Is Sociology a Science?
by Science means knowledge. Sociologists had the perspective of progress, organic solidarity, rational social order, etc and today the perspectives are conflict, equilibrium of structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, etc.
A sociologist, therefore, questions the assumptions of society, that is, the same society to which he belongs. Thirdly, sociologists have a recurring problem in studying their subject. Sociologists employ terms or concepts from ordinary language and give them precise meanings. But as society keeps changing, he has to constantly redefine the terms and concepts. Thus sociologists are constantly made to provide a philosophical base of conceptual analysis to serve the purpose of imaginative understanding of the needs of social policy. It is also to be remembered that sociology, too, just as other sciences, seeks knowledge on the reality ground. Sociology is a science in its own rights as since the sociologists constantly try to understand social facts based on accepted methodological tools as suited for the items.
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Post Commentchris wade
On April 9, 2010 at 5:26 am
Social sciences explanations for cause-effect relationships are largely subjective. Nor are these cause-effect relationships coordinate independent i.e. social theories about humans on Earth will not necessarily translate to intelligent beings from a different planet. Hence, it is not a science.
Jasmine
On February 6, 2011 at 3:40 pm
but the lack of definite cause-effect relations is not a fault of the sociologists or any lack in the method implemented by them but a fault of the subject matter in itself. In this regard if one considers sociology to NOT be a science then are we theorizing that science is the object being studied and not the method employed?