BA 1st Year Relationship of Sociology with Other Social Science Notes Study Material in English

BA 1st Year Relationship of Sociology with Other Social Science Notes Study Material in English: There are other Social sciences also, in addition to sociology, which study society. Among them are Psychology, Anthropology, History. Philosophy and Economics, etc. Comte considers these other sciences useless since society. cannot be broken into parts and studied.

In Comte’s opinion, society is a totality and its study also should be as a whole. The life of man is many-sided. There is an economic aspect, legal aspect, a religious aspect, a political aspect, and so forth. Sociology, therefore, can understand social life as a whole by taking help from other social sciences which study exclusively one or the other aspects of human activity.

Furthermore, the various social sciences devote themselves to the study of one aspect of human life and, therefore, are not in a position to give us a complete survey of the social life.

For instance, Cultural Anthropology studies man, especially primitie man and his culture only as they existed in times long past. Economics studies man only as wealth-getter and wealth disposer and enquires into the relations of wealth and welfare. History studies the record of man following only chronological knowledge of the significant events. Psychology studies man only as a behaving individual.

Relation between Sociology and History

Sociology and history: Sociology and history are so closely linked to each other that we cannot think of one to the exclusion of other. Sociology concerns itself with different stage of life, the trends of the people living therein, the cultures and customs followed by them, and different social institutions. History relates itself with the recording of human life in societies, changes that have taken place in such societies, different concepts that have affected the course of the inhabitants of those societies, and the circumstances that have encouraged or discouraged the course of development herein. This is apparent that sociology has to bank upon history for its contents.

The study of history has proved to be on immense value in the domain o sociology. History is herplin for sociology by offering the records of fag, which sociologists harrete considering sociological circumstances. Sociology helps history by providing social background for the study of history. Present. day scholars are studying history by adopting sociological approach. History and sociology are so closely interlinked with each other that Howerd once said that, “History is past sociology and sociology is present history.

Differences between History and Sociology.

History:

• History is the concreate, According to R.K Park, ‘’In the same sense that History is concreate, Sociology is the abstract science of human nature.’’
• History generally studies incidents which have happened in the past.
• History studies those incidents which are pleculiar or unusual.
• History emphasizes the doing of the individual.

Sociology:

• Sociology is the abstract, sociology attempts to discover historical causes and general principal.
• Sociology strives to discover universal laws.
• Sociology studies those incidents which are frequently repeated.
• Human group is the unit in sociological study.

Sociology and History have different attitudes but they are closely related.

Relation between Sociology and Economics

Economics in a way is the study of material betterment of human beings, revolving round production, distribution and consumption. But economics cannot be termed as a branch of knowledge embracing entire human welfare, for the reason that it merely involves the study of economic aspect of man. ad. The advancement of economics essentially depends upon the assistance sought from the other social sciences, including sociology. As for instance, if an economist wishes to solve the problem why there is rapid urbanization, he would have to rely upon sociological causes behind rural people becoming more and more attracted for jobs in bigger cities.

Sociology is of immense value for economics in the matter of providing specific data needed for economic interpretation of an issue. In fact, sociology and economics both are intimately related to each other to such an extent that even many of the problems faced by both of them are similar in character. There are the problems of ever-increasing population, urbanization, environmental degradation, over populated slums, family welfare illiteracy, and many more that are bearing both the sociological as well as economic implications. Thomas is of the view that, Economics is, in fact, but one branch of comprehensive science of sociology.”

Difference between Sociology and Economics.

Sociology:

1. The field of sociology is wider. Sociology is concerned with all relations which are not simply economics but social.
2. Economics is much older  that Sociology.
3. Sociology has a comprehensive viewpoint of production and distribution.

Economics:

1. The field of Economics is restricted only to the economics activities of man.
2. In this way. Sociology and economics differ from each other in respect of subject matter, scope, viewpoint, methods etc.
3. An economist’s primary concern is with all that is directly or indirectly related to the increase of material happiness of man, with the methods and techniques of production, distribution and consumption

Relation between. Sociology and Psychology

Sociology and Psychology are related with each other. Social psychology is also a branch of Psychology. According to Krech and Crutchfield, “Social psychology is the science of the behaviour of the individual in society.”

