What Is Social Science? Class 9 Meaning, Scope and Disciplines
Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Social Science is the systematic study of human society: it asks why and how things happen, using observation, evidence and reasoning. Because society is too complex for one field, it is a group of disciplines. In Grades 9-10 the core ones are Geography, History, Political Science and Economics, each studying a different side of life. We study it to understand systems, diversity, citizenship, shared challenges and the link between past, present and future.
Society is too complex for one field, so four disciplines each study one side of life using evidence to ask why and how.
Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.
Understand Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science
Meaning. Social Science is the systematic study of human society. "Systematic" means it relies on careful observation, evidence and logical reasoning, not guesswork. It asks why and how, not only what and where: knowing that a city is crowded is a fact; asking why people moved there is Social Science. It studies society, institutions, cultures and human interactions, while Physics, Chemistry and Biology study the natural world.
Social Science in everyday life. Even a simple day depends on systems: houses use materials brought from different places, food is grown, processed, transported and sold by many people, roads are planned by public authorities, schools follow education policies and electricity reaches homes through a large network. These systems of governance, economic production, social cooperation and the natural environment are what Social Science studies.
Society through time. Early communities depended directly on nature; over time people learnt to grow crops, tame animals, build settlements, make tools, exchange goods and organise governance. Social scientists study this by observing lives, conducting interviews and surveys, examining documents and comparing times and places, building explanations supported by evidence. This reveals both continuity (what endures) and change.
Why a group of disciplines. Society is too complex for one field. A drought shows this: it damages crops (environment), cuts farmers' incomes (economy), calls for government relief (politics), pushes migration to cities (society) and brings out traditional ways of coping with scarcity (culture). In Grades 9-10 Social Science draws on four core disciplines: Geography, History, Political Science and Economics. Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Psychology are also part of the wider family and are studied in higher grades.
Geography studies the location and distribution of places, objects, materials and people and the relationships between human societies and their surroundings. Its key questions are where things are, why they are there and how places affect one another over time. It combines a spatial perspective with a temporal one. For example, India's long peninsular coastline helped contact with Africa, Europe and South-East Asia. Its tools include maps, globes, atlases, GIS and infographics.
Political Science studies governance: how and why power is distributed, how decisions are made and how policies are carried out. It covers constitutions, governments, institutions, social movements, nation building, foreign policy and sharing of power in everyday life. The Panchayati Raj system is a grassroots example. In early India, politics was tied to dharma (moral duty), artha (economic well-being) and rājadharma (what a ruler owes the people), and power was seen as a responsibility.
Economics studies how individuals and societies use limited resources to meet needs, and how goods and services are produced, exchanged and distributed. Consumers decide what to buy, producers decide what and how much to produce, and governments make policies that balance growth with stability and efficiency with fairness. Economics is about well-being, equity and justice, not only numbers, and sustainable development means meeting present needs without harming future generations.
Why study Social Science? It explains the systems around you; explains diversity and builds respect and cooperation; prepares you for democratic citizenship; trains you to ask informed questions about shared challenges such as the environment, public health, jobs and urban growth; and connects past, present and future.
Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science: key facts
- Definition
- Systematic study of human society
- Asks why and how
- Uses evidence and reasoning
- Use as the opening line.
- Four core disciplines
Geography places, location, people-environment links History human past, change over time Political Science governance and power Economics use of limited resources - Grades 9-10.
- Drought example
Crops environment Incomes economy Relief politics Migration society Coping culture - One event, many disciplines.
- Geography perspectives
- Spatial: location and its significance | Temporal: change over time
- Both together.
- Economic decision-makers
- Consumers decide what to buy
- Producers decide what and how much to produce
- Governments balance growth, stability, efficiency and fairness
- Three groups.
How to answer Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science questions
Questions ask you to define Social Science, match disciplines to their focus, explain with the drought example and give reasons for studying the subject.
- 1Open with the definition: systematic study of human society, asking why and how.
- 2For "why a group of disciplines", use the drought example with five links.
- 3For matching, pick the keyword: places (Geography), past (History), power (Political Science), resources (Economics).
- 4For application, take a local event (flood, new road) and show what each discipline would ask.
- 5End with the value: citizenship, understanding diversity and informed choices.
Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
A new bridge in town
Suppose a town builds a bridge over a river that earlier needed a boat to cross.
What would each core discipline ask about this bridge?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Geography: where is it and how does it connect places?
- History: how did people cross before, and how has the area changed?
- Political Science: who decided, and how was the work approved?
- Economics: what did it cost and how does it change trade?
Answer: Geography would study the location and links, History the earlier crossing and change, Political Science the decision process and Economics the cost and effect on trade. All four together give a full picture.
Memory hook: One bridge, four lenses.
Why a market is crowded
Suppose a student asks why a weekly market is crowded on one day and nearly empty on others.
Is this a Social Science question? Why?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- It asks why, not only what.
- Answers involve people's choices, location and income.
- Observation and interviews can provide evidence.
Answer: Yes. It asks why a pattern exists and can be investigated with observation, interviews and evidence, which is the method of Social Science.
Memory hook: Why, not just what.
Tricks to remember Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
G-H-P-E
Geography, History, Politics, Economics: "Get Help, Ponder, Evaluate".
Use it when: Four core disciplines.
Keyword for each
Places, Past, Power, Production: four Ps.
Use it when: Matching disciplines.
Drought chain
Crops, Cash, Government, Migration, Customs.
Use it when: Five effects.
Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: Which discipline? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The study of how power is distributed and policies are carried out is:
(a) Geography
(b) History
(c) Political Science
(d) Economics
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Governance and power are the focus of Political Science (1 mark).
Answer: (c) Political Science
Example 2: Definition (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Define Social Science and say why it is called systematic. (2 marks)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The systematic study of human society (1 mark).
- It uses careful observation, evidence and logical reasoning, not guesswork (1 mark).
Answer: Social Science is the systematic study of human society. It is called systematic because it relies on careful observation, evidence and logical reasoning instead of guesswork.
Example 3: The drought example (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Using the example of a drought, explain why Social Science is a group of disciplines. (3 marks)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- A drought damages crops (environment) and cuts farmers' incomes (economy) (1 mark).
- It calls for government relief (politics) and pushes migration (society) (1 mark).
- It brings out traditional coping methods (culture); no single field explains all of this (1 mark).
Answer: A drought damages crops, which is an environmental effect, and cuts farmers' incomes, which is an economic effect. It requires government relief, a political response, and pushes migration to cities, a social effect. It also brings out traditional ways of coping with scarcity, a cultural effect. As no single field can explain all these links, Social Science is a group of disciplines.
Example 4: Assertion-reason: Geography · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Geography studies both location and change over time.
Reason (R): It combines a spatial perspective with a temporal perspective.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Both statements follow the chapter; R explains A (1 mark).
Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Example 5: Apply to a flood (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
A river floods a town. Explain what Geography, History, Political Science and Economics would each study about the flood, and name one more discipline that could add to the understanding. (5 marks)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Geography: where the town lies, why the river overflowed, how places are affected (1 mark).
- History: earlier floods and how people responded over time (1 mark).
- Political Science: government relief, planning and decision-making (1 mark).
- Economics: loss of income and resources, costs of rebuilding (1 mark).
- Another discipline: Sociology, Anthropology or Psychology for community effects (1 mark).
Answer: Geography would study the location of the town, why the river overflowed and how places were affected. History would look at earlier floods and how people responded over time. Political Science would study relief, planning and decisions by authorities. Economics would study the loss of income and resources and the cost of rebuilding. Sociology or Psychology could add an understanding of how families and communities were affected.
Example 6: Case: the ordinary day · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
Read the case and answer the questions.
A student notices that her breakfast bread was made from wheat grown far away, milled in a factory, carried by trucks on a highway built by a public authority, and sold in a shop whose price depends on demand. Her school bus runs on a route fixed by the municipality.
(i) Name two systems visible in this account. (1)
(ii) Which discipline would study the highway and routes? (1)
(iii) Which discipline would explain the price of bread, and what other discipline would ask how the municipality decided on the bus route? (2)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- (i) Any two: food production and trade, transport, governance (1 mark).
- (ii) Geography (location and connections) (1 mark).
- (iii) Economics for price; Political Science for the municipality's decision (2 marks).
