notes

Sociology and History: Differences

Sociology and history are two different disciplines in the domain of social sciences differ in their
methods, approaches and purposes. Sociologists have crave for numbers, historian for dates and
words. Sociologists recognise rules and ignore variations whereas historians stress on the individuals
and specific. Sociologists seek generalised uniformities and processes to form typology of concepts
which differ from the exact data sets proposed in a particular case by the historians. History is seen as
concrete and descriptive science of society.

History is often defined as study of past. Historians, who study history, do study cause and
effects of past events and circumstances leading to social change and [Link]
and history are interrelated to each other. Sociology study society and focuses on current
issues by looking their historical background Sociologists often refer to history to explain
social changes, developments and changing face of society over period of time. Similarly
history also needs social aspects (sociological concepts) to explain past

In the words of C. Wright Mills (1959), who gave concept of social imagination, said that the
tool of social imagination involves seeing the world in terms of biography and history. In his
schemes of things, personal biographies, which sociology studies, are linked with social and
historical context.

Sociology focuses of organization of social relationships and attempts to analyze the

dynamics of organized patterns of social relations and social behavior.

main characteristics of Sociology:

1. a) Sociology is an Independent Science: Sociology has now become a completely

independent discipline and it is no more treated as a branch of any other social
sciences like history, political science or philosophy. As an independent discipline, it
has developed its own field of study, boundary and method.
2. b) Sociology is a social science and not a physical science:

Economics is a social science that deals with human wants and their satisfaction.

As a science of society, Sociology is highly concerned with the institutions and associations
of human beings. Sociology is the scientific studies of human interactions and inter-relations,
their conditions and consequences. But Economics deals with economic activities of man. It
is basically a science of wealth and choice.

Economics is concerned with material welfare of individuals which in turn is the basis for
common welfare. In order to achieve common welfare, Economics takes help from all social
sciences and mostly from sociology.

Economics greatly enriches sociological knowledge. Economic factors greatly influence each
and every aspects of social life. Some of the important social problems like dowry, suicide
etc. cannot be sociologically analyzed without the help of economics because these social
problems are mainly of economic crisis.
Economics greatly contribute to the field of sociological knowledge and research. The well-
known social scientist Karl Marx said that economic relations constitute the foundation of
society.

The fact that society is largely influenced by economic factors while economic process
determined by the social conditions does suggests that the relation between Sociology and
Economics is very intimate.

1. 1) Sociology primarily studies about society and social relationships whereas

economics studies about wealth and choice.
2. 2) Sociology emerged as a science of society very recently whereas economics is
comparatively an older science.
3. 3) Sociology is considered as an abstract science whereas economics is considered as
a concrete science in the domain of social sciences.

Political science is generally defined as a scientific study of state, government and politics.
Here, probably, the most frequently used concepts are politics, state, power, political
socialisation, leadership, governance, decision taking, policy making and its impacts. The
concept of politics is central to political science.

Sociology and political science are closely related to each other in many respects. It is said
that the disciplines of sociology and political science are closely interwoven in their analysis
of power, authority structures, administration and governance (Lipset 1964). Similarities
between sociology and political science are many.

Sociology is often defined as scientific study of society. We may also note that society is
nothing but a complex network of various groups, institutions, communities, associations,
people and their everyday life activities. Politics and power dynamics forms integral to all of
these conceptions of human lives. Notably, polity or political formations has always been the
essential components of any human society

Political scientists investigate into rise, fall and changes of governments and their leaders
whereas sociologists see governments as social institutions, political behaviour as outcome of
social dynamics and leadership as social phenomena having multifarious implications for
social developments.

Sociologist most importantly talk of interaction system, be it within groups, institutions or

organisations, whereas political science talk about control mechanism within such groups or
organisations.

Political sociology essentially looks into social determinants, social context and more
importantly an organic interconnection between politics and society to unpack social aspects
of politics and its processes

Sociology and social anthropology are closely related in many aspects. Sometimes, it is rather
difficult to differentiate sociology from social anthropology in some areas of enquiry and
methodology

The term ‘sociology’ was coined by Auguste Comte in 1838. Sociology is a scientific study
of human society which tries to explain the contexts of social phenomena
A community is essentially an area of social living. It is marked by some degree of social
coherence.

Group means a collection of human beings who have social relationships with one another.
Social relationship involves some degree of reciprocity as well as awareness of mutuality.

Among primitive people, some communities of no more than a hundred persons, (Examples:
Yurok tribes of USA) which are almost isolated. But modern communities, especially large
ones are much less self- contained.

following characteristics:

1. 1) Definite territory
2. 2) Population
3. 3) Close social relationship
4. 4) Cultural similarity
5. 5) We feeling
6. 6) Organized interaction

The larger community provides peace and protection, patriotism and sometimes war,
automobiles and the radio. The smaller provides friends and friendship, gossip and face to
face rivalry, local pride and abode. Both are essential to the full life process.

A community then is an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence. The
bases of community are: 1) Locality and 2) Community Sentiment.

1. Locality: A community always occupies a geographical area. Locality is the physical

basis of community

2. Community Sentiment: People occupying specific local areas which lack the social
coherence necessary to give them a community character in today’s world. For
example, the residents of a ward or district or a large city may lack sufficient contacts
or common interests to instill conscious identification with the area. Such a
‘neighborhood’ is not a community because it does not possess a feeling of belonging
together – it lacks community sentiment.

3. We-Feeling: This is the feeling that leads men to identify themselves with others so
that when they say “we” there is no thought of distinction
4. Dependency Feeling: This refers to the individual sense of dependence upon the
community as a necessary condition of his own life

A community then is an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence.
According to McIver, the mark of a community is that one’s life may be live wholly within it.
An association is a group of people united for a specific purpose or a limited number of
purposes. Such is an army or a school, the object of which is to defend the nation or to impart
knowledge.

The task of deciding whether a group is a community or an association is not always easy.
The greater the plurality of ends of an association the nearer it approaches the concept of
community

Sociology considers human groups its primary unit of analysis. If asked to describe the bases
on which social groups exist, different answers may exist for different kinds of groups

Members of this group generally have face to face contacts. They have intimate and
cooperative relationship as well as strong loyalty. The relationships between the members are
ends in themselves because members derive pleasure and enjoyment merely by associating
with one another

Secondary Groups: Secondary groups in several respects are the opposite of primary
groups. As they are in general large groups, members of the secondary groups maintain
relatively limited, formal and impersonal relationships with one another. Secondary groups
are specific or specialized Interest groups

concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, developed by Ferdinand Tonnies (1887). These

two terms translate roughly as ‘Community’ and ‘Society’

The Gemeinschaft is a social system in which most relationships are personal or traditional
and often both.

In the Gesellschaft, the society of tradition is replaced with the society of contract. In this
society neither personal attachment nor traditional rights and duties are important.