11 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Disciplines and Ideas in

the Social Sciences
Quarter 2 – Module 11:
Key Concepts and Approaches in Social
Sciences
 11
Disciplines and
Ideas in the
Social Sciences
Quarter 2 – Module 11:
Key Concepts and Approaches in
Social Sciences
 What I Know

Directions: Read each item carefully and write the letter of the correct
answer in your activity notebook.

I. Multiple Choice

___1. This refers to a theory of the mind and its directly connection to personality
and behavior.
a. Psychoanalysis c. Institutionalism
b. Rational Choice d. Psychoanalytic practice
___2. It is a method by which the troubling unconscious material, such as memories
and desires, is brought to the level of the conscious mind so that the individual
could better understand himself or herself.
a. Psychoanalysis c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic practice d. Psychosexual development
___3. It is a framework for understanding the impact of the unconscious on thoughts,
feelings and behavior.
a. Psychoanalytic theory c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic practice d. Psychosexual development
___4. This theory explains that human action and behavior are products of choice.
a. Rational Choice theory c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic theory d. Institutionalism
___5. It is something disadvantageous to or what is lost by an individual.
a. Benefit c. cost-benefit analysis
b. Cost d. rationality

II. True or False

Directions: Write T if the statement is true and Write F if the statement is false. Write
your answers in your activity notebook.

1. Psychoanalysis lacks scientific basis and at times, is associated with the mystical
practices of doctors.
2. Psychoanalysis provides an alternative lens in understanding the complexity of
human behavior through the context of personality, consciousness and ideology.
3. The main philosophy of psychoanalysis is the acquisition of personal interests,
power, and wealth.
4. Rational choice theory banks on the key idea that humans are actively calculating
the pros and cons of a particular choice.
5. Institutionalism lacks an explanation on the dynamic nature of political systems

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 What’s In

Directions: Read and answer the questions found below. Write your answers in your activity

Source: [Link]

notebook.

What’s New

LESSON 1 Psychoanalysis

A school of thought developed by Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis refers to

a theory of the mind and its direct connection to personality and behavior. The basic
premise of Psychoanalysis is that the human mind has an unconscious state. There
are thoughts, memories, emotions and feelings that are hidden from a person’s
conscious mind, which without him/her knowing, affects the way he or she thinks,
feels and acts. There are also drives and desires in a person’s unconscious mind
that influence his or her view of the world and how he or she decides to go about his
or her daily life.

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 Psychoanalytic Practice is the method by which the troubling unconscious
material, such as memories and desires, is brought to the level of the conscious
mind so that the individual could better understand himself or herself better.

Specifically, Freud developed a personality theory called Psychosexual

Development of Personality, which posits that at different stages of growth, the
individual derives pleasure from the different parts of the body- thus the term
Psychosexual, relating to pleasure and the human body. The central idea in this
theory is how the mind relates to the body and the pleasure derived from the
activities of the body. An important term in this personality theory is called libido,
which is defined as the natural mental energy that operates the mechanisms of the
mind.

What are the Three Levels of Awareness?

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Personality theory provides three levels of awareness:

conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The conscious level of the mind is the
accessible information, memories and thoughts that an individual has. The
preconscious is the level where the accessible and retrievable information are
situated, but are not currently in the conscious level. The unconscious is the
inaccessible memories, thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are most populated by
childhood events.

What are the Three Structures of Personality?

Key Concepts of Psychoanalysis

Id, Ego, Superego

The id, ego and superego are the parts that are constitutive of personality that
occupy these three levels of the mind.
The first part to develop is the id, which occupies the unconscious level.
Because the id is the biological aspect (instincts and basic urges) of personality, it
only seeks pleasure and demands instant gratification. It does not take reality into
account as it demands what it wants without reason or logic.
Second to develop is the ego, which resides in the conscious and
preconscious levels of the mind. Because the ego is considered the center of logic
and reason, it is also described as the decision maker.
The superego is the third to develop and it resides in all three levels of the
mind. As the moral and social aspect of personality, it is considered as a person’s
conscience. The superego demands strict adherence to the laws of society and
conformity to social norms. It makes a person feel guilty. Like the id, it does not take
reality into account as it merely asserts and demands moral perfection.

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Who is the main proponent of Psychoanalysis?

Sigmund Freud
He was an Austrian neurologist and is known as the Father of
Psychoanalysis. Freud’s theory states that behavior and personality are driven by
past events, which are mostly inaccessible to an individual’s consciousness.

Through a treatment called Psychotherapy, the originating event or

circumstance which hinders an individual to live a healthy life is brought to the
surface of consciousness. One technique used in Psychotherapy is called free
association, a technique that allows the patient to have an inner dialogue with
oneself by saying freely the words that he or she associates with a thing, person, or
an event. By having an inner dialogue, the unconscious reveals itself and the words
associated with an object would gradually lead to the originating event which caused
a mental problem to the patient. Freud relates free association to what is now known
as the Freudian slip or slip of the tongue.

