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Introduction To Sociology PDF

Sociology is the scientific study of social life and human behavior and interactions. It uses various methods like observation to study a wide range of topics from small social interactions to universal social processes. Sociology aims to explain social life through empirical, historical, and analytical approaches. The empirical approach studies current social structures and relationships. The historical approach examines past sociological work. The analytical approach uses logic to explain why social phenomena exist and how social systems change over time.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
127 views44 pages

Introduction To Sociology PDF

Sociology is the scientific study of social life and human behavior and interactions. It uses various methods like observation to study a wide range of topics from small social interactions to universal social processes. Sociology aims to explain social life through empirical, historical, and analytical approaches. The empirical approach studies current social structures and relationships. The historical approach examines past sociological work. The analytical approach uses logic to explain why social phenomena exist and how social systems change over time.

Uploaded by

Ramjit Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sociology

The Study of Social Life

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 1


Sociology
• Sociology is a relatively young discipline in compare to other disciplines in social
sciences. This is a subject that deals with complexity of human behavior and actions. It
uses many different methods to study a wide range of subject matter. Sociology was
invented in western Europe in response to the advent of industrial capitalist society.
However the early sociologists not confined their area of study and interest only to
European societies.
• Sociology grew under the shadow of basic assumptions that truth about the world can
be known, measured, reported, collected, and also verified through sensory
observation. This is why scientists seek truth by observing the world rather than
waiting for intuitive knowledge or getting revelation like monk or mystic.
• Sociology inherited this basic premise grounded in positivistic philosophy based on the
premise that the veracity of the knowledge lies in the fact that it is supported by
sensory observation.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 2


A brief introduction
• Sociology is often defined as the scientific study of social life. But the problem
with this definition is that it leaves the basic questions unanswered. For
example, it does not define what constitute social life and what is ‘scientific
study’. Further, this definition also does not address the widening scope of the
increasing subject matter of sociology.
• The extent of sociological study is tremendously broad and widening on daily
basis. There is hardly a significant area of social life which is not the focus of a
sociological study. It takes into account numerous and wide-ranging subject
area. This includes the analysis of encounters between persons in the street to
the study of universal social processes. Hence, it is practical and logical to
define sociology in terms of its approaches to explaining social life rather than
its subject matter.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 3


Fascination of Sociology.
• Though many people like to observe human beings and
others do experiment, sociology not an individual pastime.
Sociology is more like a passion. Sociology is more like an
intellectual preoccupation of interest to some individuals.
• The fascination of sociology lies in the fact that it’s perspective that
makes us see to the things in a new light about the very world in
which we have lived and living our life. This includes a
transformation of our consciousness. This transformation is more
relevant in sociology in compare to other disciplines because in
sociology both the subject and the object of investigation constitutes
human beings.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 4


Understanding Social Structure
• To look at society as social structure is to look at social life in its interconnectedness.
Social structure refers to recurring pattern of social behavior. It refers to enduring,
orderly, and patterned relationship between elements of society.
• Remember that such a perception of social life has not been confined to functionalists
alone. Even the Marxist perception of social reality is based on the idea of
interconnectedness of parts.
• A. R. Radcliffe-Brown thought of social structure as relations of a general and
regular kind between persons. Edmund Leach emphasises the use of the concept to
describe the set of ideas about distribution of powers between persons and groups. S
F Nadel refers social structure as the network of inter-role relationship.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 5


Why society matters at all?

