Nature of Sociology:It’s Features and Dimensions and its beginning

SOCIOLOGYDefined as the scientific study of human social life, groups and societies

Seeing the general in the particular Seeing the strange in the familiar Individuality in social context

Importance of studying sociology

It allows us to understand society Improve human conditions Bear on difficult questions associated with social policies and choices

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The term SOCIOLOGY was coined by sociologist August Comte. It came from the Latin word, “termisocius” meaning companion or associate and Greek word “logia” meaning

study of.

HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGY

Age of Enlightenment

“was the first time in history that thinkers tried to provide general explanations of the social world.

They were able to detach themselves, at least in principle, from expounding some existing ideology and to attempt to lay down general principles that explained social life” (Collins 1994, 17).

Industrial Revolution

The European society was experiencing great transformation Farm work was replaced by factory work New occupations and a great demand of workers

Result of modernization People living in rural lands were pushed to move to cities to find work

Migrants were greeted by horrible living and working conditions and faced social problems

The Revolution Tremendous changes brought ideas about individual liberty, rights to life and pursuit of happiness.

Sociological thinkers began to scrutinize the operations of social and economic institutions and proposed alternatives to them.

PROMINENT FIGURES IN SOCIOLOGY

AUGUSTE COMTE (1820-1903) French sociologist who coined the term Sociology Father of Sociology Conceptualized “positivism”, a way to understand the social world based on scientific facts For him, sociology can help guide change

Social statistics Aspects of social life that have to do with order and stability how societies hold together and endure

Social dynamics Aspects of social life that have to do with social change and patterns of institutional development

HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1930) called as the second founder of sociology according to him, sociology should not guide social reform human society goes through natural evolution – barbarian to civilized form coined the term “survival of the fittest”

HARRIET MARTINEAU (1802-1876) the “founding mother” of sociology “social life in society” which is the patterns, causes, consequences and problems of the social world. most important law of social life is human happiness

Her work sought to understand the extent to which individuals developed “morals and manners” Concerned with gender, racial, and class inequality. Her studies and research mainly focused on the position of women in the Western world and the plight of slaves in America

KARL MARX (1818-1883) Marx thought that people should try to change society and his proposal: revolution His ideas made him live the rest of his life as a political exile in England Society is divided into two classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat

EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1917) Focused on the question of how societies hold together and endure Social integration is necessary for the maintenance of the social order and for the happiness of the individual.

When people have weaker social ties, they are most likely to be detached and therefore are more susceptible to suicide. Durkheim examined social solidarity and distinguished two types: mechanical and organic solidarity.