1. MOHAMMAD ALI JINNAH UNIVERSITY KARACHI,
PAKISTAN
M. Shaharyar Saeed
SP10-BB-0039
Dated; 17th
January, 2012
Introduction to Sociology
Section “A”
ARTICLE # 01
On
Utility of Sociology
Dr. Shafqat Bukhari

2. What is Sociology?
Definition
"Sociology" is the broad discipline interested in the study of societies. "Sociology of education" is a
subset of this, not unlike sociology of work, of gender, of the family, of development, of organizations,
etc. It is a thematic subset of the broader discipline.
OR
The study of sociology has a great value especially in modern complex society. Some of the uses of
sociology are as follows.
OR
Sociology, or social science, studies people and the communities they live in, the systems and structures
they build and work within, and the habits, customs and traditions they create and perform every day.
When conducting a sociological study, primary data is data acquired directly from the source through
interviews, surveys or observations. This data presents several advantages over secondary data, which is
based on the research of others.
Utility of Sociology
Uses of Sociology
1. Technologies of the self, which permit individuals to effect by their own means or with the help
of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and
way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness,
purity, wisdom, perfection, or immortality.
2. From another perspective, a cyborg world might be about lived social and bodily realities in
which people are not afraid of their joint kinship with animals and machines, not afraid of
permanently partial identities and contradictory standpoints.
3. Does not fulfill himself in his work but denies himself, has a feeling of misery rather than well-
being, does not develop freely his mental and physical energies but is physically exhausted and
mentally debased.
4. A cyborg body is not innocent; it was not born in a garden; it does not seek unitary identity and
so generate antagonistic dualisms without end (or until the world ends); it takes irony for
granted.
5. The cyborg appears in myth precisely where the boundary between human and animal is
transgressed. Far from signalling a walling off of people from other living beings, cyborgs signal
disturbingly and pleasurably tight coupling.

3. 6. This fact expresses merely that the object which labour produces — labour's product —
confronts it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer.
7. By the public sphere we mean first of all a realm of our social life in which something
approaching public opinion can be formed. Access is guaranteed to all citizens. A portion of the
public sphere comes into being in every conversation in which private individuals assemble to
form a public body.
8. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing about effort
toward organizational objectives. Man will exercise self-direction and self-control in the service
of objectives to which he is committed.
9. Sociology studies society in a scientific way. Before the emergence of sociology, there was no
systematic and scientific attempt to study human society with all its complexities.
10. Sociology throws more light on the social nature of man. Sociology evolves deep into
the social nature of man. It tells us why man is a social animal, why he lives in groups,
communities and societies. It examines the relationship between individual and society, the
impact of society on man and other matters.
11. Sociology throws more light on the social nature of man. Sociology evolves deep into
the social nature of man. It tells us why man is a social animal, why he lives in groups,
communities and societies. It examines the relationship between individual and society, the
impact of society on man and other matters.
12. Sociology improves our understanding of society and increases the power of social
action, capabilities, talents and limitations. It enables him to adjust himself to the environment.
Knowledge of society, social groups, social institutions, associations, their functions etc. helps us
to lead an effective social life.
13. The study of sociology helps us to know not only our society and man but also others,
their motives, aspirations, status, occupations, traditions, customs, institutions, cultures etc. In a
huge industrialised society our experience is comparatively limited.
14. The contribution of sociology is not less significant in enriching culture. Sociology has
given training to us to have rational approach to questions concerning ourselves, our religion,
customs, mores, institutions, values, ideologies etc. It has made us to become more objective,
rational, critical and dispassionate.
15. Sociological knowledge is necessary for understanding and planning of society. Social
planning has been made easier by 'sociology.

4. Advantages of Sociology
Control
 When a sociologist uses primary data, she has maximum control over how data is
collected, who it is collected from, who it is collected by and for what purposes it is used
in her study. Secondary data collected by another sociologist at another time remains
somewhat disconnected from the sociologist who is trying to use it for her own study; as
a result it will not be tailored to the question she is attempting to answer.
Bias
 Most sociological studies set out to answer a question or at least explore possibilities or a
hypothesis. When a sociologist does her own study, she can be aware of the biases that
she brings to the research and the writing of that study. On the other hand, the sociologist
will have no way of telling where the bias of another sociologist lies in his own paper.
What she takes for factual data in the paper of another sociologist may simply be opinion.
Accuracy
 Sociologists attempt to determine the "representativeness" of every study they conduct
themselves and the studies of others that they use to back their claims. Representativeness
measures how accurately a study truly represents the person, people, community or group
it claims to represent, and how accurate the data is to reality. When a sociologist is using
primary data, she is at the scene where data is collected and is observing the data in real
time. The sociologist can therefore be reasonably certain that the data she records is
reflecting reality.
Compare/Contrast
 Primary data stands as a useful comparison to secondary data. By finding primary data, a
sociologist can see how her data measures up to a study done by another sociologist on
the same topic. If the data does not match, her new findings must be justified and may
result in new information that will discredit a former belief.
Depth
 When reporting on the level of an individual or a small, intimate group in a sociological
study, it is impossible to get the appropriate depth necessary if only using secondary data.
Recording words, thoughts, feelings and observations directly from primary data is a type
of depth that truly solidifies a study and makes it relatable to general readers.

5. Refrences:
http://www.preservearticles.com/201107028753/what-were-the-uses-of-sociology-in-
contemporary-period.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6455221_advantages-primary-data-sociology_.html
http://books.google.com.pk/books/about/The_uses_of_sociology.html?id=eRlUkI140wIC
&redir_esc=y
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_Advantages_of_sociology