SMCnet .::. Social Science

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Welcome to the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The following subjects come under the umbrella of this faculty: Geography, History, Social Studies and Travel and Tourism. The Social Sciences are literally the science of society. We can use history, geography and the study of societies to understand and interpret our world. Knowledge of human experience gives us the opportunity to feel a sense of connection with those who have come before, those who are our contemporaries and those who will come after us. Knowledge of human environments enables us to understand relationships and the consequences of these human relationships with the natural world. The Social Sciences enables students so that they develop the skills to: understand difference, recognize patterns and similarities, ask questions, make decisions and to problem solve socially.
Department Staff
HoF Social Science	Mary O'Malley	email
Assistant HoD	Andrea Gannaway
Teachers	Katherine Brand
	Renée Leckey
	Courtney Davidson
	Mark Tinkle
	Liz Murray

Social Studies
Geography Geography is growing in popularity and is one of the subjects of the future! As it is a dual discipline mixing the applied and the social sciences students are introduced to many contemporary issues that often involve issues of sustainability and resource use. Geography provides students with an understanding of the environment as the home of people. Cultural geography looks at the ways people live and make decisions within their environments. Physical geography examines the natural environment and its effects on the people living around them. Students learn a huge range of skills while studying Geography. Skills such as site analyses; conducting interviews; mapping and graphing skills; collecting and interpreting primary and secondary data; writing reports. Students of Geography at St Mary’s get out and about! Year 11 examine tourism issues on Waiheke Island; Yr 12 look at changes in urban Auckland; Year 13 take a day trip to Omaha Beach to examine coastal process. The following list provides an example of the range of topics available to students who may take Geography at St Mary’s: Earthquake processes and impacts. Population issues in New Zealand and a comparison with India. Our aging population. El Nino and other weather patterns. ‘Affluenza’ – the sickness of greed. Coastal geography. The Amazon Basin and issues of development. Third World First World differences and the issues that arise from these.
History The aim of History is to enable students to acquire the knowledge and understanding, historical skills, and values and attitudes essential to an appreciation of the past and to prepare students for informed and active citizenship in a changing world. History provides a framework that gives an understanding of New Zealand society and an insight into the social, economic and political issues shaping the world today. There is an emphasis on the part individuals and groups have played in past events and a focus on how perspectives on an issue may differ. This subject enhances thinking, reasoning and analytical skills as well as developing specialist enquiry, interpretation and communication skills. The topics studied include: Origins of World War II 1919-1945, New Zealand’s Search for Security 1945-1985 and Black Civil Rights in USA 1954-1970. Dramatic events and their impact on the world are studied along with key personalities such as: Nicholas and Alexandra of Russia, Rasputin and Lenin, Gandhi in India, and the fatal attraction of Adolf Hitler in Germany and consequences for Europe and the world. At Year 13 the course examines the history of England 1558-1667. Students will study social history in Early Modern England, as well as the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, the reasons for the Civil War and Cromwell's subsequent experiments in government. ‘I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.’ (Edward Gibbon).
Travel & Tourism