environment. Today, this theory remains relevant in addressing
environmental issues that are either created by human populations or
affecting their existence.

What’s Mor e

Task 2. Using the diagram below, identify at least one strength and one
weakness of each approach. Copy and answer the diagram below in your
activity notebook.

Approach Weakness Strength

Feminist Theory
Hermeneutical
Phenomenology
Human-Environment
Systems

What I Have Learned

Give and assess your personal and social experiences of at least
one of the following approaches: Feminism, Hermeneutical
Phenomenology, and Human- Environment systems. Write your
experience in your activity notebook, and answer the following questions
below:

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 How did you deal with it?
 Was there any difference in your decision if you had known the
approaches earlier?

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 What I Can Do

Task 3. Compare and Contrast

Direction. Using the Venn diagram below, compare and contrast the
concepts and principles of the three approaches. Copy and answer the
diagram in your activity notebook.

FEMINISM HERMENEUTICAL
PHENOMENOLOGY

HUMAN-
ENVIRONMENT

Assessment

I. Multiple Choice. Read each item carefully and write the letter of the
correct answer in your notebook.

1. This refers to the study of gender and its relation to power.

A. Feminism B. Hermeneutical
C. Human-Environment D. Sikolohiyang Pilipino

2. A method of interpreting human experiences as a means to

understand the question of what it is to be human.
A. Rational Choice B. Hermeneutical
C. Institutionalism D. Psychoanalysis

3. An approach that refers to the study of the complex interactions

among human and environment systems.
A. Human or Environment B. Human/Environment
C. Human and Environment D. Human-Environment

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 4. A social belief that supports gender inequality
A. Gender sensitive B. Gender inequality
C. Gender ideology D. Gender biased

5. Refers to the development of meaning or association with a given location.

A. Mental Map B. Sense of Place
C. Primary Landscape D. Spatial Distribution

II. True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F is the statement
is false. Write your answers directly in your activity notebook.

6. The human-environment systems theory is

criticized because of its deterministic approach
in understanding social phenomena.

7. Critics of meninism see feminism as an attempt to make women’s

rights and power more than or in supervision of men.

8. The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the

application of the scientific method.

9. Environment systems are the various institutions and activities

humans created in society.

10. Primary landscape is the underlying structure responsible for the

spatial distribution of things.

GLOSSARY
The following terms used in this module are defined as follows:

Descriptive phenomenology – also called as or pure phenomenology and

was developed by Heidegger that attempts to interpret experiences
of the world to find truths, which can be used to learn about human
existence or being.
Feminism – studies gender and its relation to power
Gender ideology – is a social divide that establishes perceived roles for
men and women, and relegating them to specific roles.
Gender inequality – is the actualization or realization of gender ideology.
Hermeneutic circle – or the process wherein one’s influences affect his or
her experiences of the world, which would then create other
influences that would affect experiencing the world, and so on.
Hermeneutical phenomenology – is a philosophy of and a method for
interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the
18
question of what it is to be human.

19
Human-environment systems – are the interdisciplinary approaches which
study the complex interactions among human and environment
systems. Human systems are the various institutions and activities
humans created in society.
Interpretative phenomenology – also called as existential phenomenology
which was developed by Husserl is an inquiry on how the human
mind can grasp the nature of things as experienced in the world.
Mental map – refers to the mental representation of things and people of a
given location.
Primary landscape – according to human geographers, it is the place where
we grew up and is the basis for our experience of new places.
Sense of place – refers to the development of meaning or association with
a given location.
Spatial distribution – refers to the distribution of anything that exists on
Earth that can be mapped out and is observable through spatial
processes.
Spatial Process – is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial
distribution of thing.

20
References
Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., and Elizabeth T. Urgel. DIWA Senior High
School Series: Discipline and Ideas in Social Sciences. Makati City, Philippines:
DIWA Laerning Systems Inc., 2016.

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros

Oriental Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City,
Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: [Link]@[Link]
Website: [Link]