What do you mean by sociology?

# Sociology is the science of

Collective behavior.

# Sociology is the scientific

Study of structure of social SOCIOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MAN AND
Life.
HIS HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
By H.P. Fairfield

Founder of sociology
1. August Comte –
coined the term sociology,
he believed that sociology could unite all sciences and improve society.
Father of sociology.
Positive philosophy.
1st termed social physics then sociology
France chaos – one revolutionary thinker and other one religious thinker but august opposed and
gave scientific outlook and scientific analysis
2. Herbert spencer –
Defined sociology as the study of super-organic phenomena-that is, of relations among organisms
3. Emile Durkheim –
Division of labour
Compared society to an organism
Society is not just the sum of individuals and their behaviors rather society and its structures
influence, constrain individuals in it through norms social facts common sentiments

Concept of institution
Basic concept of sociology

Consist of various aspects of society which do not change immediately

Family, marriage, divorce, kin, religion and economy are some of the major domains of society
Meaning- an organization or other formal social structure that governs a field of action

The formal and informal rules that organize social, political, and economic relations

Family inst. Political inst. educational inst. religious inst.

Social mobility
The movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between
social strata in a society.

When a person changes their occupation but their overall social standing remains unchanged

For example, if doctor goes from practicing medicine to teaching in a medical school, the occupation
changed but their prestige and social standing remain unchanged

Social change
Changes in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions

These changes occur over time and often have profound and long term consequences for the society

Social changes are alteration in basic structure of a social group or society

Such as revolutions or any movements

Difference between community and

society

Society is defined as a group of people sharing the Community is defined as the group of living in a social
same culture, interest, opinions, etc. structure

Society is a physical place Can be virtual or physical

 Concept of society prevails among human and animals Only on humans

Society is a web of building social relationships Community is only a group of individuals

Society is wider and it includes small communities Community is smaller than society

People with similar interest come together in a

community

Sociology as a science
There are two opposite views about the nature of sociology

For one group of sociologist’s sociology is a science because sociology adopts and applies the scientific
method

Founding father of sociology august Comte and Emile Durkheim support this view

August Comte opines like other natural sciences sociology also governed by some natural laws. Hence
sociology is a science

So question arises is what is science basically, Science is a body of systematic knowledge. It is based on
reasons and evidences.

Scientific knowledge is acquired through observation, experimentation, generalization, etc.

Sociology is a science because of following reasons: