This document discusses the meaning, nature, and subject matter of sociology. It defines sociology as the scientific study of human society and social behavior. Sociology emerged as an independent social science in the 19th century to study and describe social phenomena and the relationships between individuals in society. The document outlines that sociology is a generalizing science that studies society as a whole rather than individuals. It examines the primary units of social life, institutions like family and religion, fundamental social processes, and various topics within specialized areas of sociology.

1. KAMAL SUBEDI
Boston International College
BBA-3rd Semester “A”
Meaning, Nature & Subject matter
of Sociology
Fundamentals of Sociology

2. Sociology Background
• Man are living with other of their kind called societies and
general sociology task is to discover these constants to
describe them with economy of concepts and to delineate
their inter-relations.
• No other science endeavors to study it in its entirety, it is the
focus of the interest that distinguish sociology from other
sciences- Science of the society
• Treated as Social philosophy, or philosophy of history later,
Sociology emerged as an independent social science in the
19th century

3. Meaning of Sociology
• Auguste Comte the founding father of the sociology, defines
sociology as the science of social phenomena “subject to
nature and invariable laws, the discovery of which is the
object of investigation”.
Auguste Comte

4. Meaning of Sociology
The word Sociology came from two prominent
languages of early advanced civilization. “Socious”, a
Latin word, meaning, companion, or society and from
the Greek word “logos”, meaning to study. From this
coined words, it could be further deduced that,
sociology is the study of society and human behaviour.

5. Meaning of Sociology
• Kingsley Davis says that “Sociology is a general science of
society”
• Harry M. Johnson says that “sociology is the science that
deals with social groups”.
• Ogburn and Nimkoff define sociology as “the scientific study
of social life”.
• Franklin Henry Giddings defines sociology as “the science of
social phenomena”.

6. Nature of Sociology
• Sociology is an Independent Science
– Not treated as the branch of the any other science
• Sociology is a Social Science and not a Physical Science
– Distinguish from astronomy, physics, chemistry
• Sociology is a Categorical and not a Normative Discipline
– Confines itself to the statement what is, not what should be or ought to be.

7. Nature of Sociology
• Sociology is a Pure Science and not an Applied Science
– It’s main aspect is acquisition of knowledge about human society
• Sociology is Relatively an Abstract Science and not a
Concrete Science
– Concerned with the forms of human events and patterns
• Sociology is a Generalizing and not a Particularizing or
Individualizing Science
– Conclude all the principles on general not on individuals

8. Nature of Sociology
• Sociology is a general Science and not a Special Social
Science
– The areas of inquiry of sociology is general, Ex. Study of human life
and human interactions
• Sociology is Both a Rational and Empirical Science
– Empiricism emphasis on the observation and experimentations
– Rationalism emphasis on the logical interferences

9. Subject Matter of Sociology
• Firstly, sociological analysis
– Sociologist seeks to provide analysis of the human society with
sociological perspective
• Secondly, study of the primary units of social life
– Social acts, relationship, individual personality
• Thirdly, development, structure and function of a wide
variety of basis social institutions
– Family and kinship, religion and prosperity, economics,
educational and scientific, recreational and welfare

10. Subject Matter of Sociology
• Fourthly, fundamental social process
– Co-operation, accommodation, assimilation, social conflict
• Fifthly, method of the research
– Scientific method by collecting the data and establishing the
connection between them
• Finally, Specialization
– Specialization on the explosion of knowledge on sociology of
history, literature, knowledge, culture, religion, family etc.

11. KAMAL SUBEDI
Boston International College
BBA-3rd Semester “A”
Any Questions
?

12. KAMAL SUBEDI
Boston International College
BBA-3rd Semester “A”
Thank You !