DEVANARAYANAN'S Understanding of social science

 A map is a visual representation of an entire area or a part of an area, typically represented on a flat surface. Its main purpose is to show specific and relative sizes, positions, and distances of features within a given space. General Reference Maps: These maps show the geographic location of features without focusing on a single specific statistical variable. Political Maps: Highlight human-made administrative boundaries, such as country borders, state lines, and major cities. Physical Maps: Illustrate natural landscape features like mountains, rivers, lakes, and elevation changes using color gradients (e.g., green for low elevation, brown for high elevation). Topographic Maps: Use contour lines (isohypses) to represent 3D terrain elevation and slope steepness on a 2D surface. Thematic Maps: Thematic maps focus on a specific theme, subject, or spatial data distribution across a geographic area. Choropleth Maps: Use varying color shades or patterns to represent statistical vari...

 M. N. Srinivas (Renowned Indian Sociologist) ​"Social science is the systematic study of human behavior, social institutions, and cultural patterns, aimed at understanding how traditional structures interact with modern forces of change." Srinivas—one of India's most celebrated social anthropologists—emphasized studying society through direct observation (fieldwork) to understand how real human interactions, caste dynamics, and culture shape everyday life. Encyclopaedia Britannica (Academic Reference Institution) "Social science is any branch of academic study or science that deals with human behaviour in its social and cultural aspects. A widely accepted standard definition that underlines the scientific and empirical study of how humans form groups, build institutions, and navigate cultural norms.  Definition of Social science "