INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Things we will Cover:

1. Definitions, Nature and Difference b/w Society & Culture

2. Key Thinkers
3. Relationship of Sociology with other Social Sciences
4. Relationship with other Sciences
5. Scope and Application.

Nature

Sociology Definitions

 Systematic & Scientific study of human social life. Sociologists study people as
they form groups and interact with one another.
 Scientific Study of Society and human behavior. This means, there is "a rigorous
methodology."
 Central question: The influence of society over human behavior.

Difference b/w Society and Culture

Society: A group of people who live within some type of bounded territory sharing a common
way of life.
Culture: It is a common way of life shared by a society or a group.

Relationship between People and Social Structure

The idea of the Relationship between People and Social Structure is that the "People are
social beings more than they are individuals." Our thinking & motivation are largely
shaped by our life experiences as we interact with one another.
We exist within Social Structures. Social Structure refers to patterns of social interaction
and social relationships. Social Structures, in turn, has great influence on who we are as
individuals. So, basically Social Structures influences our behaviour, our attitudes, our life
chances.
Q. Why Understanding the Relationship between People and Social
Structure is Important?
Understanding the relationship between People and Social Structure is important because in
the vast field of Sociology the common denominator or the focal point is People. And
therefore, it becomes important for us to understand or take in account the forces that
influence people and help shape their lives. As Society shapes what we do, how we do it, and
how we understand what others do.
“In the game of life, we may decide how to play our cards, but it is society that deals us the
hand.
 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Key Thinkers
A) August Comte - father of Sociology

August became interested in studying society because of the changes that took place as a
result of the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution.

1. First to coin the term

sociology and also the first to regard himself as a Sociologist.
2. Defined sociology as the study of social dynamic and social static, the former
signifying the changing, progressing and developmental dimensions or sides of
society, while the latter refers to the social order and other elements of society which
tend to persist and not change, or you can say defying change.
3. Comte believed in positivism. Comte had a belief that sociology could be used to
inspire social reforms and generally make a society a better place for its members.
4. First to observe the need of a theoretical science of society and the systematic
investigation of human behaviour were needed to improve society.
5. Comte concluded that to understand society, we have to follow the scientific
method. The scientific method is the use of systematic and specific procedures to test
theories in sociology, psychology, the natural sciences, and other fields.

Karl Marx

Commonality between Marx and Marx: They both argued that people should make
active efforts to bring about societal reforms.
Marx made great contribution to the field of Sociology:

1. Introduced key concepts in sociology like social class, social class conflict, social
oppression, alienation, etc.
2. Introduced Social Class Conflict Theory: According to Marx, economic forces
are the keys for understanding society and to bring about social change.
3. Marx Dream and Social Class Conflict: Marx believed that the history of human
society has been that of Social class conflict. He dreamed of, and worked hard
towards realizing, a classless society, one in which there will be no exploitation &
oppression of one class by another, a place where all individuals will work according
to their abilities and receive according to their needs.

Herbert Spencer

1. Famous for the organic analogy of human society: He viewed society as an

organic system, having its own structure and functioning in ways analogous to the
biological system.
2. "Social Darwinism": Spencer's ideas of the evolution of human society from the
lowest ("barbarism") to highest form ("civilized") according to fixed laws were
famous. It is analogous to the biological evolutionary model.
 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

{Social Darwinism is the attempt to apply by analogy the evolutionary theories of plant
and animal development to the explanation of human society and social phenomena.}

Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim was the most influential scholar in the academic and theoretical
development of sociology.

1. Laid down some of the fundamental principles, methods, concepts and theories of
sociology
2. Defined sociology as the study of social facts.
3. Social Facts: A/C to him, there are social facts, which are distinct from biological
and psychological facts. By Social Facts, he meant the patterns of behaviour that
characterize a social group in a given society. They should be studied objectively.
4. Job of a sociologist: Is to uncover social facts and then to explain them using other
social facts. Some regard Durkheim as the first sociologist to apply statistical
methods to the study of social phenomena.

Max Weber

1. Sociology - Scientific study of human social action.

2. Human Social action refers to any “action oriented to influence or influenced by
another person or persons. It is not necessary for more than one
person to be physically present for action to be regarded as social
action.
3. Subjective Understanding of human social action and the meaning people attach to
their own actions and behaviors and those of others.
4. Conflict of Opinion: Agreed with much Marx on most topics but did not accept
that Economic Forces are central to Social Change. Weber argues that we cannot
understand human behavior by just looking at statistics.
5. A Sociologist must aim at identifying subjective meanings, the ways in which people
interpret their own behavior or the meanings people attach their own behavior.

