The science of sociology owes its name to its creator. Auguste Comte(1798–1857). The term "sociology" consists of two roots. The first comes from the Latin societas, i.e. “society”, the second – from the Greek loros, meaning “word” in the narrow sense, and “teaching”, “science” in the broad sense. Thus, the term “sociology” is translated as “the science of society.”
Consequently, the object of study of sociology, as well as other social sciences, is human society.
But human society is also studied by other social and human sciences, for example, philosophy, history, economics, political science, etc. Each of them studies its own sphere of society, that is, it has its own subject of study. Sociology also has it.
Different sociologists have different views on the subject of their science. As the founder of sociology, O. Comte, believed, the subject of research by sociologists should be the laws of social development, from which practical recommendations would flow that would be useful in all sectors of human activity. O. Comte likened sociology to the natural sciences, sometimes calling it social physics. The laws of social development, like natural laws, are, in his opinion, strict, unambiguous and objective in nature, independent of the will of people.
Max Weber(1864–1920) considered the subject of sociology to be the so-called social action, that is, an action that correlates with the actions of other people and is oriented towards them. The subject of sociology in M. Weber is subjectified, “attached” to a person.
Emile Durkheim(1858–1915) took a different path. He declared the subject of the science of society to be social facts, by which he understood norms, laws, values, ideas of people, social institutions, organizations and generally ideas materialized in the form of, for example, buildings, structures, etc. Each generation of individuals finds its own set social facts that determine people's behavior. E. Durkheim's approach to the subject of sociology is objective, independent of a particular person.
The approaches of M. Weber and E. Durkheim are united by the fact that they, like the overwhelming number of other sociologists, consider a person’s behavior in society to be determined by the connections that he has with the people and objects around him, his previous experience of communication, education, upbringing, place in public life, public institutions, etc.
the subject of sociology is social connections, public relations.
1.1.1. The place of sociology in the system of sciences
The theoretical basis, the foundation of sociology is philosophy, within the framework of which sociological problems were solved for 2.5 thousand years, until in the 19th century. did not become an independent science. It is from philosophy that sociology draws paradigms, concepts, approaches, individual ideas, methods and terminology. History, ethics, and legal science have had and continue to have a great influence on the development of sociology. The sciences closest to sociology in terms of age, historical development, and in relation to philosophy as the ancestor can be considered psychology and political science. Sociology has very close ties with such sciences as economics, ethnography, and anthropology. Sociology has less close, although no less significant for its development, connections with physiology, mathematics, statistics, geography and other sciences (Fig. 1).
1.1.2. Functions of sociology
The term "function" in Latin means "execution". In sociology, this term is understood as the role, purpose, and specific activity of an element of the system. Sociology as a science is not only an element of the system of sciences, but also a part of the all-encompassing system of human society. What functions does sociology perform in society?
Epistemological(theoretical-cognitive) function allows you to obtain new sociological knowledge, create and clarify theories, concepts, and develop a general view of society and its social connections.
Information The function makes it possible to obtain sociological knowledge not only for specialists, but also for the public.
Management function does not mean that sociologists directly control society. Their task is to develop recommendations for social management, to explain social phenomena, to search for their causes and possible solutions.
Organizational the function of sociology is to organize various groups: in production, in the political sphere, in military units, on vacation, etc.
Prognostic function allows you to predict the future. It is especially valuable for those who draw up and approve long-term plans and make responsible decisions regarding the distant future.
Propaganda the function of sociology makes it possible to form social ideals, values, create images of heroes of society, and certain social relations. This function is especially active in education, politics, the activities of the media, and the military sphere.
The presence of these functions shows the significance, usefulness of sociology for society, its functionality.
1.1.3. Methods of sociology
Sociology uses general scientific methods for its research, such as analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, systems approach, etc.
In addition, sociology has developed its own specific research methods:
observation;
study of documentary sources;
testing;
sociometry;
social experiment.
Thus, sociology has all the signs of a science: the object and subject of research, its structure and functions, research methods. Sociology does not duplicate or cancel other sciences. This is an independent science and academic discipline that occupies a worthy place in the system of scientific knowledge.
1.2. History of sociology
The study of social phenomena and processes has a long tradition. Already in the works of philosophers of the Ancient world, the first attempts were made to solve problems such as building an ideal state and improving the social structure of society (Plato), political stability in small (Aristotle) and super-large states (Polybius, Cicero), education and socialization of the individual (Socrates) and etc.
Social problems in the era of antiquity were solved within the framework of such sciences as history, philosophy, sophistry, ethics, law, as well as in literature, poetry and mythology. In the Middle Ages, complex social issues were dealt with mainly by theology, which took a lot from Antiquity, but at the same time was based primarily on Christian dogmas. The problems of everyday life were solved on the basis of traditions, habits and prejudices.
In modern times, with the expansion of the geographical and intellectual boundaries of the known world, the range of social problems has also expanded significantly. They become especially acute during the era of rapid development of capitalism at the beginning of the 19th century. The third estate, which represented the most active and enterprising part of society, required, in addition to religious ones, scientific ideas about society.
The idea of the possibility of developing natural laws of existence was first expressed by Saint-Simon(1760–1825) from the standpoint of the “physical” (i.e. natural) sciences, contrasting them with theology and metaphysics. Disciple and follower of Saint-Simon O. Comte developed the idea of his teacher and developed the concept of positive science, which should take the place of theology and old philosophy. He believed that a positive science of society should be based on the same principles as physics, physiology, and biology, and at first he called it “social physics.” In his major work, “The Course of Positive Philosophy,” consisting of six volumes published successively from 1830 to 1842, Comte creates a coherent theory of the origin of the science of society, proves the need for its construction on positive principles, determines its place in the hierarchy of sciences and, finally, , gives it its name. If Saint-Simon can be considered the “forerunner” of sociology, then we can rightfully call Comte its “father.”
