The Nature of Sociology

THE NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY

Sociology is scientific. In other words, sociology tries to make a scientific study regarding social actions or social events. Sociology is the branch of knowledge, and it has its characteristics. Sociology has different nature in society. It is different from other sciences in certain respects. The following are the main characteristics of sociology as enlisted by Robert Bierstedt in his book “The Social Order,” and they are as follows: -

1. Sociology is an independent science: 

It is not treated and studied as a branch of any other sciences like philosophy or political philosophy or history.

2. Sociology is a social science and not a physical science: 

As a social science, it concentrates its attention on man, social behaviour, social activities, and social life.

3. Sociology is a categorical and not a normative discipline: 

Sociology “Confines itself to statements about what is, not what should be or ought to be.” As a social science, sociology is necessarily silent about questions of value, and it is ethically neutral.

4. Sociology is pure science and not an applied science: 

The main aim of pure science is to acquire knowledge, and it is not bothered whether the acquired knowledge is useful or can be put to use.

5. Sociology is a relatively abstract science and not a concrete science: 

Sociology does not confine itself to the study of this society of that particular society or social organization, or marriage, or religion, or group and so on. It is in this simple sense that sociology is an abstract nor a concrete science.

6. Sociology is the generalizing and not a particularizing or individualizing science: 

Sociology tries to find out the general laws or principles about human interaction and association, about nature, from content, and the structure of social groups and societies. It tries to make generalizations based on the study of some selected events.

7. Sociology is a general science and not a unique science: 

The area of inquiry of sociology in general, not specialized; it is concerned with human interaction and human life in general. It only studies human activities in a general way. Anthropology and social psychology often claim themselves to be a broad social science.

8. Sociology is both rational and empirical science: 

There are two broad ways of approaches to scientific knowledge. Empiricism is the approach that emphasis experience and the facts that result from observation and experimentation. Rationalism is stresses reason and the theories that result from logical inference.

The empiricist collects facts; the rationalist coordinates and arranges them. Theories and attributes are required in the construction of knowledge. In the sociological inquiry, both are significant. All modern sciences, therefore, avail themselves of both empirical and rational resources. Sociology is not an exception.

From the above, it is clear that sociology helps us know about its field’s sociological characteristics and as an independent, social, categorical, pure, abstract, generalizing, rational, and empirical and general science.