What is sociology?

• How to define sociology?

• Ethymologically: sociology as a word
• Historically: sociology as a concept
• Function of sociology
Sociology as a word
• Sociology= socius (Latin) + logos (Greek)
• Socius: togetherness, companionship, society
• Logos: knowledge, study
• Sociology means then «the study or the knowledge about
togetherness or the society»

«[toplumbilim]»
 Study of togetherness of humanbeings
• Throughout history, people always tried to
study the ccase of «togetherness of
humanbeings»
• Through religion
• Through philosophy
• Plato (BC 427-247): «The Republic»
• Ibn Haldun (Khaldun) (1332-1406): «Mukaddime»
• Etc
• Those names were philosophers, historians
etc., in short, thinkers of society but not
sociologists.
• Sociology instead is a modern science with
spesific methodology which focuses on issues
related to the problems of modern society.
Sociology as a historical concept
• When and how appeared then this modern science?
• France, 19th century, by Auguste Comte as the founding father.
• A new scientific understanding of scientific examination of society.
• A chain of new scholars: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Saint-Simon etc.
• A new science of society based on positive methodology  «social
physics»
• Whey a new science? 
• Because a new society with its unique problematics was appearing in
Europe.
• Transformation of society from 15th century on with Renaissance,
Reformation, modern nation state, growth of population, change in
mentality etc.
Sociology as a historical concept
• 19th century
• 1789 French Revolution
• Abolishment of feualism and rise of capitalism
• Industrial Revolution in 19th century
• Population boom
• Rise of new cities with new inhabitants and classes
• Emergence of a new society
• Transformation of mentality
• Rationality
• Science
• From metaphysics to physics
• Sociology appeared as a new science based on this mentality
transformation studying the problems within this new society.
• Sociology
• Origin of the Word «science of the society»
• History of the Word «new science of the new society in the 19 century»
• But how do sociology function, especially in modern societies of the
20th and 21st century?
New disciplines of the late 18th and19th
century
• Economics  economic sphere concerning transaction of
goods/valuables
• Political science  political sphere concerning power/state
and
• Sociology  social/cultural sphere

Every field were supposed to have their own laws and

Dynamics
From unified to compartmentalized society
Emergence of new fields
Emergence of SOCIETY
Sociology
• «mutual dependence of human beings»
• «reciprocal conditioning of human action»

We are both creating and also created in the society.

to what extent we are free, to what extent we are socially constructed, socially structured?
Sociology
• How do we get information about society?
• Two ways:
1. Tacit knowledge: our own daily experience and observations
Common sense
2. Sociological knowledge
 Based on scientific investigation and methodology

Common sense is not sociological knowledge

 Common sense is based on our limited social worlds, it is prejudical and partial; whereas sociological knowledge depends on
multitude of social worlds, it is wholistic and disciplined.
 Common sense do not depends on claim of objectivity, whereas sociology depends on accepted and institutionalized ways of
science and explanation based on evidence.
 Common sense depends on subjective intentions of individuals, whereas sociology observes unintended causalities, network
of reciprocal relationship.
 Common sense provide practicality and simplicity for our daily life whereas sociology provides defamiliarization.
Sociology
Sociology
• Bridge between individual biography and
history  «sociological imagination»
• Combination of structural elements of social
life and personal experiences.
• «Our personal choices reflects our place
within the wider society»
Sociology
Sociology
• Sociology focuses on individual, but it focuses on individual as a member
of society  reciprocal relationships  social structures.

• Individuals construct reciprocal relationships and social structures; but

they are also constructed and conditiond by these reciprocal relationships
and social structures.

Individuals create and created by the society.

Sociology investigates this double movement of society as a combination
of a single process.
Sociology
• Definition by looking at the ethymology: science or study of
togetherness of human beings or society
• Definition by looking at its history: the new science of the new society
in Europe after 18th century.
• Looking at its functions
• Differs from our basic and simplistic common sense
• Study of social interactions by offering a disciplined methodology based on
multitude life worlds, colleting data and constructing a soc-called sociological
imagination which ties our daily actions, i.e. biography, yo structural courses,
i.e. history.