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Sociology Project I

5. What, in your view, is a sociologist's relationship to society? Elaborate any one

way by which a sociologist might study social change. Illustrate your answer with

examples.

The Sociologist's Dilemma: Understanding Society to Transform It

-Shaurya Tiwari (B24015)

1st Year [Link].B(Hons.),

Section – C : Group 1
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INTRODUCTION

To understand the relationship between sociologists and sociology, we must first

understand their geneses. Whenever one begins the study of a discipline, he questions

the nature of the subject itself. When we study various sciences and subjects, we

always question their origin and purpose, trying to find the essence of the subject

before we even begin to understand the subject itself. In sociology, that fundamental

question is- "What is Society?". The beautiful irony lies in the fact that sociology is

the culmination of this very question; it owes its genesis to this very thought. A man

cannot capture a flowing river by taking a handful of water from it. Similarly, he

cannot define something that is never the same for two people let alone himself at

every instance. Society is a vision of how one looks at the world and at his

surroundings; it is what the masses deem and the individual gazes at, never the same

for either of them.

In this project, I as a researcher try to understand the complex but captivating

relationship between society and sociologists. This paper sheds light on the

importance of studying sociology and looking at how some sociologists study social

change, focusing on the sociological positivist approach, seeking to establish the

impact of studying social change in our society and the ways in which a sociologist

can observe the phenomena through sociology.

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SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIETY

In simple terms, society could be said to be a network of people bound together by

some societal force; be it territory, history, culture, or anything along such lines. But

the word society cannot be described without, in fact being within the constraints of

the word itself. While referring to the conundrum of defining society, Luhmann says,

"However we define the subject, its definition is itself already one of the latter's

functions. What is described performs the description. In so doing it must therefore

also describe itself." He shows us how defining society already falls under the

influence of society itself, thereby making it autological in nature (Luhmann 1997,1-

2).

Sociology broadly refers to the study of this very society and its impact on human

behavior. Being a sociologist entails looking at the general through the singular and

questioning even the mundane, because even in the most basic acts lies a complex

interplay of societal forces. Mills described sociology as an intersection of

biography and history within society. He describes the 'sociological imagination' —

one of the greatest tools of a sociologist— as the capacity to shift from one

perspective to another to understand the larger social and historical forces that shape

an individual’s personal experiences, thereby not feeling trapped in their own lives

anymore. Sociology helps us see the connections between our personal life and

society; understand historical and social forces that shape our lives and understand
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that our problems are often shared and not a result of individual failings, subsequently

gaining agency and control over our lives (Mills 1959,3-4,209).

Sociology should be seen as a dynamic discipline that continuously questions

the forces that influence human behavior and society and can therefore have a

considerable impact on the real world. This means that sociologists must not only

analyze and hypothesize but also bring about positive change in society. Sociologists

must not see the world through a keyhole, and must instead think about the past,

present, and even future possibilities, making use of sociology for justice, harmony,

and truth. Only then can sociology answer the calls of man.

However, we must understand that sociology is a relatively new social science that

has not yet faced the test of time and has not had the opportunity to culminate as other

sciences have. Any student who plans to pursue sociology will at some point of time

be worried about the state of the world. He will expect himself to be able to solve all

current problems just by studying sociology for a few years. He will be grossly

mistaken. Sociology is at a stage where we may be able to understand the world

around us and occasionally find leads to successful social action, but we cannot yet

rid the world of its greatest problems. (Paul Lazarsfeld as cited in Mills 1959, 100)

STUDYING SOCIAL CHANGE

There are various ways in which a sociologist can study social change. One such

method of study is 'Sociological Positivism'. It involves the use of empirical data and

scientific evidence to understand how society operates. It has been used to conduct

various studies on complex social institutions and forces such as education, politics,
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social cohesion, organizational structures, caste, and religion. Durkheim used

sociological positivism in ‘Suicide’, not only establishing a foundation for modern

sociology, but also demonstrating the power of sociological positivism and empirical

research by analyzing statistical data on suicide rates across different groups in

society and using that to establish a larger societal trend affecting suicide.

