How do you feel about the “soft sciences”?

Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
So many months ago the governor of my state wrote and articles that basically trashed the “soft sciences”. Talking to a bunch of anthropology majors (and he singles out anthropology as being especially useless) today it clear they have not forgotten this (note to Governor: don’t find yourself alone in any dark alleys with an anthropologist).

So that leads me to the question, how do you feel about the “soft sciences”?
02/17/2012
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Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
Quote:
Originally posted by namelesschaos
So many months ago the governor of my state wrote and articles that basically trashed the “soft sciences”. Talking to a bunch of anthropology majors (and he singles out anthropology as being especially useless) today it clear they have not forgotten ... more
I want to be a psychiatrist (Majoring in bio, minoring in psych, then on to med school) so psychology? Of COURSE I believe in psychology! Sociology? Crap, it's the science of everything we're about anymore! Some things like anthropology and geology are a bit out of my interest and tend to make my mind wander, but it's the same thing; science is there to quantify, explain, and make sense of this crazy world we live in. Controlled variables or not, science is science.
02/18/2012
Contributor: Ghost Ghost
Well, I am an ecologist and I have to admit that I love science. Real science. However, I find value in almost all fields of study. I don't think they're useless and I don't believe in trashing them.
02/18/2012
Contributor: T&A1987 T&A1987
Quote:
Originally posted by namelesschaos
So many months ago the governor of my state wrote and articles that basically trashed the “soft sciences”. Talking to a bunch of anthropology majors (and he singles out anthropology as being especially useless) today it clear they have not forgotten ... more
in fairness, rick scott is a jackass. it's not really a "soft sciences" thing as a "der, the humanities are a libral conspiracy, let's get em" thing. In fairness I study the soft sciences, political science, although it's not really a science.
02/18/2012
Contributor: Chirple Chirple
Meh, I think the "soft science" designation is a bit silly to begin with, it's a spectrum, but there's crossover and intermixing.

And it can get all silly and become "I am a more realerer science than you" *stick tongue out at* fight, and those pointing fingers often have a "realer" science hanging over their heads.

and, anyway, lolpoliticians
02/18/2012
Contributor: Errant Venture Errant Venture
It depends on what you define as a soft science. There are some which I feel aren't really sciences - political science being one, as mentioned above - but for the most part I have no quarrel with the softer sciences.
02/18/2012
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
To answerer my own question my degree is in a field that is heavy in both hard and soft sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition is obviously a "hard science", however dietetics actually getting you to eat the food that has those nutrient is a soft is in the soft science realm, think behavior change and psychology for example. This is a good example of how both our important hard science determines what is healthy, soft actually get you to eat it.
02/19/2012
Contributor: winterseve winterseve
I've studied medicine, biology, and anthropology. So called "soft sciences" are just as necessary (usually) and shouldn't be trashed. While I don't find interest in many of them I do love Anthro and wouldn't trash any others. I studied Anthropology just as hard as I did biology and medicine. Both can be quite difficult and also fun. Rock on to anyone in a soft science. I agree...never get alone in an ally with an angry anthropologist. We usually know how to get away with pesky things like bodies and evidence
02/19/2012
Contributor: Stinkytofu10 Stinkytofu10
Trashing honest, passionate intellectual pursuits is often initiated by those who don't engage in honest, passionate intellectual pursuits themselves. Ahem.
02/20/2012