SOCIOLOGY
Lecture course
SOCIOLOGY 1
Lecture course 1
Introduction 4
Topic 1. Sociology and its study in higher education 5
Prerequisites for the emergence and development of sociology as a science and academic discipline. 5
Self-test questions 12
Topic 2. History of the formation and development of sociology 13
1. The history of the formation of doctrines about society. The emergence of sociology. 13
2. The classical period in the development of sociology. 13
3. Sociology in Russia. 13
4. Development of sociology in modern conditions. 13
Self-test questions 23
Topic 3. Society - an integral socio-cultural system 24
1. The concept of society. Society as a subject of social life. 24
2. Structure and historical types of societies. 24
3. Civilizational approach to the analysis of society. 24
Self-test questions 32
Topic 4. Social change and social progress 33
1. Social changes, their forms. 33
2. Social progress. The problem is his criteria. 33
3. Modern society: trends and development prospects. 33
Self-test questions 39
Topic 5. Sociology of personality 40
1. Sociological concept of personality, its structure. 40
2. Social status and social roles of the individual. Role conflicts. 40
3. Personality and society: problems of relationships. 40
4. Personality in modern society. 40
Self-test questions 48
Topic 6. Social stratification 49
1. Equality and inequality as a sociological problem. 49
2. Social differentiation as the basis of social stratification. 49
3. Social stratification of modern Russian society: features and development trends. 49
Self-test questions 55
Topic 7. Socio-ethnic communities and relations 57
1. Socio-ethnic communities. 57
2. Ethnosocial processes and interethnic relations. 57
3. Social aspects of ethnonational conflicts. 57
Self-test questions 66
Topic 8. Generations as subjects of public life 67
1. The concept of generation: essence and content. 67
2. Age stratification of society. 67
3. Relations between generations: continuity and conflicts. 67
4. Social problems of youth. 67
Self-test questions 75
Topic 9. Sociology of the family 76
1. Social essence and functions of the family. 76
2. Classification of family and marital relations. 76
3. Family crisis and its future. 76
Self-test questions 83
Topic 10. Regulation of public life: management and self-organization 84
1. Objective necessity and essence of social management. 84
2. Basic functions and principles of management. 84
3. Methodological approaches to regulating social life. Levels of management. 84
Self-test questions 88
Topic 11. The political system of society as a regulator of social life 89
1. Political system of society: structure and functions. 89
2. Civil society and the rule of law, 89
3. Political consciousness and political culture. 89
Self-test questions 96
Topic 12. Culture as a social phenomenon 97
1. The concept and essence of culture. Its structure and functions. 97
2. Culture and personality. 97
3. Trends in the development of culture in the modern world. 97
Self-test questions 102
Topic 13. Sociology of education. Personality socialization 103
1. Sociological concept of education. Contents and goals of education. 103
2. Socialization and self-education. 103
3. The role of pedagogical activity in the education system. 103
Self-test questions 108
Topic 14. Deviant behavior 109
1. The concept and nature of deviations. 109
2. Main types of deviant behavior. 109
1.Self-test questions 117
Topic 15. Sociology of education 118
1. Subject of sociology of education. The history of its development. 118
2. Education and society. Social essence of education. 118
3. Education system: its structure and functions. 118
Self-test questions 124
Topic 16. Methodology, techniques and techniques for specific sociological research 125
1. Sociological research as a direction of sociological knowledge. Classification of sociological research. 125
2. Sociological research program. Methodology, technique and procedure of sociological research. 125
Self-test questions 129
Reviewers: Department of Political Science and Sociology, Moscow State Pedagogical University. V. I. Lenin (head of the department, professor L. K Zybailov).
Department of Sociology and Political Science, IPPC, Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosova
(Head of the department, Professor L. N. Pankova)
Sociology. Lecture course
Edited by Anatoly Vasilyevich Mironov, Valentina Vasilievna Panferova, Vyacheslav Matveevich Utenkov
Editors: I. A. Alifanova, Yu. V. Lazareva
Technical editor T. N. Grizunova
Delivered to set 06/04/96. Signed for publication 07/04/96
Format 84x108 1/32. Typeface "TextBook". Offset printing.
Free price. Volume 8 l. l. Circulation 10,000 copies. Zach. 1465
The original layout was made by 000 “In-folio-1”
107005, Moscow, Denisovsky lane, 30.
Printed at the Orekhovo-Zuevskaya printing house.
Moscow region, Orekhovo-Zuevo, st. Dzerzhinsky, 1.
Introduction
Topic 1. Sociology and its study in higher education
Topic 2. History of the formation and development of sociology
Topic 3. Society - an integral sociocultural system
Topic 4. Social change and social progress
Topic 5. Sociology of personality
Topic 6. Social stratification
Topic 7. Socio-ethnic communities and relations
Topic 8.Generations as subjects of public life
Topic 9. Sociology of the family
Topic 10. Regulation of public life: management and self-organization
Topic 11. The political system of society as a regulator of social life
Topic 12. Culture as a social phenomenon
Topic 13. Sociology of education. Socialization of personality
personalities
Topic 14. Deviant behavior
Topic 15. Sociology of education
Topic 16. Methodology, techniques and techniques of specific sociological research
Literature
Introduction
Sociology is currently taught in almost all higher educational institutions of the country. Sociological education is an integral component of the social and humanitarian training of specialists of any profile. Based on facts and specific data, it allows us to give an objective scientific analysis of social reality, addressing the most pressing problems of social life.
This course of lectures was prepared in accordance with the State Educational Standard, it reflects the main topics of the course, which allows it to be used in any higher and secondary specialized educational institution. At the same time, the course is written on the basis of the Program for Pedagogical Institutes and has a professional orientation. This was reflected both in the development of the course topics and in its content.