Firstly, he collected quantitative data on categorical suicide rates across Europe. He

then compared that data across different social groups such as Catholics, Jews,

married and unmarried people. Finally, he established social factors which influence

suicide using this data. He explores social change by examining how shifts in the

structure and norms of society impact individual behavior, particularly the rates and

types of suicide.

“Suicide varies inversely with the degree of integration of the social groups of which

the individual forms a part.” Here, he establishes how social integration affects

suicide rates by identifying that during periods of significant social change, such as

economic crises or rapid industrialization, traditional social bonds can weaken

significantly (anomie), leading to a higher rate of anomic suicides.

He puts forward the notion that to investigate the social causes of suicide, one must

see that they depend not on the individuals but on the society that comprises of them,

arguing that suicide rates reflect broader sociological environment, not individual

psychological states, positioning suicide as an indicator of the health and stability

of a society amidst social change.

Furthermore, he also looks at the impact of social regulation on suicide rates and

observes that there is a spike in suicides in broadly two situations. Firstly, an increase

in anomic suicide when there is a breakdown of regulatory framework in society due

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to which people may feel a lack of guidance or control over their lives, leading to

feelings of despair. Secondly, when there is too much regulation due to which

individuals feel trapped by oppressive societal expectations or rigid norms.

Resultingly, he also shows how social change does not necessarily need to be

negative, that even when positive changes such as urbanization and industrialization

occur, the rates of suicide will see a significant increase. (Durkheim 1897, 145-213)

These were some examples of how Durkheim used sociological positivism to study

social change. Sociological positivism is one way in which a sociologist can make his

assertions even more reliable by substantiating it with evidence. One might argue

against patterns by establishing coincidence, but when patterns are reinforced with

data and trends, they become infallible. Durkheim and other sociologists have used

this to their benefit when they study social change.

Interestingly, Durkheim also unknowingly uses the ‘Sociological Imagination’ before

the term was even coined. It is noteworthy that in 1897, he challenged society’s

dogmatic view of suicide as an individual’s flaw and showed how it was affected by

social change. This shows us how sociologists have an antagonistic but

complementary relationship with society. They study social change, which is not a

task that can be accomplished by someone who conforms to the societal flow. Thus,

it seems that only sociologists can fulfil the role of ideological rebels in society,

and through this role, they come to understand society best.

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CONCLUSION
Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, saving us from

damnation. Perhaps humanity would be damned even still, if sociology didn't equip us

with the tools to understand our lives. If today's man was still ignorant of his

troubles, would he still have been as empowered as he is today?

In this essay, we have explored the relationship between sociologists and society and

looked at how sociologists may study social change using the example of Durkheim,

who used sociological positivism to study social change and its impact on suicide

rates. Durkheim’s ‘Suicide’ laid the foundation for mental health policies, institutional

intervention and subsequent research which has saved many lives. We have looked at

how sociology has incorporated itself into the world and is now seen in various bodies

of thought. Furthermore, sociology has helped us gain a significant understanding of

our identity, particularly through the study of race, gender, sexuality, and

intersectionality; helping us understand how various identities interact and how social

institutions impact various groups and communities. This has helped us implement

more inclusive policies and practices in areas such as education, workplace diversity,

and human rights whilst also shaping social movements such as feminism, queer
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community rights, and anti-racism efforts, making society both diverse and more

equitable.

Reference List

1. Luhmann, Niklas. 1997. Theory of society, Volume 1. Translated by Rhodes

Barret. Stanford. CA: Stanford University Press, 2012.

2. Durkheim, Émile. Suicide: A Study in Sociology. Translated by John A.

Spaulding and George Simpson. Edited with an introduction by George
Simpson. Glencoe, IL: Free Press, 1951.

3. Mills, C. Wright. The Sociological Imagination. New York: Oxford University

Press, 1959.