Which Social Sciences Subject Should You Choose?
This article is designed to help you understand the social sciences subjects that are on offer to you.
Geography, Legal Studies, Economics and Business Studies are the most popular of these subjects. If you are considering studying one of these but aren’t sure which one to choose, or are just trying to decide if you should study ANY social science subjects, read on.
So what are some similarities between these subjects? To begin with, all of them have a key focus on the relationship between humans and the world.
Altogether, they are quite content heavy. Business and Legal Studies generally have the most content of them all, but Geography and Economics have a fair chunk too!
These subjects also require a fair amount of writing in assessments. Most social science exams involve essays or, at least some extended responses. The amount of written work does depend on the subject, which leads us to…
Let’s begin with GEOGRAPHY. In Years 11 and 12, Geography generally builds upon the information you have previously learnt in Years 7-10, so if you have enjoyed Geography throughout your time at high school, it may be worth pursuing.
The subject looks at humans and the environment, and how they interact with each other. There is a strong focus on case studies and specific examples and the assessment tasks are usually made up of short answer questions, map skills and extended responses. Of all the social science subjects, Geography exams offer the most variety in style.
Next up is LEGAL STUDIES. Don’t be deterred by the amount of content for this subject! Whilst there is a lot of it and it may feel like a bit of an information overload, if you’re interested in law, this is the subject for you! You will have a chance to look at national and international legislation in addition to specific case studies.
Legal Studies requires more essay writing, which you may find to be a slightly different style to the typical English essay. You may also be required to source some of your own supporting evidence for assessment tasks, including articles, case laws and stats.
ECONOMICS will allow you to look at a range of different economic theories, both national and international. The style of this subject is different to the economics that you may have looked at if you studied Commerce in your earlier high school years.
There is some maths involved, however it is not an entirely maths-based subject, so if Maths isn’t your favourite subject it doesn’t necessarily mean that Economics isn’t for you!
Finally, BUSINESS STUDIES. This subject is, of the previous two, the most like the Commerce you may be used to. A lot of the content builds from previous Commerce knowledge and if you choose this subject, you will have a chance to look closely at small businesses all the way up to large corporations.
Like Legal Studies, there is a lot of content involved in Business Studies. The assessment style for this subject is primarily made up of short answer and extended responses.