August Comte
Sociology as study of Social Dynamic & Social Static
Key Concept: Social static& Social Dynamic
Karl Marx
KC: class conflict, alienation, historical materialism, etc
Herbert Spencer
Evolution of Society as per fixed laws analogous to the biological evolutionary model
KC: Social Darwinism, viewed Society as an organic system

Emile Durkheim- Sociology a study of Social Fact

KC: Social Fact Sociology is the study of Social Fact
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Max Weber: Sociology a study of human Social Action

KC: Social Action; Sociologists have to derive subjective meanings
RELATIONSHIP OF SOCIOLOGY WITH OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES

Social sciences are academic disciplines that study human behavior in its social and cultural
aspects.
Sociology also falls into the category of Social Sciences
.
Sociology draws from a variety of other social sciences
,
Some of them are listed down below:
1. Anthropology

 Focuses on Individual Cultures in a society, rather than the society as a whole.

 Traditionally, it focuses on what might be termed “primitive” cultures.
 Special emphasis on language, kinship patterns, and cultural artifacts.

2. Political Science

 Focuses the governments of various societies.

 Emphasis on Relationship b/w Society and State.

3. Psychology

 Psychology takes the individual out of his or her social circumstances & examines the
mental processes that occur within that person.
 Focuses on Societies Fundamental Brick.

4. Economics

 Economics focuses on the Economic factors of a Society thus focusing on production

and distribution of society’s goods and services.

APPLICATIONS OF THE FIELD

Some of the application of Sociology into other fields are:

1. Social Welfare
Some people pursue degrees in sociology because they want to change society for the better.
They study problems such as poverty, prejudice, and world hunger and attempt to find
solutions. Jobs that relate to these kinds of interests include: Social worker, Child welfare
worker, etc.
 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

2. Crime and Deviance

Many sociologists focus their research on understanding the roots of criminal and deviant
behavior.
Jobs: Law enforcement officer, Attorney, Public Administrative, etc.

3. Healthcare
Some sociologists apply their knowledge to the field of healthcare.
Jobs: Doctor, Psychiatrist, Marriage or family counselor.

4. International Relations and Diplomacy

Maintaining good relations with other societies are always important. Sociologists who
specialize in international relations must understand the intricacies of how their society
interacts with others.
Jobs: Diplomat, Public relations representative,etc.

5. Education
Many people study sociology because they want to develop more effective ways to educate a
society’s youth or because they want to continue learning and teaching about sociology itself.
Jobs: Teacher, College Professor, etc.
SCOPE AND CONCERNS OF SOCIOLOGY

Scope of sociology = wide ranging

{ from the analysis of passing encounter between individuals to the investigation of
global social processes.}
Sociology includes every aspect of human social conditions and all types of human
relationships.
Sociologists focuses on the factors that influences people's behaviour that happen as we live
within social structures. Social Structure refers to patterns of social interaction and social
relationships.
Sociologists study:

1. what processes lead to these interactions

2. what exactly occurs when they take place
3. and what their short run and long run consequences are.
4. How social groups are formed such as peer groups;
5. How social relationships are build.
6. How social roles are decided and than divided
7. How social organizations such as governments, corporations work
 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Sociologists understand, explain, and analyze the effect of social world, social environment
and social interaction on our behavior, worldviews, lifestyle, personality, attitudes, decisions,
etc. and how this ultimate social reality is created.

Levels of Sociological Analysis and Fields of Specializations in Sociology

Generally two levels of analysis in sociology;

1. Micro-sociology- Analyzing small scale social phenomena like structure and

functioning of human social groups
2. Macro- sociology- Analyzing large-scale social phenomena like how social groups
are formed, organized and positioned within the social structure

While there is one more analysis that people sometimes take in account i.e. Meso Level
Analysis

3. Meso Level Analysis which analyzes human social phenomena in between the micro-
and macro-levels.

This general framework further gets divided into sub fields of Sociology.
Some of the relevant Fields of Study are:

1. The Field of Social Organization focuses on institutions and groups, their formation
and change, manner of functioning, relation to individuals and to each other.
2. Social Control: Ways in which members of a society influence one another so as to
maintain social order.
3. Social Change: Way society and institutions change over time.
4. Social Processes: Patterns in which social changes takes place, and the modes of such
processes.
5. Social Groups: How social groups are formed, structured.
6. Social Problems: Like juvenile delinquency, crime, chronic alcoholism, suicide,
poverty, prostitution, child abuse.

There is further subdivisions of these fields of sociology Like:

Criminology, Political Sociology; Medical Sociology; Sociology of Sports; Sociology of

development; Social psychology; sociology of education