Social Sciences

What are the social sciences about?

The social sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate in those societies. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand.

Why study the social sciences?

Through the social sciences, students develop the knowledge and skills to enable them to: better understand, participate in, and contribute to the communities they are a part of; engage critically with issues that affect societies; and evaluate the sustainability of alternative social, economic, political, and environmental practices.

Students explore the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society that derives from the Treaty of Waitangi. They learn about people, places, cultures, histories, and the economic world, both within and beyond New Zealand. 

Head of Department

Ms S. Lenehan


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