Introduction to Sociology

(Culture & Society)

MSc. Sociology
Course Code 4681
Resource Person :Miss Zaitoon BiBi
PhD Sociology ( Scholar)
Email: Zara.khan94@ymail.com
Contact ; 0347-5781331
 Sociology
 Sociology is the systematic study of human society and social interaction. It
is based on the idea that our relations with other people create opportunities
for us to think and act but also set limits on our thoughts and action.
  The word “Sociology” was coined by Auguste Comte- French
Philosopher in 1839. He is considered as a father of Sociology.
Sociology is the youngest of all the Social Sciences. The
word “Sociology” is derived from the Latin word „Societus‟
which means „society‟ and the Greek word „logos‟ means
„science, study or advanced study‟. Science of society or
study of society.
 What is Society A large group of people who live together in
an organized way, making decision about how to do things and
sharing the work that needs to be done. All the people in
country, or in several similar countries, can be referred to as a
society. Cambridge dictionary The community of people living
in a particular country or region and having shared customs,
laws and organizations is known as a society.
 L.F. Ward defines: “Sociology is the science of society or of social phenomena”.
 Ginsberg says: “Sociology is the study of human interaction and interrelation of
their conditions and consequences”.
 Emile Durkheim: “ Sociology as a science of social institutions”.
 Ogburn and Nimkoff : “Sociology as the study of social life”.
 Kimball Young defines: “Sociology deals with the behavior of men in groups”
 Sociology is a social science that studies human society and behavior.
 Sociologists are mainly interested in social interactions – how people relate to
one another and how they influence each others' decisions.
 Sociologists focus on the group, rather than the individual.
 Sociologists examine social phenomena or observable facts or events involving
human interaction to make predictions about future trends and behaviors
Why Study Sociology?
 Sociology can give you a new perspective on yourself and the world around you.
 It's called the sociological perspective.
 By adopting the sociological perspective, you can look beyond commonly held
beliefs to determine hidden meanings behind human actions.
 The sociological perspective helps us understand that people's behavior is
influenced by social factors and learned behaviors from those around us.
 The sociological perspective can help us view the world through the eyes
of others.

 By developing this perspective, we can begin to use the sociological

imagination; the ability to see a connection between the larger world and
one’s personal life.
What is Sociological Perspectives?

  A sociological mindset in regard to being able to connect

individual experiences and societal relationships.
 The lens that an individual chooses to view the scope of society
from.
 Go beyond the obvious and question what is accepted as true or
common sense.
4 Major Sociological Perspectives
 Evolutionary perspective
 Symbolic Interactionist perspective
 Structural-Functionalism perspective
 Conflict perspective
These offer sociologists' theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influence
people, and vice versa.
Social Sciences

 Social Sciences are the related disciplines (fields) that study

various aspects of human social behavior.
 The other social sciences include: history, anthropology,
psychology, economics and political science.
 Psychology: Deals with the behavior and thinking of organisms. Psychology focuses more
on individual behavior. While sociology is focused on group behavior.

 Economics: Is the study of the choices people make to satisfy their needs and wants.
Economists focus on the process in which goods and services are produced, distributed and
consumed.
 Political Science: Is the examination of the organization and operation of
governments. Some areas of political science and sociology overlap, such as the
formation of political parties and with voting patterns.

