Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. It is distinct from other social sciences in that it takes a broad approach to understanding human interactions and how society influences behavior. While psychology focuses on individual nature and other fields examine specific areas, sociology seeks to explain all human behavior as shaped by social and cultural forces. Sociology also informs and is informed by related fields like history, economics, anthropology and political science through examining topics from different perspectives.

2.  SOCIOLOGY AND IT‟S RELATIONS
TO OTHER SCIENCES
 THE SOCIETY‟S EXPECTATION OF
SCHOOL
 EMPOWERMENT IN EDUCATION

4.  The word sociology (or "sociologie") is derived from both Latin and Greek
origins. The Latin word: socius, "companion"; -ology, "the study of", and
in Greek λόγος, lógos, "word", "knowledge". It was first coined in 1780 by
the French essayist Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès (1748–1836) in an
unpublished manuscript. Sociology was later defined independently by
the French philosopher of science, Auguste Comte (1798–1857), in 1838.
Comte used this term to describe a new way of looking at society. Comte
had earlier used the term "social physics", but that had subsequently been
appropriated by others, most notably the Belgian statistician Adolphe
Quetelet.
 the study of community. It is a social science which uses various methods
of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of
knowledge about human social activity. For many sociologists the goal is
to conduct research which may be applied directly to social policy and
welfare, while others focus primarily on refining the theoretical
understanding of social processes. Subject matter ranges from the micro
level of individual agency and interaction to the macro level of systems
and the social structure.

5. RELATIONSHIP OF
SOCIOLOGY
TO THE OTHER
SCIENCES

6.  Economics deals with the economic activities of man. “ economics
studies the aspects of production, distribution and exchange and
consumption in society”. It studies the structure and function of
economic organization like banks, factories, market, business,
firms, corporations, transport. The focus of the economist is on the
production, distribution and consumption of goods and services.
 Sociology also study economic behavior but it relates closely to
social and cultural factors such as age sex, social class and ethic
groups.
 Sociology studies all kind of social relationships .
 A great deal of human social behavior is economically motivated.
The desire for economic gains and possession of material wealth
are strong motivating forces for human behavior.

7.  Anthropology is the science which studies man both animal
and as living in society, his origins, development,
distribution social habits and cultures .
 Anthropology is another social
science that is related to sociology.
 They both share an interest in the past, with history and are
concern with contemporary events. As anthropology and
sociology develops the distinction between them has become
blurred.
 However it has been argued that the difference between two
disciplines is that anthropology emphasizes the study of a
particular culture in its entirety and its uniqueness.
Sociology on the other hand seeks to establish analytical
principles of social organizations and social relationships
and develop generalizations that are applicable to a wide
variety of cultural context.

8.  Sociology makes use of data and pieces of information that are provided
by historians in order to form certain generalizations about society and
social interactions.
 History is the reconstruction of man‟s past. It is study of the experience of
man kind. It is a record of the human past. Historian are interested in
what happened at a particular time in the past. Historian are only
concentrate only on the past. History: History is a study of past, which
people have already lived. Data for historian come in the form of records
form museums, libraries and personal collection of people.
 History deals with the past events of man. It is silent regarding the
present History is an age-old social science. It has a long story of 2000
years or even more. History is descriptive science. History is an
individualizing science.
 Sociology as science of society on the other hand is interested in the
present. It studies various stages of human life. Sociology has thus to
depend upon the history for its materials. e.g. If he wants to study of
marriage and family he must study their historical development also.

9.  Political science deals with political activities of man. It has
its own topics such as origin, evolution and functions of
state, the forms of Government, types of constitutions,
administration law, legislation, elections, voting, political
movements. Political science is concerned with state. There
are some common topics of interest for both sociologist and
political scientists. Such as war, mass movements,
government control, public opinion, propaganda,
leadership, elections, voting. Further many social problems
are also deep political problems (clashes of Muslims and
Christians, Hindus and Muslims, Asian and Europeans.
 Sociologists are interested in the study of the social
interactions involved in human political activities, the
distribution of power in the society, the formation of
political dynasties, and the role of women and ethnic groups
in political events.

