Social Sciences & Humanities

The subject areas in the STA Social Sciences and Humanities program – family studies and general social sciences – are concerned with how students view themselves, their families, their communities, and the broader society, and how they come to understand and respond to the world around them.  Courses in these areas:

• systematically explore the ways in which individuals influence and are influenced by families, communities, cultures, institutions, and societies, and by ideas, norms, and values;
• explore individual and collective human behaviour and needs as well as patterns and trends in society;
• shed light on a variety of social structures, institutions, relationships, and power dynamics.

Through practical experience, discussion, debate, research, reflection, and the development of critical and creative thinking skills, Social Sciences and Humanities courses help students become self-motivated problem solvers equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to face their changing world with confidence.

Social Sciences and Humanities courses provide students with essential knowledge and transferable skills that are applicable in various areas of their lives – in their personal and family lives as well as in their post-secondary studies and in the workplace. Individual courses provide students with a foundation for a variety of possible post-secondary destinations:  positions in the retail and service industries; college programs in community services (e.g., early childhood education, child and youth work, and developmental services work), creative endeavours (e.g., the fashion industry, fashion design, garment construction, and food preparation), or business (e.g., human resources); and university programs in fields such as anthropology, business studies, education, environmental studies, family and child studies, food and nutrition sciences, gender studies, health sciences, human resources, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, social work, and sociology.

The discipline of Social Sciences and Humanities, and its related knowledge and skills, has connections with many other disciplines taught in secondary school. Through their studies in Social Sciences and Humanities courses, students are able to bring a broader perspective, integrate useful knowledge, and apply critical-thinking skills when studying other subjects such as history, geography, arts, and English.