Social sciences : an institutional framework for development in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The term Social Sciences has a very wide connotation. Various studies have highlighted the term as that body of knowledge that deals with man as a member of society or of any integral part of society as, for example, the family, the state, etc... In Western culture the term encompasses a number of disciplines which are specifically and categorically interrelated. In the East, for example, as in China, the term is viewed in its broadest sense. It embraces, without disregarding the specificity of other disciplines, the humanistic sciences as well. This contrast is indeed very interesting, as it shows that the interrelation that exists within the various sciences gives rise to complicated and often contrasting definitions of the term social sciences. One of the most analytical and critical diagnosis of the term is made by the Polish philosopher Bogdan Suchodolski (cfr. "Implications for European Universities" in Higher Education and the New International Order, edited by Bikas C. Sanyal. Unesco pub., Parts 1982 pp. 1 08-9).