Along with such topics as “Sociology of Personality”, “Sociology of Family”, “Sociology of Education”, traditionally included in the vast majority of programs and courses, this manual covers topics that are rarely or not presented at all in programs and manuals. These include the topics “Generations as subjects of public life”, “Deviant behavior”, “Regulation of public life: management and self-organization”. They seem important for any specialist, but especially for a teacher.
Factual material is widely used in the lectures. When discussing topics, special attention is paid to the analysis of modern social problems in Russia.
Gubina S. A., Erofeeva S. I., Kozlova O. N., Lantsova L. A., Mechnikov M. A., Mironov A. V., Panferova V. V., Rudenko R. I., Serebryakov S. L., Spasibenko S. G., Tavadov G. T., Utenkov V. M., Shurupova N. F.
The manual uses materials from Golod S.I., Zakalina A.S., Komarova E.I., Kuchina G.V., Mokina S.V., Svintsova N.N., Subocheva N.S., Tyuleneva A.E. ., Usikova L. F., Fetisova IN. I.
Topic 1. Sociology and its study in higher education
Prerequisites for the emergence and development of sociology as a science and academic discipline.
1. Object, subject, structure and functions of sociology.
2. The place of sociology in the structure of modern knowledge.
1. Why and when does sociology emerge as an independent science, what are the prerequisites and conditions for its development, its growing importance in people’s lives, a kind of “rebirth” at the end of the 20th century. in our country? The answers to these questions largely predetermine the understanding of the essence and content of this science.
Any new theory of social development is, on the one hand, a reflection of a qualitative change in social relations, real opportunities and needs of people, and on the other hand, a consequence of the progress of scientific knowledge itself. It is necessary to resolve newly emerging contradictions, diagnose social diseases, and search for methods to cure them.
Is it a coincidence that sociology as an autonomous science emerged in the middle of the 19th century? What social phenomena did it result from?
Knowledge about society, or rather about societies-states that existed separately for many millennia, could be transformed into a unified science about society only under the conditions of the industrial revolution, which developed into a scientific, technical and then information revolution.
Let us highlight particularly significant conditions for the development of sociology.
First prerequisites The development of sociology is associated with the fundamental principles of human life - with the biosphere, nature, material, economic, production and technical, and energy factors.
It is thanks to the gigantic growth of productive forces in the conditions of the industrial revolution that the opportunity arises to create the material basis of free humanity and to carry out the transition from a system with a predominance of natural conditioning to a socio-historical, socio-cultural one.
The scientific and technological revolution of the 20th century and the informatization of society mean the next qualitative leap in the development of productive forces. End of the 20th century marked by a global economic boom, when trade and economic exchange between individual countries draw the world into the process of establishing a single economy. But against the backdrop of colossal achievements in the field of material production, the gap in the standard of living of people in different regions of the world, and the disadvantage of many members of society in the most developed countries, is terrifying. The arms race and the “race for comfort”, which is often meaningless and even burdens life, the barbaric attitude towards nature, egocentric consumerism have clearly revealed the limits of extensive production growth, the anti-humanism of the technocratic paradigm of social development. The ecological crisis can be overcome, and humanity can be saved if we learn to care not only about our superiority, but also about the conservation and elevation of nature, if the humanistic type of attitude towards it wins.
Thus, by the end of the second millennium, priorities are changing: it is not the economy, but sociocultural factors that primarily determine the progress of mankind, including in the sphere of natural production processes.
Other prerequisites The formation and growth of the role of sociology in the life of society are directly related to the system of social relations, to the peculiarities of political, legal, moral relations, and their democratization. Society is organizing, or rather self-organizing, on the scale of all humanity towards the unification of the diverse existence of different peoples and nations, in the struggle between the forces of centralization and decentralization, democracy and totalitarianism, national and transnational trends. Temporal and spatial characteristics of the development of communication connections are changing. A person’s home is increasingly being included in a comprehensive information network that covers all people on the planet, regardless of nationality, religion, or language. A universal way of life emerges. The world is becoming cosmopolitan. We are increasingly influencing each other. The need for a global universal language is becoming acute.
However, along with the emergence of interethnic communities in the modern world, nationalist sentiments are also intensifying. The increasing “closeness” of social relations and the creation of a universal environmental, economic, and information space are turning into the basis for resolving global problems. It becomes clear that the liberation of man in one part of the Earth without the freedom of all earthlings is as impossible as the presence of clean air in the entire water area. Harmonization of tendencies towards universality, on the one hand, and towards cultural nationalism and uniqueness, on the other, is a condition for the existence and development of the world community.
TO the following premises The development of sociology includes ideological, cultural, scientific, and spiritual factors. The sphere of spiritual relations most noticeably influences social knowledge and the development of the paradigm of modern sociology. Information progress relates to a greater extent to intellectual activity and makes education, science, culture, and, in general, the sphere of Reason and, more broadly, the sphere of Spirituality a priority.
The problem of the survival of society, in particular the Russian one, rests on the ability of people to quickly rebuild the system of moral motives and values, norms of attitude towards nature and towards each other.
The emergence of collective forms of consciousness that transcend the boundaries of local communities, the development of symbolic and cultural interaction, cooperation, co-creation in the implementation of the universal interests of the human race - all this is combined (albeit extremely contradictory) with the tendency to increase the role of the subjective factor, with the “triumph of the individual.” Individuals are currently able to effect change in society much more effectively than most social institutions. At the XII World Sociological Congress it was emphasized that in postmodern society the leading role is played by the social subject. It is the subject as an individual, as a social community (people, territorial community, professional or any other), guided by his interests, who determines the goals and means of achieving them. Hence the idea of subjectification of all social processes, a movement towards greater freedom of any social subject, but primarily of the individual. Hence the structure of the proposed sociology course: after the historical and methodological part there is a section devoted to the analysis of the subjects of social life, and then the problems of their interaction, the mechanism of regulation, organization, and management of social life are revealed.
