Free Social Science Classes

Internet Courses in the Social Sciences Online

Social science classes involve those subjects which concern the social interaction of individuals and societies comprised of large masses of people. The study of social science therefore touches on the psychological makeup of a single person much like psychology would, but it also ranges over the cultural, political, and sometimes religious setting of their region and nation, much like anthropology. Social science tends to focus on the modern world and contemporary societies, though it can refer to any culture to which one is born, develops, and identifies.

To give some idea of the types of social concerns and subjects a social scientists studies, I point you to the following distance learning courses you can study at places like the Open University in the United Kingdom and MIT in Massachusetts. Each of the courses below study the social interactions of people on some level and in specific settings.

How Arguments Are Used in the Social Sciences is a quick one-hour course which takes a look at how arguments are constructed in public debates. The example used for illustration of this topic is a Radio 4 program. Students will listen to this program and dissect how the various arguments in the show were constructed.

The "Social" in Social Science looks at the society itself from many different angles. This free online college class lets you study how people communicate, produce things, govern themselves, and solve problems at the society level. This course studies how deeply embedded cultural assumptions often govern social policy making and is a call for wedding philosophical thinking with practical, scientific research to produce better social planning.

Exploring Childrens Learning covers four different theories of child development. Each of the four theories continues to be explored by researchers, academics, and social scientists. Each has a significant amount of data accumulated from decades of theorizing. When you're finished with this course, you're likely to challenge your preconceived notions about how children develop over time, including the children in your life or even the children you've raised.

Play in Children's Learning explores the attitudes parents, educators, and adults have about the role of play and the socialization of the playground has in the lives of children. This course tends to focus on contemporary changes in the English school system in order to raise educational standards and whether the changes (which have limited playtime) are positive or not.

Toddlers: Teaching and Learning at Home is a course about how babies and toddlers learn. Study what methods parents use to teach young children, how toddler interact with their surroundings, and how children develop new ways to think as they mature.

Young People's Wellbeing covers the dangers faced by kids growing up in a modern world. Topics discussed include behavioral issues, teenage depression, binge drinking, and rampant obesity. This course is as much about physical and mental health as it's about social inequality and cultural differences, but each subject is discussed in depth.

Technology and Gender in American History is a study of the triangular relationship between men, women, and technology in U.S. history. Included are discussions of the role of both males and females in the development of science and technology, the effects of industrialization on gender roles in America, and the impact of modern warfare, production lines, and consumerism on the relationship between men and women. A number of gender theories will be discussed in this free online college course.

Technology and Culture is a survey of the impact of technology on societies since the time of the Industrial Revolution in America in the 19th century and in other places since. This MIT course discusses everything from the first city factories to 21st century pop culture and even electronic dance music. Cultures studied include the United States and the islands of Melanesia. The main question of the course is whether technology has created a better world, and for who this better world might favor.

Gender Issues in Academics and Academia is a study of whether gender plays a role in ones education and how this might be. Topics for study include the higher grades of boys in math and science and why males advanced in academia faster and more often. Other topics include why girls get better grades in school and why women go to college more often than men. This is a gender-charged issue which asks a lot of tough questions.