What is meant by Sociology ?

(i) A French Philosopher named Auguste Comte coined the word ‘sociology’ in 1830, for that branch of science which studied human behaviour.

(ii) Sociology is derived out of two Latin root words socils meaning companion or association, and logos meaning science.

(iii) There is a general agreement that sociology is the science of human society and of social relations, social groups and social change.

(iv) It is one of the several social sciences others being social anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, human geography, public administration, mass communication etc.

(v) Hobhouse explained how sociology studied the interaction of human minds.

(vi) However, Emile Durkheim was more precise he said that sociology is a study of collective representation. All our thinking, feeling and doing constitute social facts.

(vii) Social fact, according to Emile Durkheim is exterior to human mind and it puts constraints on human behaviour.

(viii) Emile Durkheim says that all that which is a social fact constitutes the subject matter of the study of sociology.

(ix) Max Weber defined sociology differently. He said that human activities are oriented towards some action, which fulfills some goals individuals in the society are busy in action for obtaining of decided or given objectives or interests.

(x) Actions, according to Max Webber, constitute the subject matter of sociology. Since every social activity is directed at some other person, sociology studies the interaction system which shape social institutions, like polity, the hospital and bureaucracy.