The development of sociology is also associated with its institutionalization, public recognition, the emergence of research centers in individual countries and international centers, as well as with the establishment of this science as a subject of teaching in educational institutions in almost all countries of the world. Sociological thought in Russia has rich traditions, which developed as part of the pan-European one and at the same time was distinguished by its bright originality. It is represented by the names of famous Russian sociologists: N. I. Kareev, M. M. Kovalevsky, N. Ya. Danilevsky, N. K. Mikhailovsky, P. A. Sorokin and others.
In the first years of Soviet power, as in the pre-revolutionary period, great attention was paid to the development of theoretical and applied sociology. One of the priorities for the Socialist Academy of Social Sciences was to organize a number of social studies. The department of sociology was created at Petrograd and Yaroslavl universities. In 1920, the first faculty of social sciences in Russia with a sociological department headed by P. A. Sorokin was opened at Petrograd University. The construction of a new society required multilateral information about complex social processes and social experiments.
Under the conditions of the command-administrative system that developed in the 1930s, sociology was practically “abolished.” For a totalitarian state, sociology, its principles, methods, and theory of knowledge of objective reality turned out to be not only unnecessary, but also dangerous. Therefore, sociology was declared a bourgeois pseudoscience, and a ban was imposed on fundamental and scientifically based applied research. The lag in sociology, deepened by isolation from world experience, has not yet been overcome. This is one of the reasons that we do not know enough about our society; we have an inadequate understanding of its social structure, social relations and connections.
In the 60s, sociology began to revive. In 1958, the Soviet Sociological Association arose; in 1968, the Institute of Concrete Social Research was created, which, as a result of transformations, is now called the Institute of Sociology. But the development of sociology in the 60s and 70s was difficult and contradictory. Conflict situations in social life in conditions of increasing stagnation were hushed up, empirical research, to which the essence of sociology was often reduced, was often of a formal apologetic nature, and the gap between theoretical and applied sociology widened.
A decisive turning point in the fate of sociology occurred at the end of the 80s, when the disastrous nature of neglecting social policy, social management, and social science became clear. Sociology is becoming a subject of academic teaching. In America, it has been taught for more than a hundred years, not only in high school, but also in secondary school.
Having gone through a complex dramatic path, sociology as a general educational discipline receives a “rebirth” in Russia. However, a contradictory situation is emerging. On the one hand, the “fashion” for sociology is growing, but on the other, its prestige is declining; as before, it is often identified with empirical research, to which the media are largely involved. Newspapers constantly publish the results of public opinion polls, the columns “Through the Eyes of a Sociologist”, “In the Mirror of Sociology”, etc. have appeared. The use of sociological data has become a “trump card” in political broadcasts on radio and television. Such information about the views, assessments, and preferences observed in society is used as a powerful means of shaping mass consciousness, often in a certain direction. As for serious theoretical research, it has not yet received proper development.
Sociology, including theoretical, fundamental, is the scientific basis for practicalsocial transformations. Sociology is a kind oftextbook of life. It helps to better understand the real world, understand the society in which we live, determine our place in it, our opportunities for self-improvement and influence on social progress.
2. “Sociology” literally means "the doctrine of society"(from Latin “society” and Greek “word, teaching”). This is a science that studies society, the patterns of its functioning and development, the interaction of social communities of different types and levels, social institutions and social processes in their connection with social whole. The prerequisite and condition for social analysis is the view of society as a system consisting of objectively interrelated elements.
Any branch of science has its own object and subject. The object of science is understood by us as a certain area of reality, possessing relative completeness and integrity. As the most common objects of science nature and society are hence the division of all sciences into natural and social-humanitarian. From the above it is clear that object of studyThe main idea of sociology as a science is society. In this regard, the opinion of F. Giddings, who considers sociology a science of society, which “contains the entire field of special social sciences,” is quite justified. Sociology is a social science whose task is to understand the necessary properties and conditions of collective human life, arising from the spiritual nature of man (S. Frank).
But limiting ourselves to defining the object of science is, of course, not enough, if only because the whole a number of sciences may have the same object. Philosophy, history, political science, law - all these are sciences that study society. Therefore, a sociologist must find that facet, a “cut,” a specific qualitative certainty that would be interesting to him, in contrast to a historian, lawyer, or philosopher. In other words, he must define the subject of sociology.
The subject of science presupposes that objective reality is not taken as a whole, but only by that aspect that is determined by the specifics of a given science. The remaining sides are considered as conditions for the existence of the object. Usually the subject of science is the result of theoretical abstratification, allowing you to highlight completely certain patterns functioning and development of the object being studied.
The problem of the subject of sociology first became acute in the 19th century, when science was created and isolated. The precise definition of the subject was the main condition of existence and the justification of its claims to independence. At the present stage, no one doubts that sociology has defended the right to independent existence as a science, that it has its own subject of research and a unique method of posing problems. Nowadays, the prevailing trend is not isolation, but integration of various sociological schools and directions, bringing together the social sciences and the emergence of interesting research at their junction. But this does not exclude the need to define the subject of sociology.
Most scientists believe that subject of sociologygia is a set of problems in the social spherepublic life.
In Western literature, sociology is understood more often Howsocial science or social systems.
Other sociologists consider the main subject of research social relations.
The idea of the subject of sociology would not be complete if we did not take into account that the starting cell of the study of society is man. Personality problem cannot but worry a sociologist, since it is man who is the subject of social relations and social behavior. Sociology moves from the analysis of personality to the study of the patterns of functioning of society and social communities.
Summarizing the question about the subject of sociology, I would like to note that the various approaches to this problem do not so much contradict each other as sociology are mutually complementary Document
WELLLECTURES IN THE DISCIPLINE HISTORY... significant development is also economic science and sociology(P.B. Struve, M.I. Tugan-Baranovsky, M.M. ... science was developed by historians P.N. Milyukov, G.V. Vernadsky, sociologist P. Sorokin and other philosophers N.A. Berdyaev...
