SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE FACE OF COVID-19: AN OVERVIEW

This study aims to understand the relationship between the various disciplines of social sciences and their application with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a known fact that Covid-19 has driven the education sector in particular towards an uncharted territory, one which urges the educational institutions of the world to resort to the method of online learning as an alternative. In observing the implications and importance of social sciences specifically, in reference to the pandemic, the study seeks to investigate the implementation of such social studies within the landscape of a global health crisis. The methods by which the study is conducted include the reading of various materials from online sources, such as online news outlets, educational websites, and government websites, as well as the analysis of journal articles and books which relate to the fields that had been specified. There are 12 programs under the direct supervision of The National University of Malaysia Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities however, for the purpose of the study, four programs were chosen for the study to revolve around, namely Psychology, Political Science, Social Work, Anthropology, and Sociology. The author found that there exists a recurring theme among these various Social Sciences programmes, which is the presence of real-world applications, especially as a direct answer to Covid-19. This proves that Social Sciences are not merely conceptual in nature, but are also utilized in a more hands-on, realistic term. The study highlights these applications as concrete proof that Social Sciences are fundamental in a civilized, healthy, and functional society.