CHAPTER- 1 SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIETY
NOTES
1. Every student must study diligently for progress. However, how well they are able to do depends on a whole set of social factors.- A student's job opportunities are influenced not only by specific political and economic factors but also by the social background of their family.
2. One of the functions of sociology is to clarify the relationship between personal problems and public issues.
3. For an individual, the social prestige of a job, whether high or low, depends on the culture of the society to which that person belongs.
- The second point of this chapter is how, in the present time, an individual is connected to more than one society, and how societies differ from one another.
4. In sociology, society is studied in a systematic manner. This study is quite different from philosophical and religious reflection, as well as from the everyday common observations of society.
5. Sociological imagination helps us understand history and biography, and the relationship between the two within society.
6. The facts of contemporary history are also the facts of men's and women's successes and failures. When a society undergoes industrialization, a farmer becomes a worker. Whether it is an individual's life or the history of a society, neither can be understood without knowing the other.
7. C. Wright Mills focuses his perspective on sociological imagination primarily on understanding how the personal and the public are interconnected.
8. Diversities and Inequalities in Societies-
- When we talk about our society among foreigners, we may be referring to Indian society. However, among Indians, our society can also be understood in terms of language, community, religion, caste, or tribe.
- This diversity makes it difficult to determine which society we are referring to.
9. Introduction to Sociology-
- Sociology is the study of human social life, groups, and societies. As social beings, our own behavior is the subject matter of this discipline.
- People have always observed and tried to understand the society and groups they live in. This is evident from the writings of philosophers, religious leaders, and legal scholars across all civilizations and eras.
- As a discipline, sociology’s observation and thinking about society go beyond philosophical reflections and general intellectual understanding.
- When a sociologist studies a society, they are eager to gather information and observe, even if it goes against their personal preferences.
- Since its early days, sociology has regarded itself as a science. Unlike common intellectual observations, philosophical reflections, or theistic explanations, sociology is bound by scientific methods.
- A detailed description of the differences between sociology and common sense knowledge will help provide a clear understanding of the sociological approach and method.
10. Sociology and Common Sense Knowledge-
- Common sense explanations are generally based on what can be called naturalistic and/or individualistic interpretations.
- Sociology is distinct from both common sense observations and ideas, as well as from philosophical thoughts.
11. Intellectual Ideas That Contributed to the Development of Sociology-
- Influenced by the scientific theories of natural evolution and the discoveries of pre-modern civilizations by ancient travelers, colonial administrators, sociologists, and social anthropologists began to think about societies from the perspective of classifying them into different types in order to identify the various stages of social development.
- Darwin’s ideas of biological evolution had a strong influence on early sociological thought. Society was often compared to a living organism, and efforts were made to trace its sequential development in stages that could be compared to biological life.
- The Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement that took place in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, emphasized reason and individualism.
- Early modern thinkers agreed that the advancement of knowledge could solve all social evils.
12. Material Issues That Played a Role in the Development of Sociology-
- The capitalist system was a major force behind the advancement of industrial production.
- Capitalism involved new attitudes and institutions. Entrepreneurs were motivated by the expectation of definite and organized profits.
- England- center of the Industrial Revolution.
- Before industrialization, the main occupations of the English were farming and weaving cloth.
- Most people lived in villages. Society was small.
- Like all traditional societies, it was also characterized by close interpersonal interactions.
- Both conservative and reformist thinkers were alarmed by the decline in the condition of ordinary workers, but the situation of skilled artisans was different.
- According to Karl Marx, factories were oppressive.
- Before the development of industrial capitalism, the rhythm of work was determined by daylight and rest or social duties amid hard labor.
- Factories synchronized the labor involved in production.
13. Why should we study the origin and development of sociology in Europe?
- Most of the issues and concerns of sociology relate to the time when European society was undergoing drastic changes due to industrialization and the advent of capitalism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Indian society is different due to its colonial past and incredible diversity.
14. Development of Sociology in India-
- The writings of Western sociologists on capitalism and other aspects of modern society are entirely relevant for understanding the social changes taking place in India.
- In India, sociology had to contend with documents and ideas written by Western authors about Indian society, which were not always accurate.
- Agreeing with the ideas of contemporary and Victorian-era development, Western writers viewed the Indian village as a remnant, describing it as the infancy stage of society.
- A standard Western definition of social anthropology would be the study of non-Western simple societies, that is, other cultures.
15. Scope of Sociology-
- Sociology is not influenced by what it studies, but is defined by how it studies a selected area.
- Sociology is a part of the group of social sciences, which includes anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and history.
- Distinguishing between the social sciences would be like exaggerating the differences and glossing over the similarities.
16. Sociology and Economics-
- Economics studies the production and distribution of goods and services.
- The focus of traditional economic study has been limited to the narrow scope of economic activity, primarily the distribution of scarce goods and services within a single society.
- The aim of the normative nature of economicl analysis was, in some way, to formulate definite laws of economic behavior.
- The sociological approach views economic behavior in the broader context of social norms, values, behaviors, and interests.
- Sociologists often envy economists for having precise terminology, accurate measurements, and the ability to translate their theoretical work into practical recommendations—something that holds great significance for public policy.
- Sociology provides a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of a pre-existing interpretation of a social situation.
17. Sociology and Political Science-
- Traditional political science was primarily focused on two elements—political theory and public administration. In neither of these branches was political behavior deeply involved.
- Sociology is dedicated to the study of all aspects of society, whereas traditional political science has limited itself to the study of the formal organization of power in its institutional form.
- Sociologists like Max Weber have done work that can be referred to as political sociology.
- The field of political sociology is increasingly expanding as the empirical study of political behavior.
- Studies have also been conducted on topics such as membership in political organizations, decision-making processes within these organizations, sociological reasons for support of political parties, and the role of caste and gender in politics.
18. Sociology and History-
- Historians study the past according to a certain set of rules, while sociologists are more interested in the contemporary period or the more recent past.
- History studies concrete details, whereas sociology derives abstract meanings from concrete realities, classifies them, and makes generalizations.
- Nowadays, history has become largely sociological, and social history has become the subject matter of history itself.
19. Sociology and Psychology-
- Social psychology serves as a bridge between sociology and psychology.
- Sociology continually seeks to understand organized behavior in society. This is the approach through which various aspects of society shape an individual's personality.
20. Sociology and Social Anthropology-
- In most countries, anthropology includes archaeology, physical anthropology, cultural history, various branches of linguistics, and the study of all aspects of life in traditional societies.
- Sociology is considered the study of modern complex societies, whereas social anthropology is regarded as the study of simple societies.
- Social anthropology developed in the West during a time when it was believed that Western-educated social anthropologists studied non-European societies.
- Anthropologists of the past described simple societies using neutral scientific methods.
- The traditional studies conducted by social anthropology on simple and non-literate societies have influenced the subject matter and content of anthropology.
- Social anthropology tends to study all aspects of society in a holistic manner, whereas sociologists study complex societies.
- The key features of social anthropology included a long tradition of fieldwork, living within the community being studied, and the use of ethnographic research methods.
- Indian sociologists often study not only their own culture in the context of Indian societies but also those that are not a part of their own culture.
- Anthropological studies of the state and globalization have been conducted, which are quite different from the traditional subject matter of social anthropology.
