---
title: "Outline of social science"
chunk: 4/6
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_social_science"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:57:28.365284+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Etymology – the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. Evolutionary linguistics – the scientific study of both the origins and development of language as well as the cultural evolution of languages. Forensic linguistics – application of linguistic knowledge, methods and insights to the forensic context of law, language, crime investigation, trial, and judicial procedure. Geolinguistics – branch of human geography that studies the geographic distribution of language or its constituent elements. Historical linguistics – the study of language change. Language – is a structured means of communication
Lexis – total vocabulary or lexicon having items of lexical, rather than grammatical, meaning. Linguistic typology – subfield of linguistics that studies and classifies languages according to their structural features. Literature – refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage. Mathematical linguistics – Mathematics has been applied in linguistics for analysis, grammar logic and other theoretical aspects in linguistics. Morphology – identification, analysis and description of the structure of a given language's morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context (words in a lexicon are the subject matter of lexicology). Neurolinguistics – the study of the neural mechanisms in the human brain that control the comprehension, production, and acquisition of language. Philology – the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics. Phonetics – a branch of linguistics that consists of the study of the sounds of human speech, or the equivalent aspects of sign. Phonology – the branch of linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in languages. Phraseology – the study of the set or fixed expressions, such as idioms, phrasal verbs, and other types of multi-word lexical units (often collectively referred to as phrasemes), in which the parts of the expression take on a meaning more specific than or otherwise not predictable from the sum of their meanings when used independently. Pragmatics – subfield of linguistics that studies how context contributes to meaning. Psycholinguistics – the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, comprehend and produce language. Sociolinguistics – a descriptive study of the effect of any aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language, is used, and the effects of language use on society. Speech science – Speech science refers to the study of production, transmission and perception of speech. Speech science involves anatomy, in particular the anatomy of the oro-facial region and neuroanatomy, physiology, and acoustics. Stylistics – study and interpretation of texts from a linguistic perspective. Syntax – "the study of the principles and processes by which sentences are constructed in particular languages."
Semantics – the study of meaning. Writing systems and orthography – representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols (known as a writing system). Management – in addition to the administration of an organization, it is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Media studies – academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Communication studies – an academic field that deals with processes of human communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols to create meaning. Political science – social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government, and politics. Civics – the study of the theoretical and practical aspects of citizenship, its rights and duties; the duties of citizens to each other as members of a political body and to the government. Comparative politics – field and a method used in political science, characterized by an empirical approach based on the comparative method. Game theory – the study of strategic decision making. Geopolitics – a theory that describes the relationship between politics and territory whether on a local or international scale. political geography –  field of human geography that is concerned with the study of both the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and how political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures. Ideology – a set of ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions. Political economy – Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy. It developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states, polities, hence political economy. Political psychology – bureaucratic, administrative and judicial behaviour
Psephology – the branch of political science which deals with the study and scientific analysis of elections. Voting systems – methods by which voters choose between options, often in an election or on a policy referendum. Public administration – houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. Public policy – generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state about a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. Public health – the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting human health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals
Local government studies – a form of public administration which is a majority of contexts, exists as the lowest tier of administration within the given state. International politics – the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs). International relations theory – the study of international relations from a theoretical perspective; it attempts to provide a conceptual framework upon which international relations can be analyzed. Science diplomacy
Psychology – the science of behaviour and mental processes
Abnormal psychology - the study of unusual behaviour, emotion, and thought in an individual, likely of that as a mental disorder. Applied psychology – use of psychological principles and theories to overcome problems in other areas, such as mental health, business management, education, health, product design, ergonomics, and law. Psychological testing – field characterized by the use of samples of behaviour to assess psychological construct(s), such as cognitive and emotional functioning, about a given individual. Clinical psychology – integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development. Community psychology – Sense of community Social capital
Consumer behaviour – study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a product. Counseling psychology – a psychological specialty that encompasses research and applied for work in several broad domains: counselling process and outcome; supervision and training; career development and counselling; and prevention and health.