Social psychology is the branch of psychology serves to close the cleft between it and sociology even further. Lapiere and Fransworth said that “Social psycholoty is to Sociology and Phychology as Biochemistry is to Biology and Chemistry.”

Sociology studies about society and its relationship, psychology studies about human behaviour. According to Thouless, “Psychology is the positive science of human experience and behaviour.”

Similarity: Sociology and Psychology are factual and employ by the scientific method. Both are positive sciences. Both have lesser capacity of prediction. According to MacIver, “Sociology in special gives aid to psychology; just as psychology give special aid to Sociology.”

Differences : In spite of such a high degree of resemblance but Sociology and Psychology have also differ in some fundamental aspects:

Sociology:

1. The attitude of Sociology is Social.
2. The unit of sociology  is regards as society.
3. Sociology studies the behaviour of a group.
4. Sociology studies the social laws or values related to these attitudes

Psychology:

1. The attitude of Psychology is individualistic.
2. The unit of psychology is regards an individual.
3. Psychology studies the behaviour of and Individual in society.
4. Psychology is the study of individual attitudes towards cultural and social attitudes.

Bogardus writes, “As psychology analyses mental processes, so sociology analyses social processes.” in this way, psychology presents elemental facts to sociology. Psychology enriches sociology by giving it conditioning facts.

Relation between Sociology and Anthropology.

Sociology and anthropology, both are intimately linked to each other.

Anthropology is derived from the Greek terms Anthropos means man, and

“logos’ means study. Thus, anthropology stands for the study of man i.e., how human race evolved. There are three broad branches of anthropology, as below :

1. Physical anthropology dealing with physical traits of early men and primitive contemporaries.
2. Social anthropology dealing with institutions and human relationships that existed among primitives.
3. Cultural anthropology dealing with ancient cultures and with the living cultures of the primitive contemporaries.

Sociology, to a great extent borrows material from anthropology

Said in simple words, anthropology is related with the study of mankind and its culture as existed in past, whereas, sociology is the study of mankind and its culture being observed at the present moment. Kluckhohn has very aptly remarked. The sociological attitude has ended towards the practical and present, the anthropological towards pure understanding of the past.” Sociology, to a great extent borrows material from anthropology. As a matter of fact, historical aspect of sociology is synonymous with cultural anthropology. Hebel says that, “Sociology and social anthropology are in their browsers sense one and the same thing.” Anthropology helps sociology in the appreciation of current social phenomena on the basis of our knowledge of the anthropology are like twin sisters

past. Evans has gone to the extent of observing that sociology and social

This is not that only sociology borrows culture conceptions from anthropology, even sociological principles have proved to be of tremendous value for anthropologists.

Differences Between the Two: Despite the fact that sociology and anthropology are interdependent branches of knowledge, the two differ from each other in the following sense:

1. A sociologist studies society concerning social interaction among human beings. An anthropologist studies society in its totality, involving the study of political and legal issues, religion, art and culture, occupations followed by ancient people and family institutions etc.
2. Sociology and anthropology are considered distinct sciences in the sense that sociology studies human beings and their cultures as being observed currently, whereas, anthropology studies human beings and their cultures that they followed in ancient day.

Relation between Sociology and Political Science

According to Barnes, “The most significant thing about sociology and modern political theory is that most of the changes which have taken place in the political theory in the last thirty years have been along the line of development suggested and marked out by sociology.” Actually, knowledge of sociology is necessary for understanding the problems of political science because political problems also have a social aspect. According to Giddings, to teach the theory of state to man, who have not learned the first principles of sociology, is like teaching astronomy to men, who have not learned the Newtonian laws of motion.” According to Comte and Spencer, there is no difference between the two.

Difference between Sociology and Political Science.

Sociology:

1. Sociology is the science of society.
2. Study of organized and disorganized communities.
3. Study of all forms of society.
4. Social viewpoint.

Political Science:

1. Political science is the science of government or political society.
2. Study solely of organized communities.
3. Study of the political society only.
4. Study only of government recognized means of control.
5. Attitude of authority. Study of political relationships only.

Nature of Sociology

Scope of Sociology