Sociology as a branch of knowledge has its own unique characteristics. It is different from other sciences in certain respects. An analysis of its internal logical characteristics helps one to understand what kind of science it is.
The main characteristics of sociology as a scientific discipline:
1. Sociology is and Independent Science:
Sociology has now emerged into an independent science. It is not treated and studied as a branch of any other science like philosophy or political science.
2. Sociology is a social science and not a Physical Science:
Sociology belongs to the family of social science and not to the family of physical science. As a Social science, it concentrates its attention on the man, his social behavior, social activities and social like. For example, sociology is a member of the family of social sciences like history, political science, economics, psychology, anthropology, etc.
3. Sociology is a Categorical and not a Normative Discipline:
As a science, Sociology is necessarily silent about questions of value. It does not make any kind of value judgments. It approach is neither moral nor immoral, but amoral. It is ethically neutral. It only means that sociology as discipline deals with problems of good and evil, right and wrong and suggests possible remedies.
4. Sociology is Pure as well as applied science.
A distinction is often made between pure sciences and applied sciences. The main aim of pure sciences is the acquisition of knowledge and it is not bothered whether the acquired knowledge is useful or can be put to use.
5. Sociology is relatively an Abstract Science and not a Concrete Science:
This does not mean that sociology is an art and not a science. Nor does it mean, it is unnecessarily complicated and unduly difficult. it only means that sociology is not necessarily complicated and unduly difficult. it only means that sociology is not interested in concrete manifestations of human events. For example, sociology is not concerned with particular wars and revolutions but with war and revolution in general, as social phenomena and as a type of social conflict.
6. Sociology is a Generalizing Science:
Sociology tries to find out the general laws or principles about human interacting and association, about the nature, form, content, and structure of human groups and societies. For example, a sociologist makes generalizations about the nature of secondary groups. He may conclude that secondary groups are comparatively bigger in size, less stable, not necessarily spatial, limited, more specialized, and so on.
7. Finally Sociology is both a Rational and an Empirical Science:
There are two broad ways of approach to a piece of scientific knowledge. One is known as empiricism emphasizes experience which emphasizes experience and the facts that result from form observation and experimentation. The other is known as rationalism: reasoning and the theories that result from logical inference. above mentioned characteristics prove that sociology is a social science.
Horton and Hunt, 1968
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