Monday, December 19, 2011

Sociology

SOCIOLOGY

In 1839 French Scholar Auguste Comte introduced the term sociology and explained its foucus.
    Durkheim-“The science of institution.”
    Ward and Sumner-“The science of society.”
    Max Wefer-“The study of social action.”
Giddings-“The science of social phenomena.”
Konalevskey-“The science of organization and social change.”
Federico-“Sociology may be define as the dtudy of structure, function and changes in human groups.
Sociology is the study of man’s behaviour in groups or interction among human beings. It also tries to understand the nature and purpose of human association; the manner in which this association’s arise, devlope and change; and believes and practises that characterise them.

So the main task of sociology is to collect and enterpret the facts regarding human association, not to solve social problems. It’s ultimate is to improve man’s adjustment to life by devloping knowledge concerning social phenomena which can be used to deal effectively with social problems.

In this respect sociology bears the same relation to the solution of social problems as biology bears to medicine or mathematics to engeneering.

Subject matter of sociology:-
1.    The major concern of sociology is analysis from sociological perspective.
2.    It also studies the primary units or social life- social acts, social relationship, types of group, association and
3.    It focues on the devlopement, function of it variety of basic social institution- family, kinship, properly, religion, economic, polytical, educational and welfare institutions
4.    It focues on the fundamental social proceses- co-operation, accomodation, competition comflict and assimitation.
5.    It’s has own method of research.
6.    Sociology also is concern with the task of formulating concepts, propositions and theorys.
7.    Sociology has a good number of specialized fields of enquiry.

Nature of Sociology:-

Robert Brierstedt in his book ‘The social order’ enlisted the main characteristics of sociology.
1.    Sociology is an independent science. It has it’s own field of study, boundary and method.
2.    It is a social science not a physical one. So it focuses on the social life of man.
3.    It is a pure science not an applied one. It’s applied field are adminstration deplomacy and social work.
4.    It is an abstract science not a concrete one. It means that it is intersted with the form of events and their patterns.

5. It is a generalizing science not a particular one sociology tries to find the general laws or principles about human interaction and association of society.
6. It is a general science not a special social science.
7. Sociology is both a rational and empirical science.
8. Sociology is not a normative discipline. Sociology says what is, not what should be or ought to be. For example, on the basis of simply observation a researcher can report that drinking is in public in the western culture. It is not in public in eastern society. Whether, drinking is good or bad can not remarked by the researcher. Therefore the nature of sociology is it is a value free science. This means it does not impose any value. For example, goodness or badness or desirability or undesirability of a thick. Sociology is ethically natural.
    In concrete terms sociology is a library of facts and figure cannot tell us. Sociology is also a set of techniques for collecting and understanding information on social behavior. It is a science that has developed over the last hundred year and is still growing.
     

Branches of sociology: -
No group of people is beyond the range of sociology. They explore the margins of the society- studying street gangs, drag addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, organized and unorganized criminal- most people would rather ignore or forget
Sociology has developed different specialized areas or fields of inquiries. They are?
1.    Historical sociology
2.    Medical sociology
3.    Political sociology
4.    Rural sociology
5.    Urban sociology
6.    Industrial sociology
7.    Sociology of Law
8.    Sociology of Religion
9.    Sociology of  Environment
10.    Gender issues
11.    Gerontology

#Methods of sociology

Sociology information is collected from two sources.
1.    Primary source.(PS)
2.    Second source.(SS)

Primary sources: - To collect information directly from field.
Secondary sources: - To collect information indirectly from existing material.

·    Philosophical Method (SS): - This method refers to literary- novels, drama, poems, stories, painting, cartoons, proverbs, songs, music, sculpture. This information’s fulfilled the gap of information when required.
·    Historical Method(SS): - History means the written record of the past. It helps to find out the clue of the present social issues particularly analyzing or making solution to the problem.
·    Comparative Method (PS+SS): - Comparison is done between two social events to find a clue to the solution of social problem or to make any social analysis. This comparison is made between two present situations or between two present and past situations.
·    Empirical Method (PS): -
a)    Social survey: - When we collect information from a large section of people by conducting interview on the basis of a prepared, questionnaire is called social survey. There are three steps social survey.
Step one: - Sampling- to select the proper respondent. It can be done in different ways. Example- random sampling- to select every thand student from the attendant registers. Stratified sample- to select five students from each semester.
Cluster sampling- a study on fisher man.
Purposive sampling- to choose respondent purposefully. As there is no alternative. Example- study on divorced.
Step two: - Questionnaire- to prepare a questionnaire relevant reg. 
The questionnaire should be simple, brief and direct.
Step three:  - Interview- timing of the interview, duration of the interview and personality of the interviewer he or she should be tolerant, understanding and reasonable and has the ability to gain confident.
          
