Definition of Social Science

    Social science is defined as any scholastic discipline or scientific field that investigates human society. Social science investigations examine an individual’s relationship with and interaction in society. During the 18th century there was a distinction made between the different types of sciences studied. Natural science were defined as sciences that are experimental and applied, whereas the social sciences are those that grew from moral philosophy. The generally accepted branches of social science include anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology and sociology. Some additions to these have been made since their development to include education, geography, law, linguistics, criminology and archaeology. These all examine and study man’s interactions with his fellow man and with his society.

Much of the studies of social science use observation and subjective explanation. Statistical measures are used widely to substantiate the theories of social scientists. Surveys and interviews are common tools used to collect information from segments of the population to aid in social scientists' understanding of relationships and interactions.

Most fields of study outside the fields of natural science are considered the social sciences. There is also much cross-fertilization of ideas from many of the branches of scientific study.  

Types of Social Sciences

• Anthropology is the study of the development of humans, their nature and their societies. These studies usually involve observing indigenous peoples in remote locations around the globe. Social scientists conduct these observations in an attempt to understand language development, religious beliefs and culture.
• Economics is the study of the ways in which a society deals with money and the availability of goods. The study of economic study yields insights into the lives of common people and the inner workings of businesses and market systems. It also examines how governments used money to provide for their citizens.

• History is the study of man’s past and his decisions. It gives examples of mistakes he has made and successes that he has achieved. It is the study of man’s record throughout time, conducted by examining many more circumstances than could be re-created within a single lifetime.
• Political science looks at how governments and politics have influenced society. By examining the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms, theories on the practices and policies of political systems can be investigated and debated.
• Psychology is one of the most broad and complex fields of social science. Fully understanding methods of thinking and the workings of the human mind may be beyond the reach of scientists, but those involved in this field continue to try to manipulate, control and understand how and why people act and think the way they do.  
• The study of society itself falls within the study of sociology. How society functions and the interactions individuals and groups have with others are of great interest to sociologists. Criminology is a sub-branch of sociology. Criminology studies the criminal behavior of both individuals and of society in general. This field is a guiding knowledge base for the development of the law.
• The law itself branches across many of the basic social sciences. It is concerned mainly with the disputes between members or sectors of society with either the state or with each other. It also concerns the systems of rules that society lives by and how they are formed or influenced by popular beliefs. The influences that frame society and the rules that are designed to control and regulate are also examined.

The Importance of Social Sciences

Most of these fields touch everyones lives in one way or another. The vast majority of the fields do no better than make broad generalizations to try to explain the observed facts. There are not many that can with confidence claim any absolutes. It has been said, “the unexamined life is hardly worth living!” Many of these disciplines work to examine human's collective lives and to learn lessons from them. Only as mankind learns from the many mistakes they have made can they hope to survive and have a peaceful, fulfilled society. Therefore, scientists and society as a whole must take the time to analyze the past and learn to do things better this time around. The social sciences often draw in the concepts of the natural sciences as well in efforts to achieve understanding and improve the world. 

In Wikipedia Dictionary Based Social Science

The field of scholarship that studies society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences. These include: anthropology, archaeology, business administration, communication, criminology, economics, education, government, linguistics, international relations, political science, sociology and, in some contexts, geography, history, law, and psychology. The term may be used, however, in the specific context of referring to the original science of society established in 19th century sociology. Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber are typically cited as the principal architects of modern social science by this definition. Positivist social scientists use methods resembling those of the natural sciences as tools for understanding society, and so define science in its stricter modern sense. Interpretivist social scientists, by contrast, may use social critique or symbolic interpretation rather than constructing empirically falsifiable theories, and thus treat science in its broader sense. In modern academic practice, researchers are often eclectic, using multiple methodologies (for instance, by combining the quantitative and qualitative techniques). The term social research has also acquired a degree of autonomy as practitioners from various disciplines share in its aims and methods.

Retrived from :

1.     http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/reference/word-definitions/define-social-science.html

2.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_science