• Individual grow up in a family. They are always surrounded by


Family, Peer groups, Neighborhood, Community, Caste,
Professional Group, State, Relationship with kith and kin,
Nation
• Within the character of the individual and within the range of
his immediate relations with others, and with those limited
areas of social life individuals are directly aware they have to
do with his self .
• Every single choice is determined by social, political, and
economic surrounding. Individual is not free at all. Our choices
are although subtly determined by the forces outside of their
control which is social and political. Our decisions, actions, and
behaviors at micro level is determined by social, political and
economic factors at macro level.
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 6
Individual and Society
• Sociological understanding suggests that individual’s life and their thinking are
get shaped by larger social forces at the both local and global levels. Society
plays pre-eminent roles in what an individual want to achieve, and who they
are. In this sense society plays overwhelming role in determining individual’s
life and their fortune.
• Each individual person grow up in a particular context. The particular context
is our class, gender, community, linguistic and ethnic group, region, religion
etc. Similarly, our decisions and choices at the micro level are interlinked with
the macro-level social condition. In simple words, our world at the micro-world
are interlinked with the macro world. This connection is two ways which mean
that we determine the nature of our society as well as our life is also get
determined by the society.
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 7
Individual and Society
• There is no individual without society and there is no society
without individual. The importance of societal force is pre-
eminent and unavoidable.
• Individual in this sense is not living in island. If our choices are
unequal and stratified, our nature of society would be different.
• Sociology studies human actions and behaviors. They are
situating it in an interconnected whole by assuming that
individual need and their wants are inextricably linked with
larger societal forces.
• Example, the problem of choosing subject in the higher
education is just one example of the fact that individuals are
always surrounded by societal nets and relationships. In this
context one can say that the conception individual coming prior
to society is an exercise in vain.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 8


Sociological Imagination
is needed -
• The sociological imagination is the most fruitful form
of self-consciousness.
• It is by means of sociological imagination that men
grasp what is happening in the world and to
understand what is happening as an intersection
point of history and biography within society.
• The sociological imagination is the most fruitful form
of self-consciousness.
• Tool of sociological imagination- the personal
troubles of milieu and the public issues of social
structure
• To unravel the connection between personal
problem and public issues.
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 9
Different approaches to explaining social life-

The scope of sociological study is tremendously broad. There is hardly a


significant area of social life which is not the focus of a sociological study. This
varies from the analysis of transitory encounters between persons in the street
to the study of universal social processes, like social change. It takes into
account of numerous and wide-ranging subject area. Hence, it is practical and
logical to define sociology in terms of its approach to explaining social life
rather than its subject matter.
On the basis that each discipline should have a distinctive and definitive subject
matter, the subject matter of sociology has been divided in to three parts. All
these three approaches sum up to suggest that sociology deals with wide range
of social institutions and social processes of historical, contemporary, and of
future significance.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 10


Different approaches to explaining
social life-
1. Empirical- Empirical deals with the issues of “what is” the situation out there and what
sociologists do? What are the structure of the particular society as a whole? What are its
essential components? How are they related to one another? How does it differ from
other varieties of social order?
2. Historical- Historical deals with what sociologists have done in the past. What the
founding fathers said? This is why we see sociology as an intellectual enterprise of not
only what sociologist do but also what they have done in the past.
3. Analytical- Where does this society stand in human history? What are the mechanics by
which it is changing? What is its place within the definitive progression towards
humanity as a whole? Analytical deal with explaining why and how within the subject
domain of sociology, in other words, what logic requires?

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 11


Analytical: What logic requires?

• One can argue that apart from what the founding fathers had
proposed, and what sociologists of today are doing, other important
domain for determining of sociology is a process of logical analysis
that answer the question of what ought to be done?
• This is most important dimension of sociology that deals with
human subjectivity and interpretative approach laid down by
sociologists.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 12


What contemporary sociologists do?
III. Basic Social Institutions
I. Sociological Analysis • The Family and Kinship
• Human Culture and Society • Economic
• Political and Legal
• Sociological Perspective • Religious
• Scientific method in social science • Educational and Scientific
• Recreational and Welfare
II. Primary Unit of Social Life • Aesthetic and Expressive

• Social Acts and social relationships IV. Fundamental Social Progress


• Differentiation and Stratification
• The individual personality • Cooperation, Accommodation, Assimilation
• Groups • Social Conflict
• Communication including opinion formation and expression
• Communities: Urban and Rural • Socialisation and Indoctrination
• Associations and Organisations • Social Evaluation
• Social Control
• Populations • Social Deviance
• Society • Social Integration
• Social Change

