Lecture 1

Nature, Scope &

Utility of Sociology.
Essential Elements of
Society, Bio-Society,
Bio-Social & Socio
Cultural Systems.
Janardhan Malakapalli
(PhD),M.Tech(urp),AIIA,Dip.Arch.
Sociology is the systematic study of
social behavior & human groups. It
focuses primarily on the influence of
social relationships upon peoples
attitudes and behavior and on how
societies are established and change.
Some Definitions of sociology,
Durkheim while defining
sociology has said that, It
is the Science of collective
representation.
Max Weber has viewed sociology as Science which attempts
imperative understanding of social actions.
Ogburn has said that, Sociology
is concerned with the study of
social life and its relations to the
factors of culture, natural
environment, heredity and
group.
Sorokin is of the opinion that sociology
is a study first of all the relationship
and correlations between various
classes...second between the social
and non social aspects of life and
third it studies general characteristics
common to all classes of society.
Definition of sociology, its scope.
For architects the scope of sociology would be
the study of how social relationships which
influence spatial relationships.
The methods developed in sociology are adopted to study
every social problem scientifically and objectively without
subjectivity to the extent possible.
Some see the world basically as a stable
and ongoing entity. They are
impressed with the endurance of
the family, organized religion, and
other social institutions. Some
sociologists see society as composed
of many groups in conflict, competing
for scarce resources. To other
sociologists, the most fascinating aspects
of the social world are the everyday,
routine Interactions among individuals
that we sometimes take for granted.
Perspectives in sociology,
Nature of sociology.
Sociology is a social science and not a natural science, because it
deals with human beings and social phenomena..
It is positive and not normative
science because it studies
social phenomena as it is and
not as it ought to be.
It is pure and not applied
science because it studies
underlying factors of a social
phenomenon.
Sociology is an abstract and not a
concrete science because it studies
society in general. It deals with
society, which in itself is abstract and
as such the subject cannot be
concrete.
It is a science of
generalization and not
that of particularization
because it studies a
social problem in
general and not in
particular way.
It does not study a social
phenomenon from a
particular angle. It is an
empirical or rational science
because it tries to follow
logical method of data
collection.
School of Thoughts in Sociology.
There are two main schools of thought about the scope of
sociology. They are Formal & Synthetic school of thought.
Formal school of thought
believes that scope of sociology
should not be generalized
but confined to the study of
some specific aspects of
society. The exponents of this
school wish to keep the subject
pure and independent.
According to them it should deal
with social relationships, social
activities and processes of
socialization.
Max Weber, who is the chief
exponent of this school of
thought, has said that
sociology should deal with
interpretations of social
behaviors only.
Vier Kandt, who is another
exponent of this school of
thought, is of the view that
sociology should confine itself
to the study of formal and not
the actual behavior of the
people in the society.
Schools of thought in sociology.
There are two main schools of thought about the scope of
sociology.
Synthetic School of thought
believes that sociology should
study society as a whole and not
confine itself to the study of only
limited social problems.


Auguste comte believes that the scope of
sociology should be considerably widened.
According to him the study of one aspect
of society can lead to misleading results
because all aspects of society, like parts of
human body, are inter-linked.
Significance of sociology:
Awareness Of Cultural Differences
First sociologist allows us to see the social world from many
perspectives.
Quite often, if we understand how people live, we can
have better idea about their problems.
Policies, which are meant for solving the problems of
peoples may fail if they have not understood the life of
people.
Example Policies regarding tribal, or slum dwellers
rehabilitation or street hawkers shifting bar dancers
profession or even allowing shopkeepers to have late night
business, all require practical knowledge of their life.
Significance of sociology:
Assessing The Effect Of Policies
Many policies related to employment or rehabilitation of
people failed miserable since they do not make use of the
aims & real needs of people.
Sociologist brings the basic needs, & objectives of people are
concerned into light so that the government can understand
the causes of failure.
Unless people are involved in any programmed mean for
them, the programme is not going to be successful.
Sociological research points, out deficiencies, in the policy and
discrepancy between the peoples aims & the policy aims.
Significance of sociology:
Self Enlightenment
Sociology provides, knowledge to understand self.

Sociology helps us to know why we behave in a particular manner.

Many self help groups- Alcoholics, dog lovers, Anonymous,
environmentalist, Senior citizen group have learned to help
themselves without being dependent on government.
Knowledge of sociology can be used in the following areas of social life:
1. Teaching
2. Social research
3. Social work
4. Professions-medicine, law, engineering,
business etc.
5. Industry
6. Rural and Urban planning
7. Public administration- civil services
8. Policy making
9. business consulting
10. Politics
11. Architecture
12. Child welfare and Health welfare
13. Gerontology (study of old age people)
14. Computer industry
15. Military intelligence and military
16. Entrepreneurship
17. International relations
18. Criminal justice
19. City management
20. New emerging careers: (a) action
programme, & (b) development
Elements of society:-
Culture.
Social Structure.
Social
Interaction.
Socialization.