Answer: (i) Food production and distribution, and transport (also governance of roads and routes). (ii) Geography would study the highway and routes. (iii) Economics would explain the price of bread through demand and supply, and Political Science would study how the municipality made its decision.
Where students lose marks in Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Defining only as "study of society"
Missing "systematic".
Wrong working
Social Science is the study of society.
Right working
It is the systematic study of human society, using evidence and reasoning.
Do this: Add the key word.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mixing discipline focus
Similar areas.
Wrong working
History studies the Earth's surface.
Right working
Geography studies the Earth; History studies the past.
Do this: Keyword method.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Drought example incomplete
Only one effect.
Wrong working
A drought affects crops.
Right working
Add incomes, relief, migration and coping traditions.
Do this: Five links.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: Calling it a single subject
Missing the group idea.
Wrong working
Social Science is one subject like Physics.
Right working
It is a group of related disciplines.
Do this: Explain why.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Exam tips
- Begin every definition with "systematic study".
- Prepare the drought chain; it appears in many formats.
- Use one NCERT example per discipline (coastline for Geography; Panchayati Raj for Political Science).
- Write application answers with each discipline on its own line.
Practice questions on Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of the following is NOT a core discipline of Social Science in Grades 9-10?
(a) Geography
(b) History
(c) Physics
(d) EconomicsHint
Natural science.
Answer
(c) Physics
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
State two differences between Social Science and Physics, Chemistry and Biology. (2 marks)
Hint
Society versus nature; why and how.
Answer
Social Science studies society, institutions, cultures and human interactions, while Physics, Chemistry and Biology study the natural world. Social Science also asks why and how people and institutions behave as they do, using observation and evidence about human choices.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Give three reasons why we should study Social Science. (3 marks)
Hint
Systems, diversity, citizenship.
Answer
It explains the systems around us such as housing, water, roads, schools and markets. It explains diversity and builds respect and cooperation. It prepares us for democratic citizenship by showing how governments work and how to take part responsibly. It also helps us ask informed questions about shared challenges and connects past, present and future.
Q4 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Economics is about numbers only.
Reason (R): Economics also deals with well-being, equity and justice in the use of limited resources.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.Hint
Three decision-makers.
Answer
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Q5 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Explain what Geography, Political Science and Economics study, with an example for each from the chapter. (5 marks)
Hint
Location; governance; limited resources.
Answer
Geography studies the location and distribution of places, objects, materials and people and how societies relate to their surroundings; for example, India's long peninsular coastline helped contact with other regions. Political Science studies governance, power and decision-making; for example, the Panchayati Raj system gives villagers a voice in local planning. Economics studies how individuals and societies use limited resources to meet needs through production, exchange and distribution; for example, consumers decide what to buy and producers decide what to produce. Together they show different sides of social life.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a classmate claims, "Social Science is only about memorising dates and places." Evaluate the claim using the chapter. (3 marks)
Hint
Why and how; reasoning.
Answer
The claim is incorrect. The chapter says Social Science is the systematic study of society, asking why and how, not only what and where, and relying on evidence and reasoning. Dates and places are facts; Social Science uses them to find patterns and explain causes, such as why people move to cities or how a drought affects many parts of life.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.What is Social Science?Show answer
The systematic study of human society.
2.Name the four core disciplines in Grades 9-10.Show answer
Geography, History, Political Science and Economics.
3.What are the two perspectives of Geography?Show answer
Spatial and temporal.
4.What does Economics study?Show answer
How limited resources are used to meet needs, and how goods and services are produced, exchanged and distributed.
5.Name two disciplines studied in higher grades.Show answer
Sociology and Psychology (also Philosophy and Anthropology).
Meaning, Scope and Disciplines of Social Science: frequently asked questions
What is the scope of Social Science?
It covers society, institutions, cultures and human interactions, studied through disciplines such as Geography, History, Political Science and Economics.
Why is Social Science a group of disciplines?
Because society is too complex for one field; an event like a drought affects environment, economy, politics, society and culture.
Why should we study Social Science?
To understand systems and diversity, prepare for citizenship, ask informed questions about shared challenges and connect past, present and future.
What does Political Science study?
Governance: how power is distributed, how decisions are made and how policies are carried out.