INTRODUCTION Sociology is the science that studies human society, social behaviour and social life.

Sociology as a social science has equally usefulness and limitations. This paper discusses the usefulness of sociology and outlines its major limitations as a science. To discuss the question the paper is framed around introduction major terms, the discussion of the usefulness of sociology, outline the major limitations as a science and finally conclude. DEFINITIONS AND MEANING Sociology is the scientific study of mans behaviour in relation to other groups and individuals with whom he interacts or the scientific study of human social life, groups and societies.1 Similarly, La Vern defined as the study of human society and social behaviour. 2 However, Giddens defined sociology as the systematic study of human societies, giving special emphasis to modern and industrialized systems besides being a social science that concerns itself with understanding of human behaviour. The three social scientists have all recognised that sociology is a science. Science is the use of systematic methods of empirical investigation, the analysis of data, theoretical thinking and logical assessment of arguments to develop a body of knowledge about a particular theme.3 Similarly, Macionis defined science as a logical system that bases knowledge on systematic observation. Giddens definition of science endorsed sociology as a scientific endeavour for the reason that it engages systematic methods of empirical investigations, analysis of data and assessment of theories in the light of evidence and logical arguments. Sociology is one of the social sciences including economics, human geography and psychology that in the process of study attempts to explain and understand the behaviour of human beings in society. It is studied because it has usefulness as a scientific discipline. USEFULNESS OF SOCIOLOGY Sociology arose out of the need to understand the structure, changes and development of society. Additionally, sociology emerged out of the need for knowledge about human social problems caused by people that eventually affects a lot of people. Thus, sociological knowledge is used to guide society and serve it from destruction. Sociology has several uses for our lives. Sociology gives us the awareness of cultural differences that allows us to see the social world from many perspectives. To some certain extent if
1

J.J.Macionis.(1995.) Sociology, New Jersey: Prentice Hall ,p 31.

T.W.La Verne(1990). Sociology: The study of Human Relations, Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, p 10.
3

A.Giddens. (2008). Sociology, New Delhi: Wiley India Private Limited, p78.

we correctly understand how others live, we too obtain a better understanding of what their problems are. Besides, practical policies that are not based on knowledgeable awareness of the ways of life of people have little chance of success. Furthermore, sociology provides practical help in assessing the results of policy initiatives and may be demonstrated by a programme of practical reform that may basically fail to achieve what its designers sought or may produce unintended consequences of an unfortunate kind. Sociology has the ability to provide us with self enlightenment which is all about increased self understanding. The more we know about why we act as we do and overall working of our society, the more likely we are to be able to influence our own futures. Self enlightened groups often benefit from sociological research by using the information collected to respond in an effective way to government policies. Many sociologists concern themselves with practical matters as professionals. People trained in sociology are employed as industrial consultants, urban planners, social workers and personnel managers. Thus, sociology brings about better understanding of society and as such helps in the promotion of careers in law, journalism business and medicine. Despite having numerous uses, sociology has as well numerous limitations that are propounded in subsequent paragraphs. MAJOR LIMITATIONS AS SCIENCE Sociology is a science that seeks answers to questions through empirical research. Empirical research uses experience, observation and experimentation to collect facts. This sometimes requires that subjects are put in a laboratory. Because, sociology studies complex human beings, their society and behaviour, it depends on human beings and as poses constrains.Some of the recognised limitations of sociology include that fact that human behaviour is too complex to allow sociologists to predict precisely any individual's actions. Secondly humans respond to their surroundings and presence of a researcher may affect the behaviour being studied. Thirdly, social patterns change constantly; what is true in one time or place may not hold true in another and that fourthly the sociologists are part of the social world they study, being value-free when conducting social research is difficult. These limitations are elucidated in subsequent paragraphs. OBJECTIVITY Objectivity is the eagerness and capacity to see things as they are and basically involves study of facts in a given field of investigation as they really exist without personal ties, bias, or feelings as to their desirability or 2

understanding. Similarly, Scot and Marshall defined objectivity as an attitude of mind deemed proper to a scientific investigator: detached, unprejudiced, open to whatever the evidence may reveal.4 Objectivity requires that a social scientist seeks only the truth and in this way the scientist is obliged to honour the norm of disinterestedness. In sociology, objectivity is unobtainable owing to special features of sociology arising from social action and relations that are constituted by shared meanings that are not agreeable to objective analysis. Human social life is radically unpredictable because of special properties of voluntary agency. Additionally, objectivity is a problem for all scientists but it becomes a more difficult problem for sociologists to tackle. This is mainly because of the nature of sociological material or subject materials. Since man himself is involved, adhering to objectivity, precision and accuracy is more difficult than in other sciences. Whether a sociologist likes subjects or not, the social scientist is unlikely to be quite neutral about them and even if he were, he would not be such a good sociologist as a result. This would mean that he would be blunting an instrument that ought to be sensitive to other peoples feelings; gestures or even their unspoken thoughts for these are all part of what is being observed. The above mentioned facts make it very difficult for the researcher to give objective opinion or judgment about the person concerned or for him to access what kind of people they are in reality even though it provides the advantage of personal involvement. His partaking in the study as a human being helps to gain greater insight into it as the sociologist can communicate through language with the objects of his study in so doing gaining greater depth of study than would otherwise be possible. PROBLEMS OF COMPLEXITY Human behaviour is excessively complex to permit sociologists predict accurately any individual's actions. This assertion was as well postulated by Popper when he stated that many sociological theories were unscientific because they were insufficiently precise to generate hypotheses that could be falsified.5 With this assertion Popper also distinguished the problem of complexity in sociology as science. It is widely accepted that sociology is about the study of human beings as given in Giddens definition of sociology who also noted that sociology was an amazing and an undeniable enterprise whose subject is our own behaviour as human beings6. Human beings are very complex animals and their relationships along with their social
4