10.  Psychology is interested in the study of what goes on
“within” the individual, his inner needs, drives, interests,
intelligence, motives, hopes and fears.
 Sociology is concerned with the study of “what goes on
among and between” people, his social interactions , social
structure, values, customs, laws, morals, etc.
 Psychologists try to understand the working of the human
mind (thoughts, emotions, principles, experience) and how
this affects one's behavior. It is a separate discipline from
Sociology but does assists sociologists in explaining some
sociological processes. Sociology can also help in explaining
some of the aspects of Psychology, for example: how one's
social environment (sociology) influenced his principles and
beliefs (psychology).

11.  One distinct difference between sociology and the other social sciences is, sociology is a
discipline that mainly nurtures, and its nurturing has a much stronger influence on
human behavior than, let‟s say psychology, which focuses on the nature aspect. Where
sociology focuses on an individual‟s behavior in relation to society, psychology places
more importance on the genetic framework that influences an individual‟s behavior.
 A case in point is Emile Durkheim‟s demonstration of how social factors affect human
behavior, in his research done on suicide. Durkheim‟s study showed how rates of suicide
were based on certain variables in the society. The study concentrated on the variables in
the society that were influencing individuals to commit suicide rather than study the
individuals themselves.
 Sociology takes a broad approach to helping us understand human interactions while
other social sciences focus on specific areas. As a discipline, sociology does not focus on
certain specific areas of human behavior as do political science and economics, but rather
seeks to explain the broad range of human behavior as it is influenced by society and
human groups.
 James Augustus Cotter Morrison wrote, “it is hardly necessary to add that a broad
distinction must be made between history and what has been called the philosophy of
history, a term now replaced by the far better one “sociology” invented by Comte.
 Sociology has the purely scientific aim of investigating the nature and constitution of
societies, to discover the laws which regulate their growth and decay, to do in short for
them what biology has already done for the animal and vegetable kingdoms. History,
while it can never again dispense with the assistance of sociology, remains occupied with
the description of the social organism (at a given period) in its ensemble and the term
“descriptive sociology” has been suggested as an improvement for the old one, history.

12. THE
SOCIETY‟S
EXPECTATION
OF SCHOOL

13.  Society has high expectations of schools.
Society doesn‟t just expect a good standard of
education that prepares young people for their
professional lives (qualifications) and for
participation in society (socialization). Schools
are also expected to tackle other social
problems, for example: providing security,
preventing alcohol abuse, making kids „media
wise‟, fighting segregation, breakfast club, etc.

14.  Three forms of societal expectations – parental
demands, external regulations and employer needs
– have influenced the learning goals adopted in
historical schools. Parental influence and
requirements directed the core curriculum heavily
in classical antiquity and external regulations from
religious organizations and governments played
key roles in the middle ages and the modern era.
Though the established school systems embraced
the earlier external regulations in both periods,
they resisted later changes in the societal
expectations to their own demise. The post-
modern era schools had learning goals that were
driven by the need for workers during the
industrial revolution and embraced change in its
facilities, structure, teaching methods, and
philosophy.

15.  Societal expectations and emergent learning
theories are, therefore, indicators of the
changes a school system may need to respond
to in order to remain relevant. The socio-
cultural, institutional and intellectual
environments of school systems are amenable
to change, but the physical learning
environments are not.

16. EMPOWERMENT
IN
EDUCATION

17.  Empowerment refers to increasing the political,
social or economic strength of individuals or
groups. It often involves the empowered
developing confidence in their own capacities.
Sociological empowerment often addresses
members of groups that social discrimination
processes have excluded from decision-making
processes through - for example -
discrimination based on race, ethnicity,
religion, gender etc.