UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

KABALEGA COLLEGE MASINDI

STUDENTS NAME: ALIGUMA STUWART

REG NUMBER: S24/KCM/BSW/002

PROGRAM: BACHALOR OF SOCIAL WORK AND

SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION

COURSE UNIT: INTRODUCTION SOCIOLOGY

COURSE CODE:

FACULTY: BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

SUBMISSION DATE: 26TH OCTOBER, 2024

Question
1. Discuss the origin of sociology

2. Explain the usefulness of sociology in any of the given institution

Police, School, Family, Religion

Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social
interaction, and culture. The term sociology was first used by Frenchman Auguste Compte in the
1830s when he proposed a synthetic science uniting all knowledge about human activity in the
academic world, sociology is considered one of the social sciences.Sociology emerged as a
separate academic discipline in Indian universities in the 1st half of 20th century. At the
beginning it was associated with Anthropology. However, the growth of sociology and
anthropology passed through three phases such as.First phase 1773-1900, Second phase 1901-
1950, Third phase 1950 till date.

The beginning of studies in sociology in Calcutta University was first started in 1907. But there
was no separate department of sociology. Later on in 1914 Social Philosophy and Sociology
were introduced in Mysore University. The first department of sociology started in Bombay
University in 1919 followed by the University of Lucknow in 1920s. Osmania University offered
sociology as one of the options at B.A level in 1928 and as an independent programme in 1946.
Subsequently, other Indian universities started opening Sociology as a PG program after
Independence.

Different scholars have come up with different understandings on the origin of sociology

Auguste Comte: Prominent French Philosopher Comte coined the term sociology and
contributed substantially to the making of the discipline. His important works include Positive
Philosophy, Systems of Positive Polity and Religion of Humanity. His significant sociological
themes include Law of Three Stages, Hierarchy of Sciences, Positivism, Social Statics and Social
Dynamics. His major intention was to create a science of society. Comte opined that sociology
must follow the method of natural sciences. He believes in the unilinear theory of evolution and
opines that human knowledge and society pass through certain definite progressive evolutionary
stages.

Emile Durkheim: (1858-1917) Another French sociologist Durkheim attempted to establish the
status of sociology as an independent and distinct science. He was a follower of Comte’s
tradition and aimed at developing a scientific sociology. He is considered as the builder of
sociology. His major contributions include Division of Labour in Society, Elementary Forms of
Religious Life, Le Suicide, Rules of Sociological Method etc. He was the first modern thinker
who emphasized on the reality of society. In his theory the ultimate social reality is the group. He
advocates the objective, factual and empirical method of study. For him, sociology is the study of
social facts. Social life has to be analyzed in terms of social facts. He considers social facts to be
external to individual.

Herbert Spencer: (1820-1903) Herbert Spencer, a British scholar, played a leading role in the
intellectual movement in social sciences in the 19th century. His sociology is essentially
evolutionistic. His main focus was on the evolutionary growth of social structures. For him,
evolution begins in the inorganic world of matter, goes through the organic or living world of
plants and animals and ends in the human and social world of men. He believed that all
phenomena organic, inorganic and super-organic follow the same natural law of evolution. His
main works are Social Statics, The Study of Sociology, The Principles of Sociology and Man
versus the State etc.

Max Weber: (1864-1920) Max Weber, a German philosopher and Sociologist, contributed
significantly to the evolution of Sociology as a scientific discipline. For him, individual is the
basic unit of society. Weber opines that it is necessary to analyses human motivations, actions
and relationships scientifically. Verstehen i.e. interpretative understanding is the method which is
more effective in understanding the dynamics of society and culture which cannot be reduced to
mere observable objects. The task before the social scientist is to observe the inner meaning of a
social phenomenon. Society and culture are not elements to be quantified in line with the objects
in nature; rather they are to be interpreted. Social action and human relationships are qualitative
in nature. Therefore, it is imperative to make use of empathy along with the property of
objectivity for a comprehensive understanding of social phenomenon. Ideal type can serve as the
appropriate methodological tool for the purpose. For him sociology is the interpretative
understanding of social action. His main works are the Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of
Capitalism, Economics and Society, Methodology of Social Sciences.

Karl Marx: (1818-1883). Marx, a versatile thinker, a prolific writer and a critique was a product
of German idealism. His writings carry deep imprints of the ideas of Hegel, Kant, Feneurbach
and Adam Smith. However, his writings are highly original and polemical and are not in
complete conformity with these scholars. Although he claims to be a Sociologist, his writings are
deeply concerned with burning social issues of his times. He has extensively written on class,
class formation, struggle, exploitation, poverty, alienation and social change. The issue of class
and class struggle is central to

Marx’s thought. In his words, ‘the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class
struggle.His main works are Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, Capital, The Holy
Family, the Poverty of Philosophy, The Communist Manifesto, German Ideology etc.

The following are the significances of sociology in a family

Promote socialization among children. As previous chapters indicated, no society is possible without
adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization
happens. Parents, siblings, and, if the family is extended rather than nuclear, other relatives all help
socialize children from the time they are born
Helps in practical and emotional support for its members. It provides them food, clothing, shelter, and
other essentials, and it also provides them love, comfort, help in times of emotional distress, and other
types of intangible support that we all need.
Helps to regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction. All societies have norms governing with
whom and how often a person should have sex. The family is the major unit for teaching these norms
and the major unit through which sexual reproduction occurs. One reason for this is to ensure that
infants have adequate emotional and practical care when they are born. The incest taboo that most
societies have, which prohibits sex between certain relatives, helps minimize conflict within the family if
sex occurred among its members and to establish social ties among different families and thus among
society as a whole
Provides social identity. Children are born into their parents’ social class, race and ethnicity, religion,
and so forth. As we have seen in earlier chapters, social identity is important for our life chances. Some
children have advantages throughout life because of the social identity they acquire from their parents,
while others face many obstacles because the social class or race/ethnicity into which they are born is at
the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Conclusion: In order to comprehend any subject, it is pertinent to look into the socio-cultural
coordinates of its genesis and growth. It is a truism that that the history of social life and its
problems is as old as human being itself. The origin of sociology is important to consider and
refer to.