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 13


Understanding sociology by other definitions

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 14


How sociologists view society
Studying Patterns:
• All sociologists are interested in the experiences of individuals and how
those experiences are shaped by interactions with social groups and society
as a whole. To a sociologist, the personal decisions of an individual makes
do not exist in a vacuum.
• Sociologists try to identify these general patterns by examining the behavior
of large groups of people living in the same society and experiencing the
same societal pressures.
• The sociological insight lies in the manner in which to see society as a
dimension of experience characterized by regular and predictable patterns
of behavior that exist independently of any specific individual’s desires or
self-understanding. Yet at the same time a society is nothing but the
ongoing social relationships and activities of specific individuals.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 15


Sociology is the study of total society.

• Sociology is a special discipline that takes society as its unit of


analysis. It concern itself explicitly with social life as a totality. Its
purpose is to discover how the social institutions of a society are
related to each other.
• Hence, the basic unit of sociological analysis is social structure. Social
structure is the systematic interrelation of forms of behavior or action
in particular societies.
• There are many questions that sociologists often asks related to social
structure. Some of them are: (a). How does society exist, survive, and
persist over the period of time? (b). Do they go through definite stages
of development? (c). What are the internal problems which any
societies face?
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 16
Sociology as the study of Institutions.

• According to Durkheim, sociology is the science of social


institutions. This is the idea that is derived from the basis that the
distinctive unit of sociological analysis is relations between the
different elements of society, such as, the family, the church, the
school and the political party.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 17


Sociology is the study of social relationships.

• Societies are complex system of institutions. So is the institutions. Institutions


are often conceived as complex systems of social relationships. Relationship is
the distinctive and analytic subject matter of sociology. Relationship is like
molecule of social life, whereas the smaller unit of social life is social act.
• In this sense, sociology may be defined as the study of social relationships and
acts, and elaborated a set of categories for their description and analysis.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 18


Sociology informs us that -

1. People are social by nature. People live much of their lives belonging to social groups. Events in
our social world affect our individual lives.
2. Interaction between individual and social groups is a two-way process in which each influences
other.
3. The process of conflict and change are natural and inevitable features of groups and societies.
4. We can best understand our personal experiences and problems by examining the broader social
context, by looking at big picture.
5. Sociologist ask the questions that can be scientifically answered. The results of sociological
investigations provide a better background for meeting and solving social problems.
6. The results of sociological Inquiry can help dispel popular myths, superstition and stereotype
with accurate knowledge about human behavior and human societies.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 19


Sociology informs us that -

1. Sociologists avoid making moral and ethical judgments. Sociologists asks


questions regarding circumstances.
2. Sociologists don’t base their knowledge on stereotypes, intuition,
supernatural explanations, magic, and religion etc. Like natural scientists
they use proper scientific methods to correct misleading and harmful
misconceptions about human behavior and policy decisions.
3. Sociological perspective allows us to look beneath the surface of society and
allow to notice social patterns.
4. Sociology is not a mere routine process of attaining facts, data, or
understanding. This is also about learning to think sociologically.
5. It involves looking at social issues from broader perspective and multiple
points of view. This also involves understanding that individual’s life are
surrounded by larger social issues.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 20


By learning Sociological Perspective-

1. People become self aware by understanding your surroundings which can


lead to opportunities to improve social life.
2. Sociological Perspective provide complete understanding of social
situations by looking beyond individual expectations.
3. Sociological perspective enable a person to understand the social world in
more objective, systematic, scientific and non-partial manner.
4. Sociological perspective help to develop critical and creative thinking.
Thinking from many perspectives; data collection and analysis; decision
making; broadening your vision; non-utopian and non-utilitarian term;
also in term of non-zero sum game
5. Sociological perspective also help people to assert their agency.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 21


Sociology helps us

• Sociology also impresses upon us the necessity of overcoming narrow personal prejudices, ambitions
and class hatred. Sociology suggests rational approach to questions concerning oneself, one's
religion, customs, morals and institutions. It further teaches us to be objective, critical and
dispassionate. It enables man to have better understanding both of himself and of others.
• Sociology reveals the need to take cognizance of wider context to understand that who we are, as we
are, and why we act as we do. The value of sociology lies in the fact that it keeps us update on
modern situations.
• It contributes to making good citizens and finding solutions to the community problems. It adds to
the knowledge of the society and helps the individual find his relation to society.
• The sociological understanding and research can help in better planning and in finding ways and
means of acceptance of improved practices, in the formulation of development policies and
programs.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 22


Sociology: Science
or Not?

