Socio lec 1 updated ddddddddddddddd.pptx

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 After going through this unit, you will be able to:
 Examine the term ‘sociology’ as a new academic
discipline among the social sciences.
 Describe the nature of sociology
 Discuss the scope and importance of sociology
 Explain the relation of sociology with other social
sciences
Sunday, April 7, 2024
2

What is Sociology?
 A dictionary defines sociology as the systematic
study of society and social interaction.
 The word “sociology” is derived from the Latin word
socius (companion) and the Greek word logos (study
of), meaning “the study of companionship.”
 Socius companion
 Logos study of
Sociology
3

Definitions of Sociology
 L.F. Ward defines, “Sociology is the science of
society or of social phenomena”.
 Ginsberg says, “Sociology is the study of human
interaction and interrelation of their conditions and
 consequences”.
 Emile Durkheim defines, “ Sociology as a science of
social institutions”.
 Ogburn and Nimkoff defines, “Sociology as the
study of social life”.
 Kimball Young defines, “Sociology deals with the
behaviour of men in groups Sunday, April 7, 2024
4

What is Sociology?
 Sociology is a social science that studies human society
and behavior.
 Sociologists are mainly interested in social interactions –
how people relate to one another and how they influence
each others decisions.
 Sociologists focus on the group, rather than the
individual.
 Sociologists examine social phenomena or observable
facts or events involving human interaction to make
predictions about future trends and behaviors.
5

 “Sociology is the scientific
study of human society and
social interactions.”
6

Nature of Sociology
 1. Sociology is an Independent Science
 2. Sociology is a Social Science and not a Physical Science
 3. Sociology is a Categorical and not a Normative Discipline
 4. Sociology is a Pure Science and not an Applied Science
 5. Sociology is Relatively an Abstract Science not a Concrete
Science
 6. Sociology is a Generalising and not a Particularsing
orIndividualising Science
 7. Sociology is Both a Rational and an Empirical
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Nature of Sociology
 Sociology is an Independent Science.
 Sociology has now emerged into an independent
science.
 – It is not treated and studied as a branch of any
other science like philosophy or political philosophy
or history.
 – As an independent science it has its own
 field of study, boundary and method
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Nature of Sociology
 Sociology is a Social Science and not a Physical
Science.
 – As a social science it concentrates its attention on
man, his social behavior, social activities and social
life.
 The fact that sociology deals with the Social universe it
distinguishes from astronomy, physics, chemistry,
geology, mathematics and other physical sciences
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Nature of Sociology
 Sociology is a Categorical and not a Normative Discipline
 – Sociology “confines itself to statements about what it is,
not what should be or ought to be”.
 – But it does not mean that sociological knowledge is useless
and serves no purpose.
 – It only means that sociology as a discipline
 cannot deal with problems of good and evil,
 right and wrong, and moral and immoral.
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Nature of Sociology
 Sociology is a Pure Science and not an Applied Science
 – Each pure science may have its own applied field.
 – For example: physics is a pure science and engineering is
its applied field.
 – Sociology as a pure science has its applied field such as
administration, diplomacy, social work etc
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Nature of Sociology
 Sociology is Relatively an Abstract Science and not a
Concrete Science
 – Sociology is not interested in concrete only it demonstrations
of human events.
 – It is more concerned with the form of human events and their
patterns.
 – For example: sociology is not concerned with particular wars
and revolutions but with war and revolution in general, as a
social phenomena, as a type of social conflict
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 Sociology is Both a Rational and Empirical Science
 – Rationalism, stresses reason and the result from logical
inference.
 – Empiricism, is emphasises experience and the facts that
result from observation and experimentation.
 – In Sociological inquiry both are significant.
13