b)    Case study method: - This method is taken from psychiatric treatment.  In this method repeated sittings are given to the respondent.  Therefore, this method is used to fill up the gap of information collected by different method. This method is also used where there is no other alternative.  For example, study on acid victims, AIDS patients.  This method is helpful particularly to deal with dedicate he issues.  This is also called “Depth Interview”.
c)    Statistical Method/ Techniques: - The use of numerical or methodical terms in correcting and analyzing social events.  The use of statistics in sociology as well as other social sciences as contributed to the establishment of scientific inquiry. Statistical method can be used individually in a research problem.  It can also be used as techniques in different methods. Method means “The Way” and technique means “The Tool”.
d)    Anthropological Method/ Method of Participate Observation/ Method of Intensive Fieldwork: - In this method the researcher participate with his “Study Population” for a considerable time, which should be minimum one year. One year cover all the seasons, crop productions, natural climates, disease, festivals-local, regional, national and international.  But participating he can also observed day to day living, conflict and cooperation.  This participation helps the researcher to build up “Rapport” with the people under study.  It means to gain provide true information.  Besides, the researcher can perceive from their point of view.
This method appropriate non-literate societies, introvert and tradition bound societies, minority and ethnic groups and also remote culture.
School Craf spent nineteen years among American Indians and publish six volume books. Morgan named it an explained its importance. Thus he is regarded as the founder of social Anthropology.
This method is useful to study the society and culture of Bangladesh. Because, Bangladesh still a tradition bound closed society. Dr. N. Karim founder of the department of sociology DU commented in his article that, “Sociology must be social anthropology for some years to come.”


Social Stratification
The division of society into classes or ‘strata’ which from a hierarchy of prestige and power is called social stratification.
    Sociologist have identified four general types of stratification through out history.

1#Slavery : It is the oldest form of stratification which demonstrate severe exploitation. Hobhouse define slave as a “Man” whom law and custom regard as the property of another.
Slavery divided society into two.
1. Slave owner.
2. Slave.
    Characteristic of slavery:- 

·    The slave is characterized by compulsory labor
·    He is the subject of his master.
·    He has no social right.
·    He has no family or attends any public council.
·    He could not choose his govt. or he had no political right.
Two major examples of slavery are:
1.    Ancient civilization of Greece and Rome.
2.    The southern part of USA in the 18th century.
In the east slavery was known ‘Chattel slavery’. Because it did not demonstrate such exploitation.

2#Estate system:-
     This system was found in medieval Europe. If was based on Agricultural economy. Each state was a legal complex of rights and duties of privileges and obligations. The top most position was occupied by “Feudal Loads”. The ‘Surfy’ at the lowest position. In between there were other classes. For example the nobles? for defense. The clergy- who prayed for all.
     The serves were in a better position than the slaves. They had a social life but could not leave the land without their Lords permission. In case of emergency they had to fight on be-half of the Lord to protect their land.


3#Caste:-
     This is a unique form of stratification pattern found mostly in India. According to Luad Berg “A caste is a social group into which members are born and from which they can withdraw only by death.”
     The caste system is based on two concepts.
1.    Karma- worldly activities
2.    Varna- that means caste is determine by rebirth of the individual according to his ‘Karma’.
·    Brahman- priest.
·    Kshatriya- warriors.
·    Vaisyas- traders.
·    Sudra- manual worker.

#Social class and status group:-
     Modern society is divided into classes. The English word ‘Class’ is taken from the Latin word ‘Classis’ which means assembly.
     Lapiere says- A social class is a culturally defined group that is accorded a particular positions or status within the population as a whole.
     Researchers show that there can be 13th to 16th class in a society. To maintain consistence in modern society class are divided in three broad categories.  L   M   U
Again each class is divided into three categories.
    LU    MU    UU
    LM    MM    UM
    LL    ML    UL


                   Caste                     Class      
1. Membership determine by birth.    1. Membership determine by economic and educational factors.       
2. It is a closed system.    2. It is an open system.      
3. It hinders democracy.    3. It enhances democracy.      
4. Social distance is more    4. Social distance is lass.      
5. There is no scope of class consciousness       5. Class consciousness is present.   

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