Comte
Vs
Weber

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 23


Sociology as a Science

• There exists a great degree of debate on the nature of sociology.


The question is whether sociology is a science or not? This question
continue to be debated in the community of sociologists and
sociologists get divided among themselves into two opposite groups.
• For one group or school of thought, sociology is a science because
sociology adopts and applies the scientific method. Sociologists like
Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim and others subscribe to this view.
• Others hold different view and opine sociology is not a science. For
example, German Sociologist Max Weber do not accept sociology as
an exact science.
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 24
Sociology as a Science
• There exists a great controversy about the exact nature of Sociology. The question whether
sociology is a science or not? Perhaps continue to confuse the mind of Sociologists since long.
Perhaps due to this Sociologists got divided among themselves into two opposite groups.
• As a result two opposite views are available about the nature of Sociology. For one group of
sociologists sociology is a science because sociology adopts and applies the scientific method.
• Others hold different view and opine Sociology is not a science. German Sociologist Max-weber
do not accept sociology as a Science.
• Auguste Comte opines like other natural sciences sociology also governed by some natural laws.
Hence Sociology is a Science.
• Others also asserts that Sociology is as much a science like political science, economics,
psychology etc. But before forming any opinion or subscribing to any particular view we must
know what is a science?
• And if sociology is a science how far or in what degree sociology does conform to the notion of
science.
Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 25
Meaning of science
• Science is a body of systematic knowledge. Science is based on reason
and evidences. A science is “a branch of knowledge or study dealing with
a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the
operation of general laws.”
• Science collects facts and links them together in their casual sequence to
draw valid inferences. Science adopts scientific method. Scientific
knowledge is acquired through observation, experimentation,
generalisation etc.
• Science has the following characteristics such as objectivity, observation,
accurate prediction, experimentation, accurate measurement,
generalisation and cause-effect relationships.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 26


Sociology is science
• According to Auguste Comte and Durkheim, “Sociology is a science
because it adopts and applies the scientific method.
• Sociology does make use of scientific methods in the study of its
subject matter. Hence Sociology is a science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 27


(1) Sociology adopts scientific method.
• Sociology studies social events by adopting scientific method.
Though it cannot do experiment with men in a laboratory still
man’s social behaviour is subject to scientific investigation like
natural phenomenon.
• It employs scientific methods as scales of Sociometry schedule, case
study, interview and questionnaire which is used to quantitatively
measure social phenomenon.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 28


(2) Sociology makes accurate observation

• Observation is possible in the field of sociology even if it does not


possess a laboratory. Accurate observation is also possible outside
the laboratory. The whole social world is the laboratory of sociology.
‘Newton did not invent their laws inside a laboratory.
• Sociology makes observation of tribal marriage at the time of
occurrence. Even if Sociology does not possess a laboratory still it
makes accurate observation. Hence Sociology is a science. Besides
laboratory experiment is not the only criteria of science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 29


(3) Objectivity is possible in Sociology

• Like natural sciences Sociology also makes objective study. The


statement that dowry is a social evil is an objective statement which
is based on facts collected by sociologists. Further Survey and
revivification proves this.
• Sociology can also make objective study of social phenomena. New
techniques and methods are also introduced to make social
phenomena more objective. Hence Sociology is a science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 30


(4) Sociology describes cause-effect relationship

• Like natural sciences Sociology also traces the cause and find the
answers. While studying family or population growth Sociology has
traced the relationship between family disorganisation and divorce
and population growth and poverty. Family disorganisation is the
cause of divorce and population growth is the cause of poverty.
Thus sociology describes cause-effect relationship in social
disorganisation and population explosion. Hence sociology is a
science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 31


