Community Development

Community Study - Social Science

• The study and application of scientific
methods of intricate and complex network of
human relationships and the forms of
organization, desired to enable people to live
together in societies.
 Characteristics of Early Social Science
• Concentration was towards whole social life
and whole human history.
• Focused on evolution part of history.
• It was clubbed with biology, and was known as
Positive science.
• Radical ideas made it controversial.
 Emergence of Social Science
• Industrial revolution (1750 - 1850)
– Factory system of production and consequent
mechanism and industrialization was a burning
issue.
– Industrialization led to urbanization, caused many
social evils.
• Inspiration from growth of natural science
– 19th century was progressive for natural science;
social scientist delved whether scientific progress
can help find social behaviors.
 Emergence of Social Science
• Inspiration provided by radically diverse
societies
– Few questions roused in the mind of social
scientists
• Why there is difference between various societies?
• Why the rate of advancement is different in several
societies?
 Auguste Comte (1798 - 1857)
• Considered as Father of Sociology.
• First time invented the word “Sociology” which is
combination of 2 words
Socius = companion / associate
Logos = study
• He tried to classify all knowledge and methods to
achieve them.
• He focused on society and laws/principles for its
growth.
• Comte divided sociology in 2 distinct parts:
i) Social Statics ii) Social Dynamics
• Statics examines how parts of societies are
interrelated (family, economy)
• Dynamics studies how societies are developed and
changed through time.
 Subject Matter of Sociology
1. Sociological Analysis
It analyses the human society and culture and
analyses the evolution in it.

It examines the factors and forces underlying

historical transformation of society.
 Subject Matter of Sociology
2. Study of Primary Units of Social Life
Here sociology is concerned with social acts, social
relationships, groups, communities, & organizations.

3. Development, Structure & Function of Social

Institutions
Sociology focuses on primary institutions like family,
religion, educational, recreational, welfare
institutions.
 Subject Matter of Sociology
4. Fundamental Social Process
Sociology also discusses fundamentals of societies as
social integration, co-operation, competition,
conflicts, war, revolution, communication, crimes,
suicide.

5. Research
Sociology does not ignore the research part,
whether empirical or conceptual, as there has been
continuous process of evolution.
 Branches of Sociology
• Historical Sociology
• Sociology of Knowledge
• Sociology of Law
• Sociology of Human Ecology
• Sociology of Education
• Sociology of Politics
• Sociology of Economic life
• Sociology of Occupations
 Branches of Sociology
• Sociology of Religion
• Urban Sociology
• Rural Sociology
• Industrial Sociology
• Military Sociology
• Folk Sociology (small groups and their cohesiveness)
• Criminology
• Sociology of Arts
 Branches of Sociology
• Sociology of Culture
• Sociology of Communication
• Sociology of Ethnic Relationships
• Sociology of Psychology
Intellectual Influences on Sociology
After Twin revolution (French revolution and
industrial revolution) many ideologies were
formed. Sociology was influenced by these
ideologies.
• Positivism
• Humanitarianism
• Evolution
 Positivism
• Positivism is a philosophy of science based on
the view that in the social as well as natural
sciences, data derived from sensory
experience, and logical and mathematical
treatments of such data, are together the
exclusive source of all authoritative
knowledge.
• Obtaining and verifying data that can be
received from the senses is known as
empirical evidence.
 Humanitarianism
• In its most general form, humanitarianism is
an ethic of kindness, benevolence and
sympathy extended universally and impartially
to all human beings. Humanitarianism has
been an evolving concept historically but
universality is a common element in its
evolution.
 Evolution
• It effected everyone of the social sciences
each of which was concerned with the idea of
development.
 Related Branches
• Economics
• Political Science
• Anthropology (study of man and his work)
• Psychology
• History
 Scope of Sociology
2 schools of thought describe the scope of
sociology as:

• Specialistic School:
Sociology is a pure science and is related to
certain aspects of human relationships only.
Further, it only focuses on social relationships and
not their content.
 Scope of Sociology

• Synthetic School:
It declares sociology as a general science, hence
the scope gets broader.
It says that all parts of social life are inter-related
thus each and every aspect should be focused.
 Uses of Sociology
• Sociology studies society in scientific way
Scientific methods are used to gather, transform,
analyze data scientifically.

• It throws more light on social behavior of man

Answers the questions like why man lives in

groups, how societies are formed.
 Uses of Sociology
• It helps us to understand man as well as their
motives, aspirations, traditions, customs etc.

• It studies social institutions and relations of

individuals with each of them.

Family, religion, industry, schools, marriage etc

are the social institutions.
 Uses of Sociology
• It is useful in solving paramount social problems
examples: crime, beggary, poverty,
unemployment, family disorganization, racial
problems, gambling, alcoholism, over-
population, prostitution.

Sociology tells us ‘How to become what we want

to be.’