DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL
Confidentiality is a
SCIENCES
What are Social Sciences?
Social Sciences are a group of academic
disciplines dedicated to examining society. This branch
of science studies how people interact with each other,
behave, develop as a culture, and influence the world.
UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SCIENCE
Social sciences help to explain how society
works, exploring everything from the triggers of
economic growth and causes of unemployment to what
makes people happy. This information is vital and can
be used for many purposes. Among other things, it
helps to shape corporate strategies and government
policies.
APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES
Applied social sciences are those academic
social science disciplines, professions, and occupations
which seek to use basic social science knowledge,
particularly from sociology, economics and political
science, and to a lesser extent psychology, social
psychology and anthropology to make an impact on the
daily life of communities, organizations and persons.
THE DIFFERENCE?
Pure social sciences encompass only the
concepts, ideologies, definitions, and purposes of the
multiple disciplines under it.
Applied social sciences denote the integration
of these knowledge and information in dealing with and
resolving problems and issues in the real world.
HOW ARE THOSE BRANCHES OF PURE SOCIAL
SCIENCES ASSOCIATED WITH APPLIED SOCIAL
SCIENCES?
The disciplines of Social Sciences are integrated
in the three subcategories of the Applied Social
Sciences namely;
1. Counseling
2. Social Work
3. Communication
COUNSELING
Counseling
-The process that occurs when a client and
counsellor set aside time to explore difficulties which
may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the
client.
-The act of helping the client to see things more
clearly, possibly from a different view-point. This can
enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or
behavior, with a goal of facilitating positive change.
-A relationship of trust.
paramount to successful counselling. Professional
counsellors will usually explain their policy on
confidentiality. They may, however, be required by law
to disclose information if they believe that there is a risk
to life.
Counselling is when we meet with someone
who is a qualified counsellor trained in listening and
talking. In counselling we can talk about things that
might be worrying us or about changes we might want
to make in our life. This is done in a structured way.
COUNSELLING is not:
 Giving advice.
 Being judgmental
 Attempting to sort out the problems of the
client.
 Expecting or encouraging a client to behave as
the counsellor would behave if confronted with
a similar problem in their own life.
 Getting emotionally involved with the client.
 Looking at a client’s problems from your own
perspective, based on your own value system.
GOALS OF COUNSELLING
A. ENHANCING COPING SKILLS
We will inevitably run into difficulties in the
process of growing up. Most of us do not completely
achieve all of our developmental tasks within a lifetime.
All of the unique expectations and requirements
imposed on us by others will eventually lead to
problems. Any inconsistencies in development can
result in children learning behaviour patterns that are
both inefficient and ineffective. Learned coping
patterns, however, may not always work. New
interpersonal or occupational role demands may create
an overload and produce excessive anxiety and
difficulty for the individual.
B. IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS
Many clients tend to have major problems
relating to others due to poor self-image. Likewise,
inadequate social skills cause individuals to act
defensively in relationships. Typical social difficulties
can be observed in family, marital and peer group
interaction (e.g., the troubled elementary school child).
The counselor would then strive to help the client
improve the quality of their lives by developing more
effective interpersonal relationships.
C. FACILITATING CLIENT POTENTIAL
Counseling seeks to maximize an individual’s freedom
by giving him or her control over their environment
while analyzing responsiveness and reaction to the
environment. Counselors will work to help people learn
how to overcome, for example, excessive substance
use and to better take care of their bodies.
D. FACILITATING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Most theorists indicate that the goal of counseling is to
bring about change in behaviour that will enable the
client to be more productive as they define their life
within society’s limitations. According to Rodgers
(1961), behaviour change is a necessary result of the
counseling process, although specific behaviours
receive little or no emphasis during the process.
 1. Adolescent identity, concerns, teen-parent
E. PROMOTING DECISION-MAKING relationships,
The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to 2. peer relationships
make critical decisions regarding alternative courses of 3. Anxiety
action without outside influence. Counseling will help 4. Anger management
individuals obtain information, and to clarify emotional 5. Children’s concerns within the family unit,
concerns that may interfere with or be related to the sibling
decisions involved. These individuals will acquire an 6. relationships, school experiences, peer
understanding of their abilities and interests. They will relationships
also come to identify emotions and attitudes that could 7. Depression
influence their choices and decisions. 8. Family of origin dynamics and issues
9. Gender: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
Objectives and Scope of Counselling 10. Grief and bereavement
11. Relationships: personal and interpersonal
Counselling involves a relationship between a dynamics
professionally trained, competent counsellor and an 12. Sexual abuse recovery
individual seeking help. The main objectives as per the 13. Seniors: challenges, limitations, transitions
educators of NTT Nursery Teacher Training Course of 14. Singles: single, newly single, single through
counselling are as follows: divorce or
Achievement of Positive Mental Health: An individual 15. being widowed
is said to mental when he is able to relate have positive 16. Spirituality
meaningfully with others and leads a fulfilling life. He 17. Stress management
this state is able to love and be loved. The objective of 18. Workplace stress and relationships
counselling is to help the individual to attain 19. Young adult: identity, relationships,
vocation
Problem Resolution: Another objective of counselling
is to help the individual to come out of a difficult MARITAL AND PRE-MARITAL COUNSELLING
situation or problem. It must be remembered that the 1. Marital and relational dynamics
individual is only assisted and he himself finds solution 2. Extended family relationships
of the problems. 3. Fertility issues
Counselling for Decision-making: Ability to make right FAMILY COUNSELLING
and timely decisions is crucial for success in life. An 1. Adolescent and child behaviours within
important objective of counselling is to make individual family dynamics
capable of making independent decisions. 2. Adult children
Improving Personal Effectiveness: As effective person 3. Divorce and separation issues and
is one who is able to control impulses, think in creative adjustment
ways and has the competence to recognize, define and 4. Family dynamics: estrangement, conflict,
solve problems. It can be seen that these different goals communication
are not exclusive. These are all interdependent and 5. Family of origin / extended family issues
overlapping. 6. Life stages and transitions
7. Parenting patterns: blended, single, co-
Help Change: An important objective of counselling is parenting families
to bring change for development. Counselling helps
individual to make changes in attitudes, perceptions or Core Values in Counseling
personality.
1. Act with care and respect for individual and cultural
Behaviour Modification: Another objective of
differences & the diversity of human experience.
counselling is to help in modifying behaviour. Removal
of undesirable behaviour or self-defecting behaviour 2. Avoid doing harm in all their professional work.
and learning desirable behaviour is considered
necessary for attaining effectiveness and good 3. Respect the confidences with which they are
adjustment. entrusted.
Scope of Counselling: Counselling is a part of guidance,
so it has also the same dimensions of scope as 4. Promote the safety and well-being of individuals,
guidance. Beside these, counselling as a specialized families & communities.
programme has some special needs also. Problems and
needs in society are not new. But today they seem to 5. Seek to increase the range of choice and
be proliferating at an unprecedented rate. Counselling opportunities for clients.
is required to solve a variety of social problems.
Counselling is necessary in different areas like Juvenile 6. Be honest and trustworthy in all their professional
delinquency, Marriage, Weaker sections, relationships.
Disadvantaged groups, Drug addiction etc. Scope of
counselling is very vast. It is concerned with various 7. Practice within the scope of their competence.
problems and progress of an individual for example the
planning relating to financial and health problems, 8. Treat colleagues and other professionals with
problems related to family, society and emotional respect.
adjustments.
Principles of Counselling:
SCOPE OF COUNSELLING
1. Principle of acceptance—accept the patient with his
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING physical, psychological, social, economical and cultural
conditions.
2. Principle of communication—communication should
be verbal as well as non-verbal and should be skillful.
3. Principle of empathy—instead of showing sympathy
put yourself in patients shoes and then give reflections
accordingly (Empathy is ability to identify with a
person.)
4. Principle of non-judge—mental attitude-do not
criticize or comment negatively regarding patient’s
complaints.
5. Principle of confidentiality—always keep the
patient’s name, and the problem strictly secrete and
assure the patient about the same.
6. Principle of individuality—treat each and every
patient as unique and respect his problem as well.
7. Principles of non-emotional involvement—not
getting emotionally involved with the patient and avoid
getting carried away with his feelings.