What is Society and
Culture?
 Sociologists study all aspects and levels of society.
 A society is a group of people whose members
interact, reside in a definable area, and share a
culture.
 A culture includes the group’s shared practices,
values, and beliefs.
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Society
 Definition of Society
 We define the term ‘society’ as a group of people who
share a common lifestyle, territory, behaviour pattern
and organisation. It refers to an ordered community,
engaged in a continuous social interaction with the
members.
 In simple terms, society implies the bunch of people
who organise themselves and lives together in a
particular geographical area and come in contact with
each other. The members of the society share common
attributes like values, traditions and customs.
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Culture
 Definition of Culture
 The term culture refers to a system of beliefs, customs, knowledge,
behaviour, religion, practices, etc., which is commonly shared by a
group of people. It is described as the people’s way to live such as
their learned behaviour, values, morals, art, law, symbols, lifestyle
which they accept completely without any second thought in mind.
In general, culture is handed down through the generations, by
communication, teaching and imitation. It is considered as the
social heritage of the organised group.
 Culture is a pattern of responses (thinking, feeling, behaving)
developed by the Society for solving problems arising due to the
interaction of the group members and the environment
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Scope of Sociology
 Two different views about the scope of sociology.
 There is no one opinion about the scope of sociology.
 In the broadest sense, Sociology is studying human interactions,
their conditions and consequences.
 There are two main schools of thought among sociologist on this
issue.
 – Specialistic or Formalistic School
 – Synthetic School
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Quiz
 What does the word "sociology" mean etymologically?
 A) The study of the natural world
 B) The study of companionship
 C) The study of mathematics
 D) The study of languages
 According to Ginsberg, what is the primary focus of sociology?
• A) The study of physical sciences
• B) The study of human behavior in isolation
• C) The study of human interaction and its consequences
• D) The study of individual psychology
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 How does Kimball Young describe the focus of sociology?
 A) The study of human behavior in isolation
 B) The study of social institutions
 C) The study of the natural world
 D) The study of human behavior in groups
 According to Ogburn and Nimkoff, what is the subject
matter of sociology?
• A) The study of the natural environment
• B) The study of technology
• C) The study of social life
• D) The study of individual behavior
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Specialistic or Formalistic
School
 In this group of sociologists demarcates,Sociology
clearly from other branches of social study and
confines it to the “enquiry into certain defined aspects
of human relationship” or
 “Sociology as pure and independent”.
 Sociology has a limited field of enquiry and
 deals those problems which are not dealt with other
social science.
 – Specialistic or Formalistic School
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Synthetic School
 The other group maintains that the field of social
investigation is too wide for any other social science
and “Sociology as special social science” Such as
Economics, Anthropology,
 History, etc. there is also consider of a
 “Sociology is a general science”.
 Sociology studies everything and anything
 under the sun.
 – Synthetic Schoo
21

Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR COMPARISON CULTURE SOCIETY
Meaning Culture refers to the set of
beliefs, practices, learned
behavior and moral values
that are passed on, from
one generation to another.
Society means an
interdependent group of
people who live together
in a particular region and
are associated with one
another.
What is it? It is something that
differentiates one society
from the other.
It is a community of
people, residing in a
specific area, sharing
common culture over
time.
What it does? It unites the social
framework through
influence.
It shapes the social
framework through
pressure.
Represents Rules that guide the way
people live.
Structure that provides the
way people organize
themselves.
Includes Beliefs, values and
practices of a group.
People who share
common beliefs and
practices. Sunday, April 7, 2024
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Why Study Sociology?
 Sociology can give you a new perspective on
yourself and the world around you.
 Its called the sociological perspective, sociological
imagination or sociological lens. (C.Wright Mills)
 By adopting the sociological perspective you can
look beyond commonly held beliefs to determine
hidden meanings behind human actions.
 The sociological perspective helps us understand
that peoples behavior is influenced by social factors
and learned behaviors from those around us.
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 The sociological perspective can help us view the
world through the eyes of others.
 By developing this perspective we can begin to use
the sociological imagination; the ability to see a
connection between the larger world and one’s
personal life.
 Sociology teaches people not to accept easy
explanations. It teaches them a way to organize their
thinking so that they can ask better questions and
formulate better answers.
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 C. Wright Mills coined the term “sociological
imagination” to refer to “...the vivid awareness
of the relationship between private experience
and the wider society.”
25

