Sociology Past Paper PDF

ABNS, SOC 101 Question 2: What are the Nature and Scopes of Sociology? Disclaimer: Sample Answer (Can be edited and modified by the participants) Society is a web of social institutions. These institutions such as family, education, religion, po...

ABNS, SOC 101 Question 2: What are the Nature and Scopes of Sociology? Disclaimer: Sample Answer (Can be edited and modified by the participants) Society is a web of social institutions. These institutions such as family, education, religion, political, economic etc are interrelated and inter-dependent on one another. Being the study of society the scope of sociology is very wide. The subject does not confine its study to only economic or political life of human beings but to all aspects of life with which man in society concerned therefore we say that sociology is the mother of all social sciences. Nature of Sociology To begin with, sociology has developed as a value-free discipline. It is concerned with what is, not with what ought to be. The values which a society upholds and which influence the social behavior of men are accepted by sociologists as facts’ and analyzed objectively. They do not analyze values themselves. It is thus not a normative discipline like Ethics or Religion. Further, the sociologists simply indicate the directions towards which the society is moving and refrain from expressing views on the directions in which society should, go. In this respect it is to be distinguished from Social and Political Philosophy. Secondly, Sociology is an empirical discipline. It is guided by rational considerations in its analysis of social phenomena, and not in terms of ideology. Thirdly, Sociology has developed as an abstract discipline like Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics, and not as an applied science like Engineering or Computer Science. A sociologist analyses society from different angles and acquires knowledge about society and patterns of social interactions. Fourthly, Sociology is a general and not a -special social science. It is concerned with human relationships and patterns of social interactions in general, and not any particular aspects of the same. An economist confines his attention to interactions in the economic sphere only. Likewise, a political scientist is primarily concerned only with interactions in the political field. A sociologist, however, focuses his attention on human or social relationships which are common to all these specialized fields.  ABNS, SOC 101 Scope of Sociology: Key Elements Sociologists research a wide range of topics related to society, including its core social structures, core values, and how people fit into society. To comprehend the extent of sociology, one has to be aware of the following key elements- 1. Sociology is an empirical field that examines rational arguments to investigate social phenomena, social structures, and how people behave in these environments. 2. Sociology has developed as a Pure Science and should not be regarded as an Applied Science. 3. It is an abstract field like Mathematics or Chemistry. This is due to the fact that it examines how society functions from a variety of angles and exposes patterns that are widespread among people. 4. Additionally, as it examines all people as a whole rather than just a few, it is a generalizing field of research. 5. It differs from social science in that it is fundamentally focused on human existence and interpersonal relationships. Scope of Sociology: Focus Areas  ABNS, SOC 101 Social Organizations: Social organizations refer to inter dependence of different aspects of society and this is an essential characteristic of all enduring social entities. Social Structure: Refers to pattern of inter relations between individuals. Social Institutions: Social institution is a procedure, practice and an instrument. People create institutions to meet their basic needs of survival. Culture: Culture refers to symbols, signs and languages, besides religion, rituals beliefs and artifacts and is a guiding force in everyday life. Scope of Sociology: Job Prospects Analyzing social issues and paradoxes that pervade human society is the goal of sociology. It has received much attention as a topic in relation to psychology, history, political science, and law. As a result, sociology has a broad range of applications, and its graduates can pursue careers in the below mentioned- 1. Professor/Lecturer/Teacher 2. Researcher 3. Policy Analyst 4. Human Resource Manager 5. Market Research Analyst 6. Public Relations Specialist 7. Rehabilitation Counselor 8. Office Administrator 9. Substance Abuse Counselor (Nikita Parmar, 2023) Sociology is a specialized field of study and a broad science of society. The study of sociology is developing. Therefore, limiting its application is neither feasible nor desirable.