Importance of Sociology

Importance of sociology
Sociology makes a scientific study of

society: Prior to the emergence of
sociology the study of society was carried
on in an unscientific manner and society
had never been the central concern of any
science. It is through the study of
sociology that the truly scientific study of
the society has been possible. Sociology
because of its bearing upon many of the
problems of the present world has assumed
such a great importance that it is
considered to be the best approach to all
the social sciences
• Sociology is of great importance in the
solution of social problems: The present
world is suffering from many problems
which can be solved through scientific
study of the society. It is the task of
sociology to study the social problems
through the methods of scientific
research and to find out solution to
them.
• Study of sociology is indispensable for
understanding and planning of society: It
is impossible to understand and solve its
numerous problems without support of
sociology. It is rightly said that we cannot
understand and mend society without any
knowledge of its mechanism and
construction. Without the investigation
carried out by sociology no real effective
social planning would be possible. It helps
us to determine the most efficient means
for reaching the goals agreed upon
• Sociology has made great
contribution to enrich human
culture: Human culture has been
made richer by the contribution of
sociology. The social phenomenon is
now understood in the light of
scientific knowledge and enquiry. It
has further taught us to be
objective, critical and
dispassionate. It enables man to
have better understanding both of
himself and of others.
• Sociology has changed our outlook
with regard to the problems of crime;
It is through the study of sociology
that our whole outlook on various
aspects of crime has change. The
criminals are now treated as human
beings suffering from mental
deficiencies and efforts are accordingly
made to rehabilitate them as useful
members of the society.
• The value of sociology lies in the fact
that it keeps us update on modern
situations: It contributes to making good
citizens and finding solutions to the
community problems. It adds to the
knowledge of the society. It helps the
individual find his relation to society. The
study of social phenomena and of the ways
and means of promoting what Giddens calls
social adequacy is one of the most urgent
needs of the modern society. Sociology has
a strong appeal to all types of mind
through its direct bearing upon many of
the initial problems of the present world.
Areas of sociology
• Social organization is the study of
the various institutions, social
groups, social stratification, social
mobility, bureaucracy, ethnic
groups and relations, and other
similar subjects like family,
education, politics, religion,
economy
• Social Psychology This refers to
human nature and its focus on social
processes as they affect the
individual. The observations in their
emotions, attitudes, perceptions
and culture in their community.
• Social Change This studies
ecological changes, population,
migration, technological change,
new production techniques, culture
change, political processes, social
transformation, modernization,
mass communication, and the impact
of natural disaster.
• 5.Applied Sociology This is
concerned with resolving social
problems through sociological
research.
• Human ecology deals with the nature
and behavior of a given population and
its relationships to the group's present
social institutions. For instance, studies
of this kind have shown the prevalence
of mental illness, criminality,
delinquencies, prostitution, and drug
addiction in urban centers and other
highly developed places.
• Sociological Theory and
Research This is a set of statements
that seeks to explain problems, actions
or behavior; or the discovery and
development of research that tests
the validity, applicability and
usefulness of the results of the
investigation for the improvement of
life.
Founder’s of sociology
• Auguste Comte
The French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–
1857)—often called the ―father of sociology‖—first
used the term ―sociology‖ in 1838 to refer to the
scientific study of society. He believed that all
societies develop and progress through the
following stages: religious, metaphysical, and
scientific. Comte argued that society needs
scientific knowledge based on facts and evidence to
solve its problems—not speculation and
superstition, which characterize the religious and
metaphysical stages of social development.
• Comte viewed the science of sociology
as consisting of two branches: dynamics,
or the study of the processes by which
societies change; and statics, or the
study of the processes by which
societies endure. He also envisioned
sociologists as eventually developing a
base of scientific social knowledge that
would guide society into positive
directions.
• Herbert Spencer
• The 19th‐century Englishman Herbert

Spencer (1820–1903) compared society to a
living organism with interdependent parts.
Change in one part of society causes change
in the other parts, so that every part
contributes to the stability and survival of
society as a whole. If one part of society
malfunctions, the other parts must adjust to
the crisis and contribute even more to
preserve society. Family, education,
government, industry, and religion comprise
just a few of the parts of the ―organism‖ of
society.
• Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• Marx's theories about society, economics
and politics, which are collectively known
as Marxism, argue that all society
progresses through the dialectic of class
struggle. He was heavily critical of the
current socio-economic form of society,
capitalism, which he called the
"dictatorship of the bourgeoisie," believing
it to be run by the wealthy middle and
upper classes purely for their own benefit,
and predicted that it would inevitably
produce internal tensions which would lead
to its self-destruction and replacement by
a new system, socialism.
• Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) did a person
systematically apply scientific methods to sociology as a
discipline. A French philosopher and sociologist, Durkheim
stressed the importance of studying social facts, or
patterns of behavior characteristic of a particular group.
The phenomenon of suicide especially interested
Durkheim. But he did not limit his ideas on the topic to
mere speculation. Durkheim formulated his conclusions
about the causes of suicide based on the analysis of large
amounts of statistical data collected from various
European countries.
• Durkheim certainly advocated the use of systematic
observation to study sociological events, but he also
recommended that sociologists avoid considering people's
attitudes when explaining society. Sociologists should only
consider as objective ―evidence‖ what they themselves can
directly observe. In other words, they must not concern
themselves with people's subjective experiences.
• The German sociologist Max
Weber (1864–1920) disagreed with the
―objective evidence only‖ position of
Durkheim. He argued that sociologists must
also consider people's interpretations of
events—not just the events themselves.
Weber believed that individuals' behaviors
cannot exist apart from their
interpretations of the meaning of their own
behaviors, and that people tend to act
according to these interpretations. Because
of the ties between objective behavior and
subjective interpretation, Weber believed
that sociologists must inquire into people's
thoughts, feelings, and perceptions
regarding their own behaviors.
References
• Blackwell Encyclopedia of
Sociology. Ed. by George Ritzer.
• World of Sociology. Ed. by Joseph M.
Palmisano. Detroit : Gale Group, c2001.
• Dictionary of Sociology. By Tony
Lawson. London ; Chicago : Fitzroy
Dearborn, 2001

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Importance of sociology

Sociology makes a scientific study of

• The 19th‐century Englishman Herbert

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