Sociology and Science
 The nature of sociology as a science has become a controversial
issue. Some critics do not support the ideology of sociology being
regarded as a science like all other social sciences.
 Sociology can be regarded as a science since it comprises objective
and systematic methodologies of examination and assessment. It can
also be evaluated as asocial reality on the basis of empirical data and
explanation. However, it cannot be directly compared to natural
sciences, since human behaviour is not similar to natural sciences.
 A science may be defined in at least two ways:
 (i) A body of organized, verified knowledge which has been secured
through scientific investigation
 (ii) A method of study whereby a body of organized and verified
knowledge is discovered
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 The Scientific Method
Analyze Data
Review of literature
Formulate hypotheses
Choose research design
Gather Data
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Social Sciences
 Social Sciences are the related disciplines (fields) that
study various aspects of human social behavior.
 The other social sciences include: history, anthropology,
psychology, economics and political science.
 Anthropology: the study of past and present cultures. It’s
the most similar to sociology. Anthropologists focus /
concentrate on the past cultures and present simple
cultures or less advanced societies.
 While sociologists are more interested in group behavior
in complex more advanced societies.
28

Social Sciences
 Psychology: deals with the behavior and thinking of
organisms. Psychology focuses more on individual
behavior. While sociology is focused on group
behavior.
 Economics: is the study of the choices people make
in an effort to satisfy their needs and wants.
Economists focus on the process in which goods and
services are produced, distributed and consumed.
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Social Sciences
 Political Science: is the examination of the
organization and operation of governments. Some
areas of political science and sociology overlap, such
as the formation of political parties and with voting
patterns.
 History: is the study of past events. Sociologists are
also interested in the past. Like many social
historians, sociologists study past events in an effort
to explain current social behaviors and attitudes.
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Other Social Sciences
 Despite the different focus’ of the fields they are all
related in terms of their study of human beings and
their interactions; whether past or present.
 Many sociologists now borrow freely from the
various social sciences in an effort to better
understand the social forces that help shape our
lives.
31

History of Sociology
 In the 13th century, Ma Tuan-Lin, a Chinese historian,
first recognized social dynamics as an underlying
component of historical development in his seminal
encyclopedia, General Study of Literary Remains.
 Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) of Tunisia. He wrote about
many topics of interest today, setting a foundation
for both modern sociology and economics, including
a theory of social conflict, a comparison of nomadic
and sedentary life, a description of political
economy, and a study connecting a tribe’s social
cohesion to its capacity for power.
32

How did Sociology
Develop?
 Throughout history scholars have always been interested in the
social life and interactions of people.
 Despite this Sociology did not develop as a field of study until
the 1800’s.
 Several factors led to its development:
 1. The rapid political and social changes that took place in
Europe as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
 2. The rapid growth of cities and their problems as a result of
Industrial Revolution.
 3. The questioning of traditional beliefs. People across Europe
began to question traditional roles and expectations.
33

Who were the early
Sociologists?
 Sociology took root in the 1800’s primarily in England,
France, and Germany. These countries were the most
affected by the Industrial Revolution.
 Like today, the early sociologists believed that through
the collection of data, observations and scientific
research you could predict future social trends and
behaviors to improve society.
 The early European leaders included; Auguste Comte,
Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max
Weber.
 Some of the early leaders of sociology in the United
States included W.E.B. Dubois and Jane Addams.
34

The Father of Sociology
 The term sociology was first coined in 1780 by the
French essayist Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès (1748–
1836) in an unpublished manuscript (Fauré et al.
1999).
 In 1838, the term was reinvented by Auguste Comte
(1798–1857).
 Set out to develop the “science of man” that
would be based on empirical observation
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Focused on two aspects of society:
•Social Statics—forces which produce
order and stability
•Social Dynamics—forces which
contribute to social change
Comte named the scientific study of social
patterns positivism. He described his
philosophy in a series of books called The
Course in Positive Philosophy (1830–
1842) and A General View of Positivism
(1848).
36