Criticisms and Limitations

Psychoanalysis is mainly criticized as unscientific or, even at times, a
Pseudoscience. This phenomenological approach is characterized by the lack of
quantitative and experimental research in its theory and practice.
It is also argued that it lacks scientific basis and at times is associated with the
mystical practices of witch doctors. Because most of the psychoanalytic theories are
based on case studies, their applicability is questioned to be limited only to the
specific cases studied and not to the general public.

What is It

The field of psychoanalysis has been heavily influenced by the works of

Sigmund Freud. While routinely questioned and criticized, its approach in
understanding human behavior remains relevant today, especially for the treatment
of deep-seated mental illnesses. 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.

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 What’s More

Task 2: Situation Analysis

Directions: Read the situation below and answer the questions that follow.
Write your answers in your activity notebook.

Situation: Marissa went to the mall to buy a pair of school shoes. Upon entering the
shoe section, a pair of ragged shoes caught her attention. She was having a hard
time choosing between buying a pair of school shoes or buying the pair of ragged
shoes.

Questions:

1. What was the situation all about?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. If you are in the same situation, what will you choose to buy? Why?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

As a student, what do you think is the importance of applying psychoanalysis

in examining the socio-cultural conditions in our society? Write your answer in your
activity notebook.
LESSON 2 Rational Choice

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What is Rational Choice?

The Rational Choice Theory explains that human action and behavior are products
of choice. Individuals rationalize their situations by processing between the most
beneficial choices and the lesser individual cost. In the Rational Choice Theory,
Cost-Benefit Analysis is always performed in every given situation and is
considered an instinctual response of every human. Cost is something
disadvantageous to or what is lost by an individual, while benefit is that which is
gained by or is advantageous to the individual after making the choice.

Basic assumptions of Rational Choice Theory:

1. Individuals act purely on self- interest

2. Individuals understand their interests enough to rationally categorize them
according to what they most prefer.
3. Preferences are transitive in nature. This means that choices have a
hierarchical order and that the highest preference will always be favored.

Key Concepts in Rational Choice Theory:

Social Consequence of Scarcity-based Decision

Humanity’s unlimited wants and perpetual desires drove civilizations to either
their prominence or destruction. With natural resources being finite and the
requirements of human ambition unending, the most rational choice is to conserve
the limited resources we have, and share this with each other. However, the problem
is that individuals only seek self-interest and would end up deciding what benefits
them the most.

Who are the proponents of Rational Choice?

Important Theorists:

William Stanley Jevons

He was an English economist who applied the principles of Rational Choice
Theory in Political Economy. Jevons was one of the first to advance the Theory of
Marginal Utility, which sought application in determining and understanding
consumer behavior.
Jevons also identified the concept called Equation of Change, which says that
in order to get the most utility, the ratio of marginal utility must be equal to the price
of the commodity. Marginal utility, in this sense, points to the line wherein the value
for a certain object is still within satisfactory levels.

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Gary Becker
He was an American Economist who expanded the study of Economics to the
realm of sociology and the other social sciences. Suggesting that human behavior is
subject to economic analysis, Becker argued that individuals act to maximize their
own welfare, thereby taking the scope of Economics beyond mere calculation of
financial gains. Like the other thinkers of Rational Choice Theory, Becker ascribes to
the principles that humans behave according to their “perceived values and
preferences.”

Criticisms and Limitations

Rational Choice Theory is heavily criticized for its neglect of ethical and moral
standards. The main philosophy of Rational Choice Theory is the acquisition of
personal interests, power, and wealth. It is not strict with the method and the product
of decision-making.

What is It
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. This theory
remains relevant today in providing an analytical lens for understanding the choices
that humans make, especially with regard to deviant acts.

What’s More

Task 3: What have I learned so far?

Directions: Answer the following questions, and write your answers in your activity
notebook. (5 points each)

1. What is Rational Choice Theory?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. According to the Rational Choice Theory, how do people make decisions?

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 ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. What gave rise to Rational Choice Theory as a dominant approach in

explaining human behavior?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

Directions: Read and answer the questions below. Write your answers in your
activity notebook.

1. Why did you take the track that you are currently enrolled in?
___________________________________________________________

2. What are your desired goals or outcome, alternatives and strategies?

___________________________________________________________
3. Would you say that you applied rationality in making that decision?
___________________________________________________________
4. Aside from your choice of which track to enroll in, cite an instance in your daily
life wherein you applied rationality in making a final choice or decision. Elaborate
your answer by giving not only the choice and options available but also the
reason for your choice.
___________________________________________________________
5. As a student, how will you apply rational choice in your economic condition?
___________________________________________________________

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 What’s New

LESSON 3 Institutionalism

What is Institutionalism?
In order to understand Institutionalism, it is important to first define institutions
in this theoretical perspective.
Institutions are patterns, routines, norms, rules and schemes that govern
and direct social thought and action.
Institutionalism therefore, is an approach that aims to understand and
analyze how actions, thoughts, and meanings penetrate into the social
consciousness deeply enough to embed themselves into the social psyche.
There are different types of institutionalism, but their common concern is to
find out the effects of these institutions and determine how these affects the manner
by which the society functions.

