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Human beings are social creatures and cannot thrive in isolation. As a result, various issues related to relationships and behavior arise, requiring specialized attention for the smooth functioning of a dignified society. This gave rise to a completely new discipline known as Sociology.
In essence, Sociology studies human society as an interconnected whole. However, it should be noted that unscientific research cannot be considered sociology. Instead, it is a discipline that follows specific rules in its observation and analysis. One of its tasks is to uncover the connection between an individual issue and a public matter.
It is easy to see how a poverty-stricken family as a whole significantly contributes to the assessment of the social structure. The presence of a homeless couple in a society has highlighted homelessness as a public problem, leading to the implementation of programs like the Indira Awas Yojana from 1999-2000.
Therefore, actions and problems occurring at the individual level and within immediate relations can extend beyond regional boundaries and influence society as a whole.
Interestingly, society also greatly influences the individual status of a person. When a society becomes industrialized, a peasant becomes a worker, and a feudal lord either disappears or becomes a businessman. During economic downturns, people go bankrupt, and in times of war, ordinary individuals are ready to take up arms, leaving spouses alone and children growing up without fathers.
Society is a simple yet complex network of human existence. Over the course of civilization’s development, we have built an intricate pattern of societies that make individuals belong to multiple social groups. For example, in foreign countries, an individual is considered a member of Indian society, whereas the same person, when in India, is identified based on linguistic, ethnic, religious, caste, or tribal communities. This diversity makes it difficult to pinpoint which “society” we are referring to.
Within a nation, some individuals are wealthy while many are not. Similarly, some are well-educated, while others are illiterate. Certain individuals have favorable opportunities for advancement in life, while others lack them completely. Thus, the variations within a society are further accentuated by inequalities.
Common sense explanations are based on what can be termed naturalistic and individualistic explanations. Unlike sociology, common sense is unquestionable. While common sense is essentially an individual’s personal perception, sociology has a much broader scope. Sociology is both systematic and debatable.
Influenced by scientific theories of natural development and findings about pre-modern societies from early travelers, colonial administrators, sociologists, and anthropologists sought to classify societies into types and distinguish stages of social development.
Charles Darwin’s observations of the organization of living organisms reflect how sociology studies empirical facts. The Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries, also contributed to the need for sociology.
Auguste Comte (1789-1857), a French scholar considered the founder of sociology, along with other sociologists like Karl Marx and Herbert Spencer, played a significant role in the development of sociology.
Economic activities also contributed to the emergence of sociology and gave it an entirely new context. Capitalism, with markets as the central mechanism of economic life, completely transformed the economic situation in England. Consequently, England became the center of the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in changes in occupations, migrations, and so on.
Undoubtedly, this economic revolution brought about noticeable and positive changes to society as living standards improved.
During the 17th and 19th centuries, a drastic shift occurred when an estimated 24 million Africans were enslaved. In the 1800s, a large number of Indian laborers were transported to far-off places such as Surinam in South America, the West Indies, or the Fiji Islands to work on commercial crop plantations.
Consequently, societies experienced uneven transformations.
Colonialism played a significant role in contemporary capitalism and industrialization. Western sociologists’ writings presented a perspective that differed from the actual truth but nonetheless aided in understanding the social transition in India.
In the Western world, sociology and social anthropology were considered separate disciplines. According to a typical Western textbook, sociology is defined as “the study of human groups and societies, with a particular focus on the analysis of the industrialized world.” On the other hand, social anthropology is described as “the study of simple societies in non-Western and therefore ‘alternative’ cultures.”
Clearly, this distinction fails when applied to India, as our nation encompasses a wide variety of religious, linguistic, regional, ethnic, rural, and urban differences. Therefore, sociology and social anthropology were merged for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach.
The scope of sociological research is extensive, ranging from marginalized communities to billionaires.
Sociology is part of the group of social sciences, which also includes anthropology, economics, political science, and history. These disciplines are interconnected. For example, how can a political scientist or economist study gender roles and their implications for politics or the economy without considering sociology’s examination of the family or the division of labor based on gender?
Economics primarily focuses on the production and distribution of goods and services. Traditional economics places emphasis on tangible aspects, while the socio-economic approach analyzes their interdependence and considers each entity individually. This includes observing economic behavior within the context of social norms, values, practices, and interests.
For instance, significant investments in the advertising industry aim to reshape lifestyles and consumption patterns.
Despite their interrelatedness, sociology does not provide technical solutions like economics does. In summary, the former is metaphorical while the latter is literal.
Classical political science focuses on two elements: political theory and government administration. The theoretical aspect deals primarily with ideas about government from Plato to Marx, while the administrative aspect examines the formal structure of government rather than its actual functioning.
Political science is based on concrete facts about how organizations operate, whereas sociology investigates the areas of influence exerted by those organizations within a nation. Sociology assesses the interrelations among various organizations.
However, recent Indian elections have witnessed the active involvement of both disciplines. Studies have also been conducted on political party membership, decision-making processes within organizations, sociological factors influencing political party support, and the role of gender in politics, among other topics.
History is the study of past events and primarily focuses on the actions of kings and wars. Social history examines the development of society from early times, considering social patterns, gender relations, and customs beyond the actions of rulers, wars, and monarchy.
Sociology is often defined as the study of behavior. Social psychology Artists Psychology - Here's an interesting exclusive article Roland d’Humières, 56 years old psycho-analyst from Aix en Provence (France) has written for our Weblog. I think it to be a very interesting writing about the artists psychology, or maybe "arts psychology", what's behind an artists mind. Artists Psychology Whatever is his/her Art, painting, music, dance, writing, or any… , which serves as a bridge between psychology and sociology, primarily focuses on the individual but also considers how individuals behave within social groups and interact with others.
Sociology is considered the study of contemporary, complex societies, while social anthropology was traditionally regarded as the study of simple societies. The significant differences between the two have been highlighted in the preceding paragraphs.
However, there is concern that with the decline of simple societies, social anthropology may lose its specificity and merge with sociology. Nevertheless, fruitful exchanges have taken place between the two disciplines, and now techniques and methods are often drawn from both.
In today’s world, complex societies exist everywhere. Understanding them requires a systematic and analytical approach, and this is where sociology comes into play.
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