(5) Sociology makes accurate measurement

• Sociology, like natural sciences also accurately measures social


phenomena or relationships. By using statistical method, socio-
metric scale, scales of measurement sociology effectively and
accurately measures social relationships. Hence Sociology is a
science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 32


(6) Sociology makes accurate
Prediction.
• Like natural sciences sociology does frame laws and attempts to
predict more accurately. On the basis of cause-effect relationship
sociology can accurately predict about future.
• If there will be dowry in society then it will lead to suicide, poverty.
Cuvier opines this predictive value of Sociology is improved day by
day. As Sociology matures day by day it predicts more accurately.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 33


(7) Sociology makes generalization.
• The notion that generalization drawn by social sciences are not
universal proved wrong. Like natural sciences Sociology became
able to draw generalization which is universally applicable.
• The concept of incest taboo-prohibited sex relationship among
blood relatives is a universal truth.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 34


Sociology is not a Science.
• Those who argue that sociology can
not be an exact science. They put
forward their arguments on the
following lines of thought-

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 35


(1) Lack of Objectivity.

• Sociology cannot be called a science because it cannot maintain


complete objectivity with social phenomena. Sociologist has his own
prejudice and bias hence he cannot observe his subject with
complete detachment.
• Complete objectivity in the study of human behavior is impossible
Sociology deals with social relationships which cannot studied like
physical objects. Hence objectivity is not possible in sociology.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 36


(2) Lack of Experimentation

• Sociology is not a science because it can’t make experimentation.


Sociology deals with human relationships which cannot be put to
laboratory test. We can’t see or weigh human relationship because it
is abstract in nature. We can’t do experiment with abstract things.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 37


(3) Lack of Prediction

• Like natural sciences Sociology can’t accurately make prediction.


Natural Sciences make prediction on the basis of certain data.
• But Sociology deals with social relationships and human behavior
which are so uncertain and peculiar that we can’t make any
accurate prediction about it.
• We can’t predict what will be one’s behavior at a certain point of
time nor we can predict about the trends or speed of social change.
Hence sociology is not a science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 38


(4) Lack of accurate measurement

• Sociology can’t make accurate measurement like natural sciences.


There are definite standards of measurement like e.g., Meter by
which it is possible to measure things.
• But in Sociology we have no such measuring instruments. Besides
sociology deals with social relationships which is qualitative in
nature which can’t be measured. Hence Sociology is not a science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 39


(5) Lack of Generalisation
• Sociology can’t make generalisations like natural sciences which is
universally applicable.
• Sociology deals with human behaviour and no two individual are alike.
Hence the conclusions drawn by Sociology can’t be uniform or
universally applicable.
• Social Phenomena is so complex and complicated and is governed by
so many factors that it is really difficult to draw a conclusion which will
be universally applicable.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 40


(6) Terminological Inefficiency
• Sociology suffers from terminological inefficiency. Sociology
has not yet became able to develop adequate set of scientific
terms.
• Many terms used in Sociology is vague and carry different
meaning to different persons. For example, the term caste
and class has not yet acquired clear meaning. Hence
Sociology is not a science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 41


Conclusion
1. Sociology is a social and not a natural science.
2. Sociology is a pure science and not an applied science.
3. Sociology is an abstract science and not a concrete science.
4. Sociology is a generalising science and not a particularising
science.
5. Sociology is both a rational and an empirical science.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 42


Key insights of sociology

 A person is the product of their social situation, culture, and the circumstances. At the
same point of time the study of sociology also reveals that society is more than a mere
product of sum of their parts.
 Sociology also educates us about the need to take into account of wider context of who
we are, and what we do and want to become in society.
 The subject matter of sociology is our conduct, and human action, the subject matter of
sociology vastly differ from natural science.
 Sociology starts with the study of formation of sociality, i.e., how two or more than two
persons interact and share their bonds with each other, and form the relationship.
 The nature of the groups varies from each other like, association and community and
how people share their solidarity also vary from each other.

Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 43


Introduction to Sociology by Dr. Ramjit Kumar 44

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