Why is the study of the origin and growth of sociology important?
Sociology is the study of social life of humans, their groups, and societies. It is important to study sociology in order to understand the society as a whole. It helps us in understanding that how the social systems within the society are interconnected.
The study of origin of sociology is important because it helps us to understand that why this subject and how this subject was originated. It is important to study the origin and growth of sociology to understand the principles and perceptions up on which the subject is developed and based.
Discuss the different aspects of the term ‘society’. How is it different from your common sense understanding?
The term society may be defined as a web of relationships. It is a group of people sharing common culture and occupying a particular territorial area. They feel themselves as a unified and distinct entity.
The different aspects of society are -
• As a structure, it can be defined as a network of interrelated Institutions.
• It remains alive and keeps growing by the process of reproduction of its members in their own forms.
• Every society has its own culture; it is a set of traditions, values, customs and beliefs, which cannot be transformed immediately.
• It is a process of continuous interaction among its members.
In common sense society has a very limited scope and meaning and we hardly question about its origin or believe that it has some set of principles based on behavioural science whereas when we understand it through the various aspects of sociology we come to know about the systematic and scientific approach through which the subject is developed and the principles and perceptions that help in the origination of a society.
Discuss how there is greater give and take among disciplines today.
Sociology is a branch of social science which includes anthropology, economics, Political Science, and history. The give and take among these disciplines are being discussed below -
1. Sociology and Economics
a. Economics is the study of production and distribution of goods and services and it deals with the inter-relation of pure economic variables like price, demand and supply, flow of money, output and input ratios, etc.
b. The sociological approach looks at economic behaviour in a broader context of social norms, values, practices, and interest.
c. Sociology does not provide the technical solutions like economics but asks questions and critically examine the assumptions on the basis of which various economic theories are based.
d. Sociology provides clearer and more adequate understanding of social situation.
2. Sociology and Political Science
Political Science is the study of political theory and government administration. Political science is restricted to the study of the powers of formal organisation whereas sociology studies all the aspects of societies and all the institutions in the society and their inter-relatedness. Max Weber introduced political sociology which studies the political behaviour.
3. Sociology and History
History is the study of past and sociologist are also interested in the contemporary and recent past. History studies the quantity details whereas sociology is the abstract from concrete reality. History studies how the thing actually happened whereas sociology focuses on the causal relationship.
4. Sociology and Psychology
a. Psychology can be defined as the science of behaviour. It deals with the individual behaviour including intelligence, learning, motivation, memory, nervous system, reaction time, hopes and fears, etc.
b. Social psychology reduces the gap between psychology and sociology. Psychology is basically related with individual behaviour whereas sociology is related with the behaviour of an individual in social groups.
5. Sociology and Anthropology
a. Both sociology and anthropology are social science focusing on the study of human behaviour within their societies and are often considered as twin sisters.
b. Social Anthropology studies man as a social being and deals with the behaviour of man in social situations.
c. The basic difference is that anthropology is concerned with the past whereas sociology is concerned with present.
d. The sociologists can easily manage with the second hand information but the anthropologist need first-hand knowledge.
Identify any personal problem that you or your friends or relatives are facing. Attempt a sociological understanding.
One of my neighbours are looking for a formal school for their 3 year old daughter. The way they are analysing the things are being discussed below –
• They need a school which is within the vicinity of their residence so that they could not be dependent upon the transport facility as they are quite afraid of the crime against girl child in present days
• They need the school to have good curriculum as well as extra-curricular activities because they want the child to develop multi-fold.
• They are quite conscious about the gentry of the school as they feel that the child leans behaviour from the groups he/she forms in school.
• They want the school to have good sports training so that the child can even be better in sports and can opt it as career as now-a-days sports is quite a heavily paid job.