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What’s the Difference Between Humanities and Social Sciences?

If you’re like me, you probably also wondered about the difference between the humanities and social sciences.

I’m also going to guess that you have interests that span both areas!

When I first started thinking seriously about grad school, I kept running into two terms that seemed to overlap: the humanities and the social sciences.

Both study people, cultures, and how we make sense of the world – but in slightly different ways.

So ,what is the difference between them?

About the Everyday Historian

Heeey! I’m Brittany – the writer and researcher behind The Everyday Historian.

This blog and my YouTube channel are documenting my journey to and through grad school.

I’m a married woman in my 30s, and it’s a different game making these big kinds of life decisions when you have a husband and a home to consider.

So if you can relate, be sure to join our free Facebook Group full of fellow Everyday Historians!

The Humanities: Asking Why We Are the Way We Are

The humanities are all about understanding the human experience – how we express ourselves, create meaning, and interpret the world.

Think literature, philosophy, history, art, languages, and religion.

In the humanities, the questions are often open-ended:

What can a novel teach us about human nature?
How do works of art reflect a society’s values?
Why do certain ideas endure over time while others fade?

Humanities scholars explore these questions through interpretation, critical thinking, and context.

They analyze stories, artifacts, and records to uncover the deeper meaning behind what humans say, write, or create.

The Social Sciences: Asking How We Work as a Society

The social sciences, on the other hand, are about understanding human behavior through patterns and evidence.

Fields like sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, and political science fall here.

Social scientists might ask:

What social factors influence migration patterns?
How does income inequality affect mental health?
What motivates people to vote (or not vote)?

These questions often rely on data, experiments, and observable evidence to explain how societies function and evolve.

Where the humanities interpret, the social sciences often measure.

Where They Overlap

In practice, the line between the humanities and social sciences is beautifully blurry.

History, for instance, sits right in the middle.

A historian might analyze political speeches (a humanities approach) while also tracking census data to study population trends (a social science method).

Both perspectives matter – because understanding people means studying both the stories we tell and the systems we build.

Why the Difference Matters (Especially for Students)

If you’re thinking about studying either field, knowing this difference helps you find your fit.

If you’re drawn to meaning, creativity, and interpretation, the humanities might feel like home.
If you’re more interested in patterns, evidence, and behavior, you might lean toward the social sciences.

And if you’re like me – someone who loves both – you’ll find that the most exciting work often happens where the two meet.

My Experience With The Humanities and Social Sciences

I’ve always had my hands in both.

I’m a classically trained singer, and music will always have a place in my heart.

And quite possibly, it’ll have a home in my research should I decide to pursue fieldwork in ethnomusicology.

Ethnomusicology is such a fascinating field, by the way! But it’s one of those fields that lives in the border regions of these two similar lands: humanities and social sciences.

Music in itself teaches us about life and the human experience.

We hear stories, learn how life was, and we find ourselves the main characters in songs we listen to and musicals we watch.

Ethnomusicology, on the other hand, is the study of music in cultural contexts.

Ethnomusicologists study music as a cultural and societal practice – which lends itself to being a social science, even though it has roots in music (which finds its home in the humanities).

I majored in music at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California before transferring to Northern Arizona University.

It was a hard time for the humanities then, too.

Even in the state of California, it was difficult for music teachers and art teachers to find jobs.

And yet, those fields have persevered – which emboldens and encourages me no matter what the U.S. administration is doing (or not doing).

At NAU, I studied Parks & Recreation Management, with an emphasis on tourism – and it’s been a great match for me vocationally.

I get to travel, learn about the world, make music with others, and do so many things I love personally instead of vocationally.

But lately, I’ve been feeling the pull to return.

Maybe you’ve felt that too.

A yearning for something more. Deeper. Richer.

A return to study my first love: music.

I’ll share more about my journey here, and on my YouTube channel, as all of that unfolds in case you’d like to follow along.

But I hope this encourages you to pursue passion, consider vocation, and dismiss any notion you have about it being too late – or being too old yourself.

Why It Matters For You

So, what’s the difference between the humanities and social sciences?

In short: the humanities ask “why,” and the social sciences ask “how.”

Both are essential for understanding who we are, how we got here, and where we might go next.

Now, I’m guessing that if you’re asking this question, you’re trying to make some decisions about what’s next for you.

Maybe you’re going to college for the first time to pursue an undergraduate degree.

Or perhaps, you’ve been working for a few years – and you’re ready to go back for your master’s.

It could be that you’re looking at getting a PhD.

Whatever the reason, you’re going to be making many decisions in a very short period of time.

So hopefully this article has taken you one step closer to clarity on what you’d like to study!

As a married woman going to grad school in her mid-30s, I’ve got a lot to consider.

Making a huge decision about going to grad school isn’t just about whether it “sounds fun.”

It has huge implications financially, personally, professionally, and relationally.

So if that’s where you are, I just want to assure you that you’re in the right place – and that I’d love to help and encourage you as I figure all of this out as well.

You can learn a bit more about me, and The Everyday Historian, here.

And in the section below, you’ll find some other resources and communities you might be interested in.