Nature of Sociology:

Its Features and Dimensions and its beginning

SOCIOLOGY
Defined 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
et.y.mol.o.gy
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.