What are the reasons why Institutionalism claims that institutions exists?
1. Social legitimacy
2. Survival

Try to answer this question.

Why do you need to continue your studies amidst the pandemic we are
facing right now?
An institution such as education exists because a person would have a bleak
future without it. That’s why the Department of Education made a Learning
Continuity Plan. Being educated means having to ascend social hierarchies and
organizational structures, which in turn affect the economic prosperity of the person
and survival in a capitalist market.
Institutions provide social legitimacy and survival through isomorphism.

What is isomorphism?

Isomorphism refers to the similarity in form, shape or structure. Institutions

arise, change, and persist due to their regulative, normative, and cognitive functions.
These functions are isomorphic in nature as they adopt in form, shape or structure to
provide social legitimacy, survival or both.

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 The regulative function operates through coercive isomorphism, which
places value on expediency as an effect to compliance. Change either happens or
not depending on external factors such as rules and laws.

The normative function operates through normative isomorphism, which

places value on complying with social obligations. Change either happens or not
depending on external factors such as accreditations and certifications.

The cognitive function operates the mimetic isomorphism, which places

value on what is being complied with by others. Change either happens or not
depending on internal factors such as uncertainty and prevalence of others’
performance.

Key Concepts in Institutionalism

Formal and Informal Institutions

Formal Institutions are codified rules, policies, and norms that are considered
official, originating from state laws, government and organizations.

Informal Institutions on the other hand, are equally known rules and norms but are
not commonly written down.

Institutional actors refer to the people who make up society, whose actions are
controlled and regulated by institutions. Institutional actors can be an individual, a
group, an organization, or a government that creates or follows rules.

In political science, institutional actors and their relationship with one another is often
the subject of research.

Who are the proponents of Institutionalism?

David Mitrany
He was a Romanian-born British scholar, historian, and political theorist. He is
considered the father of functionalism in international relations, which is classified
under liberal institutionalism.

Jean Monnet
He was a French political economist and diplomat. As one of the originators of
the European Union, he saw the needs of the state are to be achieved through the
principle of supranationality. As Mitrany argued against territory being the source of
authority, Monnet used the argument to erase country borderlines.

Stephen Krasner
He is an American professor of international relations. Krasner argues that the
American government and non-government organizations should prioritize the
stabilization of weakened states so that American interests would be protected.

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Criticisms and Limitations
Institutionalism has, as many definitions as there, are scholars who practice it.
Unsurprisingly, Institutionalism has many forms, and as such, there is no central
approach that can define the method of Institutionalism and that the predictability of
outcome changes as different researchers conducted their studies.
One criticism against Institutionalism is that while it can describe and analyze
differences between institutions, it lacks the ability to analyze changes happening in
a certain situation.
Another criticism against Institutionalism is the assessment of institutions
themselves. Since there are many approaches to Institutionalism, there are also a
variety of ways by which institutions can be identified.

What is It

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 More

Task 3: What have I learned so far?

Directions: Read and answer the following questions in your activity notebook. (5
points per number).

1. What is isomorphism?
2. How does normative function operate?
3. How is an informal institution different from formal institution?
4. What are the reasons for the creation of institutions?
5. Why is institutional change costly?

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 What I Have Learned

As a student, how will you apply institutionalism in our political conditions

today?

Assessment
Directions: Read and answer each statement below. Write the letter of
your answer in your activity notebook.

I. Multiple Choice.
___1. This refers to a theory of the mind and its direct connection to personality and
behavior.
a. Psychoanalysis c. Institutionalism
b. Rational Choice d. Psychoanalytic practice
___2. It is a method by which the troubling unconscious material, such as memories
and desires, is brought to the level of the conscious mind so that the individual
could better understand himself or herself better.
a. Psychoanalysis c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic practice d. Psychosexual development
___3. It is a framework for understanding the impact of the unconscious on thoughts,
feelings and behavior.
a. Psychoanalytic theory c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic practice d. Psychosexual development
___4. This theory explains that human action and behavior are products of choice.
a. Rational Choice theory c. Psychosexual
b. Psychoanalytic theory d. Institutionalism
___5. It is something disadvantageous to or what is lost by an individual.
a. Benefit c. cost-benefit analysis
b. Cost d. rationality

II. True or False

Direction: Write T if the statement is true and Write F if the statement is false. Write
your answers in your activity notebook.

1. Psychoanalysis lacks scientific basis and at times is associated with the mystical
practices of with doctors.
2. Psychoanalysis provides an alternative lens in understanding the complexity of
human behavior through the context of personality, consciousness and ideology.
3. The main philosophy of psychoanalysis is the acquisition of personal interests,
power, and wealth.

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