J Scott and G Marshall (2009) Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press: Oxford , p 522.
5

K R Popper (1959) The logic of Scientific Discovery Hutchinson: London, p 101.

behaviour are among the most subtle and complex phenomena that scientist have tried to observe and analyse. Even in the most simplest every day activities of life, for instance, a group of people working together or children playing , so many things are going on at once and it makes it difficult for one person to record in full what is happening . Observation and recording is only possible if a great deal of it is left out and taken for granted. This fact was also observed by Keat and Urry when they postulated that the existence of entities which have not been observed may not open to any available method of detection.7 That is, we can observe only by conceptualizing what is judged to be important to the particular scientific study for which the observation is being made. A large number of factors are usually involved in a single situation. Simple explanations for social problems or situations are common but far from scientific accuracy. For example low crop yields in Zambia are frequently attributed to backwardness of the farmer. This single causality approach in thinking is unfortunately as common as it is incorrect. Thus, the complex material with which the sociologist must deal involves many variables that are difficult to discover and isolate. The situation in the above example may result from the influence and interaction of several complex social factors all of which call for careful study. PROBLEMS OF FULFILLING OTHER ROLES The sociologist functions concurrently as a scientist and member of society. This creates a conflict of roles between his role as a citizen and his sense of obligation to the people he studies and his duty as a scientist to render complete truthful and objective accounts of his discoveries to his fellow scientists. It often occurs that a sociologist discovers facts discreditable to subjects during research. If such discoveries are published the sociologist may be accused and even accuse himself of betraying the trust of those people who welcomed or helped as well as provided their hospitality. To some extent lower ethical level too, the sociologist may not wish to make himself undesirable in that community in case he or a colleague should need to carry out further study. But if the researcher suppresses or distorts the facts, the researcher fails to render full and fair account to his fellow scientist. The researcher may be guilty of the worst betrayal a scientist can commit namely the betrayal of truth. If the sociologist is to remain a good scientist the researcher may have to bear displeasure of the people understudy by reporting the truth. PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL CHANGE AND IMPERMANENCE OF SOLUTIONS.
6

Ibid, A.Giddens. (2008), p78.

R Keat and J Urry (1982) Social Theory as Science, 2nd Edn, Routeledge and Kegan Paul: London, p56.

There exists the problems of social change and subsequent impermanence of solutions in sociology. Social patterns change constantly because what is proper in one time or place may not hold true in another. Additionally, society and culture are continually varying. Thus, a solution that a sociologist proposes today may not apply in the face of changed situations This difficulty is, however, not peculiar to sociologists only for many scientists ought to make allowances for changing phenomena. For example geographers, landscape is constantly changing though very slowly, the meteorologist must allow for shifting wind systems but which are vastly more changeable than the phenomena of most other sciences. DIFFICULTIES IN ABIDING TO CODE OF ETHICS. Sociologists must abide by certain specific stands in conducting research. For example, the code of ethics for biochemist demands that before a drug is injected into a human being, the drug must be tested thoroughly. To do otherwise would both unethical and illegal. However for sociologist, abiding by ethics becomes difficulty sometimes because the code of ethics may contradict requirements of scientific methods. Thus, social scientists may be constrained by codes of ethics. 8 For example protecting subjects from harm will mean not reporting information that can put subjects into danger because at times subjects may provide information that may out them in danger. If the researcher does not report his findings accurately then the researcher is failing as a scientist and blocking development of science. For instance if the sociologist studies one Zambia Police Station, the sociologist may discover that this station is corrupt. The scientist is obliged to avoid harm and do good but the state and norms of science may require that he reports facts as found. But these facts may lead to the policemen being punished. CONCLUSION This paper discussed the usefulness of sociology as well as its limitations as a science. Sociology was defined as the science that studies human society, social behaviour and social life. This science has several uses for our lives that include provision of practical help in assessing the results of policy initiatives, provision of self enlightenment by way of increasing our self understanding. Additionally, sociology provides many sociologists that concern themselves with practical matters as professionals and are employed as industrial consultants, urban planners, social workers and personnel managers.

M Holborn and M Haralambos(2008), Sociology: Themes and perspectives, Harper Collins Publishers: London, p 815,

However, sociology has limitations that include the problem of objectivity arises from the radically unpredictable human social life The other limitation is that human behaviour is excessively complex to permit sociologists predict accurately any individual's actions. Furthermore, sociology faces the problem of social change and subsequent impermanence of solutions. What is proper today may not hold for tomorrow. Lastly, sociologist face constraints in their research because of codes of ethics

BIBILIOGRAPHY

Giddens. A. (2008). Sociology, 5th Ed, Wiley India Private: New Delhi.

Holborn M and Haralambos M (2008). Sociology: Themes and perspectives, Harper Collins Publishers: London. Keat R and Urry J (1982). Social Theory as Science, 2nd Edn, Routledge and Kegan Paul: London.

La Verne T.W (1990). Sociology: The study of Human Relations, Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers.

Macionis J.J. (1995.). Sociology, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Popper K R (1959). The logic of Scientific Discovery Hutchinson: London.

Scott J and Marshall G (2009) Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press: Oxford .