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What is Sociology?
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The study of human societies has concerned philosophers, theologians, and social scientists for centuries. Sociology is the scientific study of social processes and institutions. Sociologists explore patterns of group interaction, and analyze the various social forces that impact our everyday lives. While some sociologists emphasize the rigor of the scientific method as a way to investigate the world around them, others take a more interpretive approach to social analysis and to the study of human relations. In each case however, the aim is to explain social phenomenon in a way that connects individual behaviors with broader social events and societal processes. While August Comte is generally understood as the first 18th century thinker to coin the term “sociology,” we can look far back in history to Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle to find discussions on the organization and structure of human societies. In fact, the 14th century Arabic social philosopher Ibn Khaldun wrote a major treatise that can be seen as a precursor to later works in social theory, political theory and urban sociology among other things. The 18th and 19th centuries gave rise to the European tradition of sociology which concerned itself with large scale social phenomenon like modernization and societal evolution. A common concern for these theorists was the rise of the modern world and the implications of massive social change for the everyday people making up society. For men like Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim, issues like bureaucracy, industrialization, technology and the rise of capitalist markets played a central role. Early cultural analysis looked at ways in which religion both integrates and divides human beings. These writings set the stage for long-standing debates over the creation and maintenance of modern societies. Some scholars like Durkheim focused on consensus and integration as the keys to achieving social stability and harmony while Marx focused his energies on conflict and revolution as the primary mechanisms for achieving social change. More recently, American sociologists have concentrated many of their efforts on the study of social problems and issues such as poverty, social inequality, global conflict, and racial/ethnic discrimination. Feminist scholars, drawing from the classic and quite sociological writings of early feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft, have used the tools of sociology to show the continuing disparities between men and women that continue to exist in even the most modern and democratic societies. And even more recently, sociologists are beginning to explore the intricate developments of the 21st century and the newly emerging phenomenon of globalization and the effects of globalization on issues like immigration, health disparities, civil society, HIV/AIDS, art and culture, religion and continuing patterns of global level inequality that affect millions of people around the world.
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