Scope of Sociology

So, Scope of Sociology refers to the range of topics and areas of life that sociology studies. It
defines what sociology studies, and how wide or limited its field is. Sociology is the study of
human societies which are constantly changing. Therefore , there is no consensus on the part
of sociologists with regard to the scope of sociology.
V.F. Calberton comments, "since sociology is so elastic a science it is difficult to determine
just where its boundaries begin and end, where sociology becomes social psychology and
where social psychology becomes sociology,
ALES ANKELES: neither boundary nor its subject matter can be made clear.
However, there are two main schools of thoughts regarding the scope of sociology:
(1) The formalistic school and (2) the synthetic school.
1. The Specialistic or Formalistic School
This school of thought is led by the German sociologist George Simmel. The other main
advocates of this school are Vierkandt, Max Weber, Small, Von Wiese and Tonnies.
Main ideas:
1. Sociology is specific, pure and independent.
2. It studies various forms of relationships.
3. Scope is narrow and limited. So,Should not study everything of social life.
4. Contextual and interpretative in nature.
[Link] Simmel , founder of formalistic school , holds that sociology only specific aspects of
social relationships. As a pure science it has a limited scope. Further, it should study only the
'forms of social relationships but not their contents.
He made distinction between form and content and don’t influence one another. ( like no
matter wine or water in the bottle) so, it does not influence forms of bottle. So ,forms of
social relationship don’t change like, such as competition, conflict ,cooperation, sub-
ordination, division of labour etc., are expressed in different fields of social life such as
economic, political, religious, moral, etc. Sociology as a specific social science describes,
classifies and analyses the forms of social relationships.
[Link] Weber opines that the aim of sociology is to interpret or understand social behaviour.
But social behaviour does not cover the whole field of human relations. So, sociology studies
social action that is meaningfully oriented behaviour.
3. Vierkandt: sociology study different mental and psychological phenomena.
[Link]: sociology is pure and independent science. He made distinction between
[Link] (community): small, rural, traditional, homogeneous and personal ties.
[Link]( society): large, modern, industrial, formal, high division of labour etc.
Criticism:
Firstly, has unreasonably narrowed the field of sociology.
secondly, concept of pure sociology is micro concept and imaginary.
Thirdly, other social sciences also studies the forms of social relationships
Fourthly ,distinction between form and content is not justified.
Finally, the establishment of pure sociology is impractical. No sociologist developed it.
2. The Synthetic School ( French school)
[Link] conceives of sociology as a synthesis of the social sciences .
[Link] wants to make sociology a general social science and not a pure or special science.
[Link] it focuses on all aspects of society because they are interlinked.
[Link] of sociology is wide or encyclopedic.
DURKHEIM, HOBHOUSE, GINSBERG AND SOROKIN have been its supported it.
The main argument of this school is that all parts of social life are intimately inter-related.
Hence the study of one aspect is not sufficient to understand the entire phenomenon.
Hence sociology should study social life as a whole. This opinion has contributed to the
creation of a general and systematic sociology.
[Link],one of the stalwarts of this school of thought, says that sociology has three
main divisions or fields of inquiry. They are as follows: Social Morphology, Social Physiology
and General Sociology.
Social morphology: Social morphology studies the territorial basis of the life of people and
also the problems of population such as volume and density, local distribution etc.
Social physiology: Social physiology has different branches such as sociology of religion, of
morals, of law, of economic life and of language etc.
General sociology: General Sociology can be regarded as the philosophical part of sociology.
It deals with the general character of the social facts. Its function is the formulation of
general social laws

[Link] Ginsberg: provides classification of types and forms of relationship that task of
sociology can categorized into four branches:
1. Social morphology: "Social Morphology" deals with the quantity and quality of
population. It studies the structure, social groups and institutions.
2. Social control: Social Control" studies-formal as well as informal-means of social control .
3. Social processes: 'Social processes' tries to make a study of different modes of interaction
such as competition, conflict, accommodation, assimilation, isolation,
4. Social pathology: Social Pathology" studies social mal-adjustment and disturbances..
SOROKIN: sociology is generalizing science which studies
1. Relationship between various aspects of social and non- social phenomena.
2. Generalizing features of social phenomena (like ABC elements in all social sciences, eco,
political ,legal, religious, recreational ).
Criticisms
1. Made sociology a general science.
2. It does not make sociology as a specialized discipline.
3. Not possible to study all.
4. Borrowed from all subjects
thus, scope of sociology is very wide.
It focusses on relationship between individuals, groups and societies.
it may also focus on
1. national to local issues
[Link] to modern societies
[Link] to cities.
 SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY IN INDIA
The scope of sociology in India extends further into various realms that deeply influence
the country’s social fabric and trajectory.
[Link] scrutinizes the intricate interplay between tradition and modernity, examining how
cultural practices and norms adapt or resist in the face of rapid social transformations.
[Link] also investigates issues of social mobility and aspirations, exploring how
individuals and communities navigate opportunities and challenges in pursuit of socio-
economic advancement.
[Link], it delves into the complexities of governance, bureaucracy, and public
administration, analyzing their effectiveness in addressing social issues and delivering
public services.
[Link], it examines the role of media, technology, and communication in shaping
public discourse, collective identities, and social movements, highlighting their influence
on social change and activism.
[Link] exploring these multifaceted dimensions, sociology in India provides critical
insights into the complexities of contemporary Indian society and contributes to fostering
inclusive, equitable, and resilient communities.
 Scope during Globalization in india.
[Link] has significantly broadened the scope of sociology in India by introducing new
areas of study and prompting a re-evaluation of traditional sociological concepts.
[Link] now analyze the impacts of global flows of people, goods, and culture,
including issues like migration, transnationalism, and cultural homogenization.
[Link], the economic transformations brought about by globalization, such as changing
labor markets and consumerism, have become focal points of sociological research.
Areas of inquiry expanded by globalization:
Social Stratification and Inequality:
Cultural Change:
Labor and Employment:
Migration and Transnationalism:
Environmental Issues:
lobal Governance and Social Movements:
.
Thus ,The scope of sociology is extensive, covering various dimensions of social life,
behaviour, and structures.
It includes the study of major social institutions such as family, education, religion,
government, and the economy, examining their functions, structures, and impacts on
individuals and society. Hence, it is an evolving discipline as society is itself evolving.