Elements of society: Culture.
In sociological usage, culture specifically refers to
social structure and ideas that give meaning to human
social structure, while society refers to social structure
some what apart from underlying values and ideas.

The study of the society or social structure, of a group, on
the other hand, is primarily concerned with the patterns of
organization and interaction built upon that cultural
background.
To a sociologist, a culture is a system of ideas, values,
beliefs, knowledge, norm, customs and technology
shared by almost everyone in a particular society.
Elements of society: Culture definition.
Culture is often referred as a Sum total of behavior
traits which a person, comes to acquire through
instruction and learning. It shapes an individuals
reaction to external environment it provides the
individual a structure of socially approved ideas and
beliefs, norms and values.
B. Malinowski has defined culture as the cumulative creation of
man. He also regarded culture as a handiwork of man and the
medium, through which he achieves his ends.
Robert Bierstadt Simplified Tylors definition by stating culture
is the complex whole that consists of all the ways we think and
do and everything we have as member of society.
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/vamsi001-1915612-elements-culture-society/
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/vamsi001-1915612-elements-culture-society/
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http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/vamsi001-1915612-elements-culture-society/
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/vamsi001-1915612-elements-culture-society/
According to Kingsley Davis, societies may be classified into two
broad types depending upon the nature of social patterns.
Social patterns are
determined by
heredity or
culture. Societies
that have patterns
fixed by heredity
may be called bio-
social, and those
fixed by culture
may be called
socio-cultural.
All social species except man exhibit the
bio-social system and man alone
exhibits the socio-cultural system.
Thus, the term bio-social system stands
for animal society whereas the
expression socio-cultural system
represents human society.
Source:- http://www.shareyouressays.com/87254/essay-on-bio-social-systems
Bio-Social & Socio Cultural Systems
Heredity, the main trait of Bio-social System:
The non-human social
system meets its basic
needs mainly through
the mechanisms that are
determined by heredity.
The individuals respond
to the social situations
mostly instinctively.
It does not mean that all
the members react in
the same way always.
Because the physical
characteristics of the
individuals differ in
predetermined ways.
Here the continuation
of the social system is
accomplished through
the transmission of the
genes.
Here a change in the
social order is possible
only from the change
in the germ plasma.
The bio-social systems are thus largely
hereditary in character. Each kind of such
society whether of termites or of birds, or of
bees, is characteristic of the species as a
whole. It means the species as a whole reveal
the same characteristics throughout the world.
Source:- http://www.shareyouressays.com/87254/essay-on-bio-social-systems
In the case of human
society, such uniformity is
not found.
Though all the human
beings belong to the same
species- the homo sapiens
their social patterns differ
from place to place and
time to time.
These social patterns are
not determined by
heredity, but by cultural
transmission.
Socio cultural System:
Source:- http://www.shareyouressays.com/87254/essay-on-bio-social-systems
The explanation of the tremendous variations
among human societies is that their common
genetic heritage enables them to develop very
different cultural heritages.

Because human societies, unlike those of other
species, have both a social and cultural
dimension, sociologists and other social scientists
often refer to them as sociocultural systems.
Source:- http://www2.fiu.edu/~grenierg/chapter2.htm
THE 5 BASIC COMPONENTS OF HUMAN SOCIETIES
POPULATION,
CULTURE,
MATERIAL PRODUCTS,
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, &
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
1.Population
Population is the first basic component of
society. It refers to the members of a
society considered collectively.
In analyzing human societies there are 3
aspects of population:

(a) the genetic constants,

(a) the genetic variables and

(a) the demographic variables.
2. Culture
The second basic
component of every
sociocultural system is
culture, a societys symbol
systems and the
information they convey.
The symbol systems and
store of information that
comprise a societys culture
are like a foundation laid
down by previous
generations.
Because each generation
has this base on which to
build, it can avoid repeating
many of the experiences of
earlier generations.
Technology is information about how to use the material resources of the
environment to satisfy human needs and desires.
Material Products
Material products consists of the things
human society produces or obtains
through trade. These products of
technology range from perishable food to
architecture. Energy is easily the most
vital product of societal activity
Social Organization
Social organization refers to the network of relationships among a
societys members. These relationships make it possible for members to
satisfy both their individual needs and the needs of society as a whole.
When we think of social organization we must think of it as a product of
the interaction of culture and people itself consisting of 5 elements: (1)
individuals, (2) social positions, roles & statuses, (3) groups, (4) classes,
and (5) stratification.
THE 5 BASIC COMPONENTS OF HUMAN SOCIETIES
Ideology
Much of the information in
culture is ideological and
results from efforts to make
sense out of human
experience. Ideology is
information used to interpret
experience and help order
societal life (40). There are 3
basic elements that comprise
every ideology
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociocultural_system