Political science , like economics, focuses on a relatively narrow segment of human social behaviour, in this case the issues of power and authority. Traditionally political science focused either on political philosophy or on relatively limited studies of the ways in which governments and political parties were organised and function. More recently, under the influence of the developing field of political sociology, political scientists have been increasingly interested in such topics as political socialisation, the social forces influencing voting behaviour, the structure of institutional and non institutional power in local communities, and the origin and development of movements of political protest, all of which are shared concerns with sociologists working in this area. The two disciplines use broadly similar research methods, with political scientists having played an especially important role in the development of opinion polling and related techniques of survey research. Two additional disciplines deserve mention, though each is only marginally compatible with the basic definition of a social science.
History straddles the line between the humanities and the social sciences.
Traditionally the field studied historical developments as unique events, not as examples of general categories or patterns. To the extent that these trends continue, history is moving in the direction of becoming a true social science. Social work is comparable to applied psychology in that its central purpose is not to understand human behaviour but rather to help people, groups, and communities cope more effectively with their personal and social problems. Of course, it is essential to understand the causes of these problems, and social workers rely heavily on sociological and psychological research and theory, but the fundamental thrust of the field is different from that of sociology and academic psychology because of its practical orientation. Sociologists and political scientists both study political behaviour.