Importance of Sociology

Sociology is the science that is responsible for studying the structure, development and functioning of societies. Due to the fact that societies are very complex entities, Sociology can be studied from very different approaches, which gives rise to the different branches of this science. It is closely related to other social Sciences which are also in charge of studying topics that belong to the field of sociology, such as economics, anthropology or psychology.

Origin

The Frenchman Auguste Comte (1798-1857) is usually considered the father of sociology, since he was the first to use this term. term to refer to a new science, which by applying scientific methods, could discover the laws that govern relationships social. This new term would be later adopted by Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), in charge of continuing Comte's research.

For his part, the Frenchman Emil Durkheim was the one who systematized this branch of knowledge. Durkheim introduced the key concepts of this science at the end of the 19th century, establishing the rules of the sociological method, social facts, structural components (institutions), immaterial social facts (for example, collective consciousness) or organic solidarity and mechanics. With his contributions and studies, sociology gradually consolidated as an autonomous discipline, unrelated to psychology or traditional political philosophy. As has happened in other areas, sociology has developed opposing currents (for example, the Marxist versus the Chicago School), as well as different

In any case, today, various currents of thought have emerged that prefer to locate the origin of this science in the theories of various social philosophers of the 19th century. Thus, many sources highlight the role of Karl Marx (1818-1883) as a precursor of sociology, in the same way that the French aristocrat Saint-Simon (1760-1825), the French writer Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) or the English economist John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).

Urban sociology and rural sociology

One of the great divisions that is usually made in sociology is the one that differentiates between urban sociology and rural sociology. The first one refers to the sociological study focused on metropolitan areas, trying to identify the structures, processes and problems generated within an urban area, to which an attempt is made to provide a solution through contributions to the urban planning of the city or by designing specific policies for such effect.

As a contrast is rural sociology, which has non-metropolitan areas as its object of study. In this case, it is a question of studying the social relations between people who live in distant places from areas with a large concentration of population or intense economic activity.

In any case, both share a common methodology, where the analysis of statistical data, conducting interviews, investigation by surveys etc.

Among the most outstanding branches of sociology, some of them can be highlighted, such as political sociology, which dissects power and analyzes the relationships between social and political structure, and industrial sociology, which studies the processes and relationships that occur within a factory.

what does a sociologist do

The concept of society is very broad, so the sociologist usually analyzes some specific aspect of collective reality (marginalization in the suburban neighborhoods, migratory processes, the world of sports, forms of labor organization, the phenomenon of education, among many others. scopes).

The sociologist must familiarize himself with knowledge and different techniques that allow him to understand a social aspect. Let's illustrate this idea with a simple example: the study of the social behavior of a soccer fan. To carry out this research, the sociologist must combine various aspects of this group (its social background, its purchasing power, its ideology and its culture). Taking into account the various areas and with some statistical measurement techniques, it will be possible to explain the specific fans as a social reality.

Finally, it should be noted that a sociology student who finishes his academic training can work in very diverse: teaching, social work, research, in a company dedicated to demoscopic studies or in a consultancy.

Each science has a specific object of study and in the case of sociology it is society. This discipline focuses on explaining the mechanisms, processes and problems within the framework of a society. It is a branch of knowledge that is part of the human sciences, such as philosophy, history or anthropology.