Lecture 1. Subject of sociology
Sociology translated into Russian means “the science of society.” The key concept of sociology is “community”, i.e. group, collective, nation, etc. Communities come in different levels and types, for example, family, humanity as a whole. Sociology studies various problems related to community, i.e. social problems. Sociology is the science of social structure, social interaction, social relationships, social interconnections, social transformations. Sociology also studies people's attitudes towards various problems of society and studies public opinion. Sociology, as a science, has a certain structure. Depending on the content, sociology consists of three parts: 1. General sociology. 2. History of sociology and modern sociological theories. Works on sociology of past years are not an archive, but an important source of scientific knowledge and information about important social problems. Various sociological theories of our time allow us to interpret problems in different ways, to find new facets and aspects of the phenomena being studied. If previously there was the only true, infallible Marxist-Leninist sociology, now there is no ultimate truth. Various theories compete with each other, trying to more accurately and completely reflect reality. 3. Methodology of sociological research. This part discusses the tasks of how and in what ways to conduct research.
Depending on the type of community that sociology studies, the science is divided into macrosociology and microsociology. Macrosociology studies society as a whole, large social groups such as class, nation, people, etc. Microsociology studies small communities such as a family, work collective, student group, sports team. Depending on the level of consideration of social problems, sociology is divided into: 1. social philosophy, which examines the most general social patterns. 2. Middle level theory. Here, individual social processes are theoretically considered, for example, the social development of a team; individual social and demographic groups, for example, youth, workers; individual social phenomena, problems, for example, crime, strikes. A middle-level theory that studies a single problem, phenomenon, or process is called industrial sociology. There are dozens of branch sociologies, for example, sociology of youth, sociology of crime, sociology of the city, etc. 3. Empirical and applied sociology. Specific problems of individual communities are addressed here. These problems are studied empirically, that is, experimentally, using surveys, observations and other methods. Applied means necessary, useful for the specific needs of economics, politics, culture. Applied sociology serves as the basis for the creation of social technologies, that is, special developments that contain recommendations on how to act, what to do, what to say in specific problem situations.
Sociology studies social dynamics, i.e. forms and methods of development of society. A revolution is distinguished as a relatively quick, radical disruption of the social system. Evolution is the slow, gradual development of society, when each new stage appears after objective conditions have matured. Transformation is the process of transition from one stage of development of society to another. Currently, Ukraine is experiencing a social transformation, that is, a transition from a planned economy and an authoritarian political system to a market economy and a democratic system.
Thus, sociology is a science that seeks to study social relationships comprehensively. Knowledge of sociology allows us to more rationally take into account people's behavior in various problematic situations in society.
Sociology is closely related to other sciences. Sociology and mathematics. Sociology is a specific science about society. It seeks to support its provisions with quantitative data. In addition, sociology bases almost all conclusions on probabilistic judgments. For example, if a sociologist claims that an engineer is more cultured than workers, this means that this judgment is true with a probability greater than 50%. There may be many specific examples where some worker is more cultured than a certain engineer. But the probability of such cases is less than 50%. Thus, sociology is closely related to probability theory and mathematical statistics. For the purposes of social modeling, the entire mathematical apparatus is used. Mathematical programming and computer technology are used to process sociological information. Psychology. By studying human behavior, sociology is in close contact with psychology. General problems are concentrated within the framework of social psychology.
Philosophy provides sociology with knowledge of the most general laws of society, social cognition, and human activity. Economics allows us to study more deeply the causes of social relations and various situations in the life of society. Social statistics, social phenomena and processes. Sociological marketing allows you to more effectively regulate market relations. The sociology of labor studies a broad area of human relations in production. Geography is related to sociology, when the behavior of people and ethnic communities is explained taking into account their environment. It matters whether people live on the ocean, river, in the mountains, in the desert to explain the nature of social communities. There are theories linking social conflicts with the period of restless sun, cosmic factors. Sociology is associated with legal disciplines in explaining the causes of crime, social deviations, and studying the personality of criminals. There are branch sociological disciplines: sociology of law, sociology of crime, criminology.
Sociology is associated with history in explaining the historical roots of social phenomena. There is also the sociology of history, when sociological problems are studied using the material of past centuries. For example, social relationships and features of social behavior are studied. Sociology is associated with various types of activities through its specific methods of studying public opinion. The role of sociology in society. In determining the role of sociology in society, there are two positions that have their own tradition. Thus, O. Comte believed that the positive science of society should be useful and used for the purposes of progress. Whereas G. Spencer believed that sociology should not interfere in the course of social processes. A sociologist must observe and analyze society and draw conclusions about its patterns. There is no need to interfere in public affairs. Evolution itself will pave the way for society to progress without outside interference. In modern sociology, a positivist attitude towards sociology is more common. It must serve the cause of transforming society, social reforms, and contribute to optimal social management. In a democratic society, government administration and the adoption of important decisions for society should be carried out based on public opinion, which is studied by sociology. Without sociological research, public opinion will not be able to perform its inherent functions of control and consultation. Sociology will give public opinion an institutional status, thanks to which it becomes an institution of civil society. Sociology allows us to understand the processes occurring in society. An important feature of modern society is awareness of the goals and consequences of one’s activities, understanding of the essence and properties of society, which allows one to be conscious about one’s activities. This distinguishes modern society from traditional society, within which social processes are spontaneous and unconscious. Thus, the role of sociology in society is as follows. 1. Sociology contributes to the democratic transformation of society through the study of public opinion and contributing to its institutionalization. 2. Sociology promotes a deeper understanding of the essence of social processes, which allows for a conscious approach to social activity. 3. Sociology increases the level of rationality of social activity at all levels of social organization.
Lecture 2. Culture of sociological thinking
An important task of a sociology course is to develop a culture of sociological thinking. It is also an important component of the culture of a modern leader. The culture of sociological thinking depends on the extent to which the specifics of sociology have been mastered. The professional awareness of a sociologist and the ability to actively use basic research methods are important. An important aspect of sociological thinking involves the ability to handle quantitative data, write research documents, conduct empirical research, process it, and be able to interpret the results. It is necessary to understand that sociology is based on quantitative data and that the results obtained are probabilistic in nature. Objectivity, the absence of the desire to adjust the results to the ordered parameters or pre-prepared conclusions characterize the sociologist’s culture of thinking. The specificity of sociological thinking presupposes an interest in mass processes and phenomena, in those patterns that are inherent not in an individual, but in a group, collective, or community. What is important is the sociologist’s interest in the interconnections of social phenomena and processes inherent in different, intersecting planes of social space, for example, in the connections between economic, political, social, and cultural processes. Interest in public opinion and attention to the procedural aspects of its study, such as sampling, sampling error is an important component of sociological thinking. The sociologist strives for the comparability of their results with the data of similar studies. The culture of sociological thinking is alien to narrow empiricism, and excessive abstractness of judgments without a certain correspondence with positive knowledge is also unacceptable. The specificity of sociology involves a combination of social responsibility, interest in the fate of society and the rigor of analytical judgments based on scientifically proven empirical data. A sociologist must comply with ethical requirements, such as respect for respondents, confidentiality, and not act to the detriment of respondents.
Lecture notes for the course “Sociology” were compiled for 3rd year full-time students of the mining, chemical-metallurgical and energy-mechanical faculties of the Navoi State Mining Institute in accordance with the state educational standard of higher professional education and the course program approved by the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan .
Approved at meeting No. _ 1 __ department "Pedagogy and humanities" from "_ 27 _»__ 08 __2009
Compiled by: Eshonkulova N.A.
Yusupova F.Z.
Introduction
The sociological culture of a higher school graduate is a very relevant and practically necessary concept. The market economy and the social-production sphere require constant research, control and forecasting in the organization of activities by specialists who have sufficiently mastered sociological knowledge. Sociological culture is the ability to carry out activities on the basis of scientific planning, forecasting, industry management, studying the needs, interests and demands of the population in various fields, as well as on the basis of opinions, judgments, assessments and proposals on various social issues, phenomena and processes.
In recent years, several textbooks and teaching aids for higher educational institutions in sociology have been published, where the greatest attention is paid to methodological problems of sociology, the main directions of development of modern sociology and a general sociological analysis of the state of society. This is, of course, a necessary part of sociological knowledge. But in a technical university, it is more advisable to structure the course in such a way that students learn to apply sociological knowledge in practical activities.
The emphasis on applied sociology is justified by the practical need for the use of sociological data in management, organization, forecasting and in working with individual social groups and the population as a whole. Thus, the purpose of the lecture notes is to contribute to the process of forming the sociological thinking of future specialists, both in terms of analysis and comprehension of social problems, and in terms of obtaining social information about these problems and phenomena of social life. The lecture notes as a whole are indicative, informational and educational in nature, and correspond to the logic of studying the material and the tasks of developing students’ independence and activity. In working on the lecture material, the authors turned to monographs, textbooks, scientific articles on theoretical and applied sociology, sociological journalism by domestic and foreign authors of recent years, and also used personal experience of teaching at a university.
Lecture No. 1. Sociology as a science, its subject, structure
and role in public life.
Purpose of the lesson: discuss the features of social knowledge in comparison with other types of humanitarian knowledge; formulate fundamental questions of sociology and consider their formulation and solution by different theoretical traditions in sociology; determine the importance of social imagination for personal and social development of a person.
PLAN:
1. Sociology as a science. The structure of sociology.
2. Object and subject of sociology.
3. Fundamental issues of sociology.
4. Functions of sociology.
5. The place of sociology in the system of social sciences.
Key words: social society, social fact, stability, sustainability, fundamental issues, sociological imagination, social problem, theory, scientific method.
1. Sociology as a science.
QUESTION: What is sociology?
Sociology is a branch of the science of human behavior that aims to reveal cause-and-effect relationships formed in the process of social relations between people, in the process of interactions and relationships between individuals and groups. (Volkov Yu.G.)
According to American sociologist Neil Smelser, this is, simply put, one of the ways to study people. The philosopher is interested in man from the point of view of his essence, his purpose on earth, his place in the world. Philosophers of all times talk about the meaning of human life, about the connection of man with the cosmos, about man as a symbol of the Universe, about his mind and soul. Psychology considers a person in a system of physiological, biological, genetic determinants; it wants to understand what, how and why a person thinks, what he feels, how feelings are related to human activity, etc. Culturology studies how a person assimilates the historical and cultural experience of mankind, what he connects with cultural tradition, to what extent he is civilized, to what extent he is cultural and what place he occupies in spiritual production. Ethics examines a person from the point of view of his moral choice, value orientations, freedom and responsibility.
QUESTION: What interests sociology as a science?
Sociologists strive to find out why people behave in certain ways, what groups they form and why - environmental movements, sexual minorities, single mothers, hippies, punks and others.? Why do people go to war, to demonstrations, to concerts? Why do social phenomena create preferences for certain artistic or political phenomena? Why did everyone at one time strive to watch the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears”, “We’ll Live Until Monday”, “Simply Maria”, etc.? Why do they worship something, get married or, conversely, not get married, get divorced, buy this and not that? Why do they vote and go on strike? That is, sociology is interested in everything that happens to people when they interact with each other or with social objects.
