Introduction to sociology - class-VIII

Importance of Sociology:

Sociology has a unique place among all the social sciences. It is
different from other social sciences due to its unique nature. Sociology is
considered as an independent and separate field of study. The features
of Sociology are: 

Since sociology has emerged as an independent discipline, it covers diverse areas for study. The major area of study is society and social life while focussing on the social interaction of people. It studies social relations between people. It studies social processes such as movements, cooperation, accommodation etc and social institutions which defines human behaviour and conduct.

M.N.Srinivas
is the internationally renowned Indian
sociologist. He popularised the ‘field based
sociological studies’ in India. While he was
studying at Stanford University, his field study notes
were lost in arson due to agitation of the students.
Based on his memory of the field work done, he wrote
‘A Remembered Village’ in 1976. This has received
universal acclaim and has been republished many
times.

Sociology emerged as an independent discipline in the mid-1800s in Western Europe, during the early Industrial Revolution which affects almost all aspects of human existence which was described as social change. It became a specific science in later fifty years.

Sociology has unique relation with other discipline of Social Science. It is open to multitude of disciplines. Not the oldest but it is most vast discipline of the Social sciences constantly diversifying and changing.

Annihilation of Caste was a speech prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar written in 1936. It remained undelivered and was later published by him. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who is known as the father of the Constitution wad against the discriminatory practices like untouchability and caste differences. He explained the methods to root out penetrative caste system prevailing in society.

Iravati Karve is recognized as the most prominent sociologist of India. She was the Student of Dr. G.S Ghurye. She was also the founder of Anthropological department at Poone. Her contributions are Kinship and Organisation in India, Indian Society, Institutions and relationships.

Max Webber was a German sociologist and political thinker. He propounded methodological anti positivism. He believed that social actions should be studied through interpretive methods rather than empirical means.

History studies the past and ancient happenings. It recreates the events that had happened in the past and the evolution that has brought by the events. The sociology on the contrary studies the society, the events occurring in today's world, the processes and change.

M.N. Shrinivas is an Indian Sociologist and Anthropologist and is famously known for his work on the caste system, social stratification etc. He was the child of his own times and never wrote things in utopia, he exposed what he gathered from experience and integrity. He focussed on understanding Society and people not merely on the basis of textbooks and western writings but by direct observations and field experience which he categorized into his methodology as field view.

G.S. Ghurye is regarded as the Father of India Sociology. He was an Indian Professor of Sociology. He has authored several books and papers also Founded the Indian Sociological Society and it's newsletter Sociological Bulletin. He studied tribes and castes of India extensively using Historical and Indological data.

Karl Marx devised the theory of Class Struggle. According to him, the world is divided into two classes of people one is of Bourgeoisie that control capital and production and others are proletariats that provide labour. According to him there always is conflict and struggle between these two classes to what he referred to as Class struggle.

The French Philosopher August Comte is called the Father of Sociology. He used the term Sociology in 1838 to refer to the scientific study of society.

Emile Durkheim is known as the principal architect of modern Sociology. He expanded the positivism as pronounced by the August Comte and propounded structural functionalism. According to him, Sociology should study large extents of the attribute in a society and not limit its area of study.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar started the newspaper, MookNayaka (Mutehero) in support of the downtrodden section of society, to raise the voice of untouchables. No newspaper at that time in 1929 has ever given recognition to untouchables.

A.R.Desai is important among the prominent sociologists of India. He worked as the UGC national fellow and as Head of Department of Sociology of Bombay University. His full name is Akshay Ramlal Desai and was born in 1915. He was the student of G.S.Ghurye and later taught and became head of the same department. As he was following the Marxist Ideology in his sociological studies, he was identified as ‘Marxist Sociologist’. His ‘The Sociological Background of Indian Nationalism’ work is the best work.