Social Studies is a subject that deals with the study of man in his environment. It is the study of man and his relationships with other people around him, including all the natural resources in his environment. Social Studies assesses man in his physical and social environment as well as the effects of science, technology, and religion on him. The subject studies how a family is formed, the socialization process, conflicts in society, their causes, effects, and how they are resolved. The scope of Social Studies includes related subjects like economics, geography, political science, anthropology, and psychology. The subject is taught in Basic Education Schools, NTI, Colleges of Education, and Universities and is one of the core subjects in schools today. The history of Social Studies started from the USA, Europe, and Africa, then to other parts of the world. Through seminars, workshops, and conferences, Nigeria developed Social Studies as a subject in the early 70s during the time of General Gowon’s regime.
Below are some of the topics covered in JSS1 Social Studies:
- Introduction to Social Studies
- Social Environment
- Family as the basic unit of society
- Culture and social values
- Socialization
- Friendship
- Behaviour that enhances friendship
- Common crimes
To learn more about Social Studies, students can refer to textbooks such as "Solakat New Syllabus on Social Studies for JSS Basic Seven" by A. Oluwasola Oyewole, "Simplified Social Studies for Nigerian Secondary Schools & Colleges Book 1" by Yusuf R.A, and "Fundamentals of Social Studies for Basic Seven" by Akinyemi Sola.