Based on this, sociology is the science of society. This basic meaning expresses the term "sociology", formed from the combination of the Latin word "societies"(society) and Greek"logos"(teaching). This term was introduced into science by a French scientist and philosopher of the New Age. Auguste Comte(1798 - 1857), who is often called the founder of sociology as an independent science of society. Peculiar, sometimes very original views on the development of society, the problem of politics, morality, science, religion, art were expressed in the teachings of ancient Indian, ancient Chinese and ancient Greek philosophers, European thinkers of the Middle Ages and Modern times.
QUESTION: Who is a sociologist? What does he do?
Who is a sociologist? In the most common view, this is a person with a questionnaire with which he addresses the people around him at his place of work, residence, or even just on the street, to find out their opinion on a particular issue. This approach, on the one hand, gives the sociologist the image of a person who does not lose touch with reality (how these efforts are assessed in society is another matter). On the other hand, there is nothing sadder than reducing sociology to the collection of random opinions on random (and often stupid) issues, which discredits sociology as a science and reduces it to some kind of auxiliary means of knowledge, and even one that can be manipulated.
Sociologists study society at two levels: micro- and macro-level. Microsociology studies the behavior of people in their direct interpersonal interactions. Researchers working in this vein believe that social phenomena can be understood only on the basis of an analysis of the meanings that people attach to these phenomena when interacting with each other. The main subject of their research is the behavior of individuals, their actions, motives, meanings that determine the interaction between people, which affects the stability of society or the changes occurring in it.
Macrosociology interested in large-scale social systems and processes occurring over long periods of time. She focuses on behavioral patterns that help to understand any society. These models, or structures, represent social institutions such as family, education, religion, and economic and political systems. People involved in a given system of social structures are deeply influenced by them. Microsociologies study the relationships between different parts of society and the dynamics of their changes.
Meanwhile, if we talk about sociology, then this is a theory. And science is not about society in general,
(society is studied by social philosophy, history, political science, legal sciences, and cultural studies), and society in its socio-human guise. It’s not just society for a person, but a person in society - that’s what constitutes the essence of sociology. And where does a person begin in his social guise? From consciousness, from the ability to understand the world, evaluate it from personal and social positions, comprehend, based on certain values, the surrounding reality and build behavior on this basis, taking into account the influence of both the macroenvironment (all social relations) and the microenvironment (immediate environment) .
2. Object and subject of sociology.
Sociology, like other sciences, has a very specific subject of study. Object of sociology- society and people. Society is studied through the prism of social phenomena, processes, relationships that constitute the main content of social reality. Sociology is the scientific study of society and social relations.
Many representatives of sociology claimed that sociology is a kind of metascience and, based on data from other social and human sciences, builds its concept, its understanding of ongoing processes in society. Naturally, this formulation of the question raised objections from representatives of related sciences.
In search of its own specificity, sociology faced serious difficulties. Definitions like “sociology is the science of the laws and driving forces of the development of society” did not clarify anything, since it could just as well be argued that physics studies physical laws, chemistry studies chemical laws, etc.
QUESTION: What, then, is sociology intended to study?
First of all, attention should be paid to the numerous attempts to find various forms of compromise between the definitions of historical mathematics and sociology. In Marxist social science, until recently, only Bulgarian scientists distinguished between historical materialism as a philosophical science about society and sociology as a non-philosophical, specific science about society.
Meanwhile, in the history of scientific thought there is a well-known approach aimed at more clearly identifying the object of sociology – civil society.
It must be emphasized that civil society could emerge only at a certain stage of human development. Although its elements and immature forms existed at the early stages, it was formed as an independent phenomenon at the point when a person began to demonstrate fundamentally new features of behavior and lifestyle. This was caused by the process of formation and development of bourgeois society, when a person got the opportunity to act as an independent social force, the influence of which largely depended on the level and degree of consciousness and creativity of the participants in the real historical process.
In contrast to the conditions of slave-owning and feudal societies, people in large numbers found themselves responsible for the fate of economic transformations, and subsequently for the structure of the political life of bourgeois society.
The fact that the emergence of a person as a citizen is associated only with a certain stage of development of society is also evidenced by the remark of K. Marx that “to be a slave or to be a citizen is ... the relationship of person A to person B,” which are established in society, through and with the help society.
It was with the advent of capitalism that people began to influence the course of social life on a qualitatively new basis. The participation of the individual in solving a wide variety of life problems has increased sharply. At the same time, people are increasingly beginning to act together - not as individuals in ancient times or the Middle Ages, but as classes, social groups and strata, joining political other associations and organizations.
All this allows us to assert that civil society - this is a set of appropriately organized, historically established forms of joint life activity, certain universal values that guide people and every person in all spheres of society - economic, social, political and spiritual.
The logic of social development confirms the need for constant comparison of the life activities of classes, social groups and strata not only within a particular society, but also between different types of societies.
This impulse - finding and comparing various types of life activities, taking into account the specifics of each country - can characterize the contribution of sociology to solving both global and specific problems that concern all of humanity or its individual layers and groups. “From the point of view of the basic ideas of Marxism, the interests of social development are higher than the interests of the proletariat...”
Finding and identifying such indicators of the vital activity of people - members of various social systems that unite them, and only then, on the basis of this, a study of the specific characteristics of each society is carried out. This is precisely what characterizes the essence of sociology as a science in determining the basic object her research is a civil society in which the general is in organic unity with the special, the specific. In conditions when society pursues universal, humanistic goals, the importance of sociology as a science that studies these characteristics that unite various social forces becomes an indicator of social progress in the broadest sense of the word.
Subject of sociology. Studying social processes and phenomena, sociologists increasingly place the focus of their attention on man, his consciousness, and attitude to social changes not only as an individual, but also as a member of a certain social group, social stratum, or institution. The motives of his behavior in a specific social situation, his needs, interests, and life orientations also become of great importance. Even statistics for sociology are important not as information about quantitative processes, but as an indicator by which one can judge the state of people’s inner world.
