Sociology is the study of individual as well as group in a society.

1. SOCIOLOGY
Dr Lipilekha Patnaik
Professor, Community Medicine
Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM Hospital
Siksha ‘O’Anusandhan deemed to be University
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

2. • Sociology is derived from Latin word “socio” –
society
• Greek word logos meaning Science
• Sociology is the study of individual as well as
group in a society. It can be viewed from two
angles
(1) study of relationship between human beings
and how these relationship change or vary in
different parts of the world and in different
times. The unit of study can be a small group
(family) or a complex society.

3. (2) Study of human behaviour : Human
behaviour is determine not merely by
biological and physical factors but also social
factors.
• Sociologist are interested on the study of
social determinants

4. Concept in Sociology
• Society : Society is a group of individuals who have
organised themselves and follow a given way of life.
• Community : is a social group determined by
geographical boundaries and / or common values
and interests.
• Social structure : refers to the pattern of
interrelations between persons. Every society has
social structure - a complex of major institution,
groups, power structure and status hierarchy

5. • Social institution : An organised complex
pattern of behaviour in which a number of
persons participate in order to further group
interest. E.g. family, school, church, Hospital
etc.
• Role : Ascribed and acquired
Ascribed : given by virtue of sex, age, and birth
status
Acquired : virtue of education or otherwise.

6. • Socialism : It favours the use of property and
resources of the country for the public welfare. It is
a system of production and distribution based on
social ownership for raising the living standard of
working class.
• Socialisation : the process by which an individual
gradually acquires culture and becomes a member
of social group
– e.g. children going to school. Internship training
programme of doctors which gives them an opportunity
to learn how to become acceptable to the public.

7. Customs
• Customs are those processes from which no
single member of the community can escape.
• It is divided into folkways and mores.
• The folkways are the right ways of doing things
which is regarded as the less vital areas of
human conduct.
• The more stringent customs are called mores.

8. Culture
• Learned behaviour which has been socially
acquired.
• Culture is transmitted from one generation to
another through learning process.
• Culture stands for the customs, beliefs, laws,
religion and moral precepts, arts and other
capabilities and skills acquired by man as a
member of society.

9. Acculturation
• Acculturation means culture contact when there
is contact between two people with different
types of culture, there is diffusion of culture in
both ways.
• There are various ways by which culture contact
takes place.
• Trade and Commerce
• Industrialisation
• Propagation of religion
• Education
• Conquest: The British brought culture to India
through conquest.

10. Social Change
• Traditional Society is sense of continuity and
immutability in patterns of social life.
• Transitional society may be better able to cope
with change.
• Modern society best adopted to rapid change.
• Eg. Young people may simultaneously be
involved in two cultures: the traditional one in
which their parents grew up and modern one
which may be protrayed in mass media.
• Lives of young people whose families have
migrated to another country or from rural to
urban area.

11. Psychology
• Study of human behaviour of how people
behave and why they behave in just the way
they do.
Social psychology
• Science of behaviour of the individual in
society. It studies the behaviour of the
individual in group, crowd, mob, audience and
other social situation. Social interaction –
interpersonal relationship, intergroup
relationship.

12. Social organisation
• Family
• Religion and caste
• Temporary social group :
a) Crowd : group of people come together temporarily
motivated by common interest. The crowd lacks
internal organisation and leadership. Eg. To watch a
football match.
b) Mob: Mob is essentially a crowd but has a leader
who forces the member into action. It is unstable
and without internal organisation. When the
purpose of mob is achieved, the group disperses.
C) Herd: This is a crowd with a leader, members follow
the order of the leader without question. e.g.
Tourist group under a guide.

13. • Permanent spatial groups:
a) Band : Most elementary community of few
families living together.
b) Village: Small collection of people
permanently settled down in a locality with
their homes and cultural equipment.
c) Town and Cities : Large, dense and permanent
settlement of socially heterogeneous
individuals when the population exceed 1 lakh
it is called a city.

14. • Govt. and Political organisation.
a) Democracy- Govt. of the people, by the
people and for the people. Eg India and USA.
b) Autocracy – The ruler is absolute in his power.
Eg Jordan and Ethiopia
c) Monarchy – Head is monarch. e.g. U.K.
d) Socialistic :The production and wealth are
owned and controlled by the state. Eg China
and poland.
e)Oligarchy : The country is ruled by a family
group e.g. Saudi Arabia