Karl Marx (1818-1883)
 Marx is the father of conflict theory
 Saw human history in a continual state
of conflict between two major classes:
• Bourgeoisie—owners of the means of
production (capitalists)
• Proletariat—the workers
 Marx predicted that inequalities of capitalism would
become so extreme that workers would eventually
revolt. This would lead to the collapse of capitalism,
which would be replaced by communism.
37

 Communism is an economic system under which
there is no private or corporate ownership:
everything is owned communally and distributed as
needed. Marx believed that communism was a more
equitable system than capitalism.
38

Herbert Spencer (1820-
1903)
 Authored the first sociology text,
Principles of Sociology
 Most well known for proposing a
doctrine called “Social
Darwinism”
 Suggested that people who
could not compete were poorly
adapted to the environment and
inferior
• This is an idea commonly
called survival of the fittest
39

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
 Durkheim moved sociology
fully into the realm of an
empirical science
 Most well known empirical
study is called Suicide,
where he looks at the social
causes of suicide
 Generally regarded as the
founder of functionalist
theory
40

Max Weber (1864-1920)
 Much of Weber’s work was a
critique or clarification of Marx
 His most famous work, The
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism directly challenged
Marx’s ideas on the role of religion
in society
 Weber was also interested in
bureaucracies and the process of
rationalization in society
41

Theoretical Perspectives
 Today there are three approaches to the study of
sociology.
 1. The Functionalist Perspective: They view society as
a set of interrelated parts that work together to
produce a stable environment. ( Comte, Spencer,
Durkheim)
 Functionalism sees society as a system of highly
interrelated parts that work together harmoniously.
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 By parts of society, Spencer was referring to such
social institutions as the economy, political systems,
healthcare, education, media, and religion.
 According to this sociological
viewpoint, the parts of society are
interdependent. This means each
part influences the others.
 In a healthy society, all of these
parts work together to produce a
stable state called dynamic
equilibrium (Parsons 1961).
43

2. Conflict Perspective
 They focus on the forces in society that promote
competition and change. ( Karl Marx)
 Conflict theory sees society as being made up of
individuals who must compete for social, political,
and material resources such as political power,
leisure time, money, housing, and entertainment.
 Society is understood to be made up of conflicting
interest groups who compete for power and
privilege.
44

 This dynamic results in continuous social
change, which is the normal state of affairs.
 Conflict theory focuses heavily on inequality
and differential distribution of power and
wealth.
 Georg Simmel (1858–1918): The intensity and
violence of the conflict depended upon the
emotional involvement of the different sides,
the degree of solidarity among the opposing
groups, and if there were clear and limited
goals to be achieved
45

Symbolic Interactionist
Perspective
 They focus on how individuals interact with each
other and there outcomes.
 Blumer coined the term “symbolic interactionism”
and identified its three basic premises:
 1. Humans act toward things on the basis of the
meanings they ascribe to those things.
 2. The meaning of such things is derived from, or
arises out of, the social interaction that one has with
others and the society.
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 3. These meanings are handled in, and modified
through, an interpretative process used by the
person in dealing with the things he/she encounters
(Blumer 1969).
 In order for something to be a symbol, everyone in a
society must agree on what it means/stands for.
 Examples of symbols: American flag, Bald Eagle,
Uncle Sam are all symbols of America.
47

Sociology in the
Workplace
 • an understanding of social systems and large bureaucracies,
 • the ability to devise and carry out research projects to assess
whether a program or policy is working,
 • the ability to collect, read, and analyze statistical information
from polls or surveys,
 • the ability to recognize important differences in people’s
social, cultural, and economic backgrounds,
 • skills in preparing reports and communicating complex ideas,
 • the capacity for critical thinking about social issues and
problems that confront modern society.
48

Assignment
 Scope and Importance of Sociology
49

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