 History: Is the study of past events. Sociologists are also interested in the past.
Like many social historians, sociologists' study past events to explain current social
behaviors and attitudes
 Sociology and other social Science
Differences
 Sociology studies all kinds of social relationships. 2. Sociology is a general social
science.
 3. The Scope of sociology seems to be wider. it has a comprehensive viewpoint.
 4. Sociology is a science of recent emergence.
 5. Sociology is abstract in nature and less precise also. Social variables are very
difficult to measure and to quantity.
 But Economic deals with only those relationships which are economic in character.
 2. Economic is a special social science.
 3. The scope of economics is narrower. It does not have a comprehensive viewpoint.
 4. Economics has attained an advanced degree of maturity.
 5. Economics is a concrete in nature . It is more precise. Economics variables
can be measured and quantified more easily and accurately
 Sociology is a science of society.
2. Sociology studies all kinds of societies, organized as well as unorganized.
3. Sociology has a wider scope.
4. Sociology studies man as fundamentally a social animal.
5. Sociology is a general social science. hence it studies all kinds or forms of social
relations in a general way.
6. The approach of sociology is sociological. It follows its own methods in addition to
the scientific method, in its investigations.
7. Finally, Sociology is quite young. It is not even two centuries old.
Political Science is a science of state and government.
2. Political science studies only the politically organized societies.
3. Political science has a narrower field.
4. Political science studies man as apolitical animal.
5. Political Science is a special social science, because it concentrates only on the human
relationships which are political in character.
6. The approach of political science is political is has its own methods of study like the historical
method, philosophical method, comparative method, statistical method, etc.
7. Political science is an older science comparatively.
 Sociology is interested in the study of the present social phenomena with all there
complexity.
2. Sociology is relatively a young social science, it has a very short history of its own,
it is not even two centuries old.
3. Sociology is an analytical science.
4. Sociology is abstract in nature. It studies mostly regular, and the universal. For
example, the sociologist does not study all the wars or battles waged by the
mankind. but interested in war itself as a social phenomenon, as one kind of
conflict between two groups
5. Sociology is a generalizing science. Sociology seeks to establish generalizations
after a careful study of the social phenomena
6. Sociology follows the sociological approach. It studies human events from the
sociological point of social relationships involved.
History deals with the past events of man. It is silent regarding the present.
2. History is an age-old social science. It has a long story of 2000 years or even more. 3.
History is a descriptive science.
4. History is a concrete, the historian is interested in the unique, the particular and the
individual. For example, the historian studies all the war s, the indo- Pak war, etc. for
him, each war is unique and significant.
5. History is and individualizing science. History rarely makes generalizations; it seeks to
establish the sequence in which events occurred.
6. History studies human events in accordance with the time order. Its approach is historical.
 Sociology studies the modern, civilized and complex societies.
2. Sociologists more often study parts of a society and generally
specialize in institutions such as family marriage, or processes,
such as social change, social mobility.
3. Sociology study small as well as large societies.
4. Sociology makes use of observation, interview, social survey
questionnaires. They and other methods and techniques in its
investigations.
Anthropology concerns itself with the simple, uncivilized or primitive and
non-literate societies.
2. Anthropologist tend to study societies in all their aspects as whole. They
concentrate their studies in a given culture their studies in a given
culture area.
3. Anthropology usually concentrate on small societies such as those of
nomads, kutchis, etc.
4. Anthropology directly go and live in the communities they study . They
make use of direct observations and interviews.
 Sociology studies Society and social groups. It has no primary interest in
the individual, not in his personality nor in his individual behavior.
2. Sociology analyses social processes.
3. Sociology is interested in the social forms and structures within which the
behavior of man takes place.
4. Sociology studies the groups themselves and the larger social structures
within with both individual and group processes occur.
5. Sociology studies society from the sociological viewpoint.
.
Social psychology analyses mental processes of man.
2. History is an age-old social science. It has a long story of 2000 years or
even more.
3. Psychology studies the individual and social psychology the individual in
his social groups.
4. Social psychology studies the individual’s behavior from the viewpoint of
psychological factors involved.
5. Social psychology studies the behavior of individual in group situation or in
society. Its focus of interest is individual and not the society as such
Nature of Sociology

 Sociology is an Independent Science

 Sociology is a Social Science and not a Physical Science
 Sociology is a Categorical and not a Normative Discipline
 Sociology is a Pure Science and not an Applied Science
 Sociology is Relatively an Abstract Science not a Concrete
Science
 Sociology is a Generalizing and not a Particularizing or
Individualizing Science
 Sociology is Both a Rational and an Empirical
 Sociology is an Independent Science
 Sociology has now emerged into an independent science.
 It is not treated and studied as a branch of any other science like
philosophy or political philosophy or history.
 As an independent science it has its own field of study, boundary
and method.
Importance and application
of Sociology
 1. Sociology makes a Scientific of Society.
 2. Sociology studies the role of the institutions in the
development of the Individual.
 3. The study of Sociology is indispensable for understanding and
planning of society.
 4. Sociology is of great importance in the solution of social
problems
 5. Sociology has drawn our attention to the essential worth and
dignity of man.
 6. Sociology has changed outlook about the problems of crime etc.
 7. Sociology has made great contribution to enrich human culture.
 8. Sociology is of great importance in the solution of international problems.
 9. Sociology is useful as a teaching subject.
Conclusion

 Nowadays sociology becomes a very famous subject. Because of

its scope many people wish to study this.
 Sociology is the study of human social relationship and
institution. It offers a distinctive and enlightening way of seeing
and understanding the social world.
 Students who have been well trained in sociology know how to
think critically about human social life.
Important Questions

 Define sociology?
 What is the scope of sociology ?
 Explain the importance of sociology with reference of Pakistani
society?
 Explain the major sociological perspectives?
 Explain the similarities and differentiations of sociology with
other social sciences?