Although the video to the left provides a seemingly firm definition of the social sciences, the term, or at least its representation in academic departments, can be difficult to define.
According to A Dictionary of Sociology, social science is a "general label applied to the study of society and human relationships." Within colleges and universities, students will often find that social science departments include courses and programs in anthropology, geography, political science, sociology, and economics; however, as it speaks to the psycho-social aspects of relationships in society, behavioral science is frequently connected with social science, and so psychology and criminology are included.
What is more, social sciences are sometimes fleshed out with more of an applied view in mind, and, therefore, they include fields, such as business, communication & media studies, education, library science, social work, and women's studies. Obviously, humankind's relationships to society are complex, so is it really any surprise how equally intricate the study of those relationships are destined to be?
