This article provides information about the scientific nature of Sociology!
There is a controversy whether sociology can be regarded as a science. We find opposite views about the scientific nature of sociology or the status of sociology as a science.
Comte, the father of sociology, called sociology as the ‘queen of sciences’. Since then many sociologists have come to view sociology in terms of natural sciences. The most eminent among them are Durkheim and Radcliffe-Brown. This view has been opposed by those philosophers and theorists who think that sociology is not a science. It is more like history or philosophy.
Sociology as a Science:
But the objections raised against sociology being regarded as a science have been refuted. In fact sociology possesses the characteristics of science and possesses all the requirements of being scientific.
Before we proceed to discuss the status of sociology as a science, it is important to know about science. Generally, a science is defined as a systematic body of knowledge and it must possess following characteristics.
1. Science employs scientific method and social institution.
2. It is the study of facts.
3. Scientific principles are universal.
4. Science discovers the cause-effect relationships in its subject matter and provides valid laws.
5. Scientific laws can be verified. Its validity can be examined at any time and it prove true at all places.
6. Science can make predictions on the basis of universal and valid laws relating to cause-effect relationships.
These are the characteristics or preconditions, on the basis of which a branch of knowledge can be called a science. Sociology fulfills all these conditions and hence, it is entitled to be called as a science. Science is a method and way of looking at things consisting of systematic steps like collection and classification of data or information, testing of hypothesis, theory and generalisation. Sociology has a body of knowledge, data or information. It has procedures in organising the information.
If we accept ‘science’ in the sense in which it has been defined by Weber, it will invalidate objections to sociology being regarded a science. One simple definition of science’ is that it is simple organised common sense, involving objective observation followed by interpretation of the observed facts. Science is further described as mass of knowledge about a subject acquired by systematic observations, experience and study and analysed and classified into a unified whole.
Sociology does all this. It studies facts by scientific method under definite conditions. It tries to classify types and forms of social relationships. It tries to deduce general laws from systematic study of its material and the conclusions drawn from the sociological principles are applied to the solution of social problems.