The object of study became an increasingly large group of issues characterizing the state of a person’s consciousness, his behavior and attitude towards processes occurring in society, their professional, national and regional implications.
Moreover, real consciousness and behavior are not limited to individuals or random groups of people. They are a product of collective creativity, characteristic both of the whole society and of social-class groups, strata and communities. Arising as a reaction to the direct perception of reality, as a reflection of the empirical conditions of existence, real consciousness and behavior acquire an independent role, expressed in public opinion and people's mentalities.
Real, living consciousness and behavior are the “richest” social processes in their manifestations. In fact, they reflect at the empirical level the state of social consciousness and social activity as a whole in all its diversity, inconsistency, randomness and necessity. They act as a sensitive indicator of the state, progress of development and functioning of social processes. Therefore, their research represents an important tool for making scientifically based decisions in all spheres of public life without exception - from economic to spiritual.
Summarizing what has been said, we can say that sociology is the science of the driving forces of consciousness and behavior of people as members of civil society. Subject of Sociology as science includes: real social consciousness in all its contradictory development; activities, the actual behavior of people who act as the objective embodiment (in form and content) of knowledge, attitudes, value orientations, needs and interests, recorded in the living consciousness; conditions in which real consciousness and activity, real behavior of people develop and take place.
3. Fundamental issues of sociology.
Studying the history of sociology leads to the conclusion that sociological thought is aimed at finding answers to two fundamental questions:
1.What is society (what makes society a stable whole; how is sociological order possible)?
2. What is the nature of the relationship between society as an ordered structure, on the one hand, and the individuals operating in it, on the other?
Sociology proceeds from the fundamental dualism of man's relationship to reality. Every person is free. In principle, at any moment he can act differently than he did before. However, most people feel quite strongly dependent on their social status and current circumstances. The problem in general is to understand how these two forms of existence relate to each other: individual subjects acting at the micro level, on the one hand, and society, consisting of social institutions, on the other.
When answering the first fundamental question, two directions emerge: 1) Some sociologists follow the systemic-functional approach, based on the proposition that society develops into a stable integrity automatically. This occurs due to the process of self-regulation of the social system, when its various parts perform complementary functions and thereby contribute to social integration.
2) Proponents of the conflict theory believe that the natural state of society is conflict between different people, groups and organizations seeking power.
When answering the second fundamental one, two directions also emerge:
1) According to the structural approach (E. Durkheim), the behavior of an individual or group is explained by social circumstances and the social structure in which they find themselves. In other words, the position of an individual in society predetermines what he does - from language preferences to accepted forms of etiquette. Systematic - functional approach, based on the proposal that society develops into a stable integrity automatically.
This occurs due to the process of self-regulation of the social system, when its various parts perform complementary functions and thereby contribute to social integration.
Supporters conflict theories believe that the natural state of society is conflict between different people, groups and organizations seeking power.
By structural approach
(E. Durkheim) the behavior of an individual or group is explained by social circumstances and the social structure in which they find themselves. In other words, an individual's position in society determines what he does, from language preferences to accepted forms of etiquette.
Supporters theories of action (understanding sociology)(M. Weber and
G. Simmel) believe that a social system is created by the individuals acting in it. In their opinion, it is a mistake to view society as a rigid external structure. It arises through conscious, purposeful actions.
4. Functions of sociology.
The functions of sociology are divided into two groups: 1. Epistemological- manifest themselves in the most complete and specific knowledge of certain aspects of social life. 2. Social– reveal ways and means of their optimization.
These functions exist and operate only in interconnection and interaction. In turn, these two subgroups include the following more specific functions of sociology:
a) epistemological and critical– the main epistemological functions of sociology. This function consists in the fact that sociology accumulates knowledge, systematizes it, and strives to create the most complete picture of social relations and processes in the modern world. It is obvious that without specific knowledge about the processes occurring within individual social communities or associations of people, it is impossible to ensure effective social management. The degree of systematicity and specificity of sociological knowledge determines the effectiveness of the implementation of its social functions.
b) descriptive function – This is a systematization, a description of research in the form of analytical notes, various kinds of scientific reports, articles, books, etc. When studying a social object, high moral purity and integrity of the scientist are required, because practical conclusions are drawn and management decisions are made on the basis of data, facts and documents.
c) prognostic function – This is the issuance of social forecasts of the object being studied.
d) conversion function – consists in the fact that the conclusions, recommendations, proposals of the sociologist, his assessment of the state of the social subject serve as the basis for the development and adoption of certain decisions.
e) information function – represents the collection, systematization and accumulation of information obtained as a result of research. Sociological information is concentrated in computer memory.
f) ideological function of sociology
Information function
Worldview function of sociology
5. The place of sociology in the system of social sciences.
Federal Agency for Railway Transport Ural State Transport University Department of Personnel Management and Sociology
N. A. Alexandrova
A. D. Galyuk
O. N. Shestopalova
SOCIOLOGY
Lecture notes for students of all specialties
and forms of training
Ekaterinburg Publishing House UrGUPS 2013
BBK S 5 UDC 316 (075.8)
C 69
P 69 Sociology: lecture notes / N. A. Alexandrova, A. D. Galyuk,
ABOUT. N. Shestopalova. - Ekaterinburg: Publishing house UrGUPS, 2013. – 134, p.
Lecture notes for the course “Sociology” are compiled on the basis of the State educational standard for higher professional education and can serve as a reliable aid in the educational process. The structure of the lectures is such that it allows you to gain in-depth knowledge about the essence of sociological science, its role in modern society, and the tasks facing sociologists. Particular attention is paid to such concepts of sociology as social development of society, social stratification, social institutions, family and marriage, etc. At the end of each lecture, test questions and assignments are given.
UDC 316 (075.8)
Published by decision of the University's Editorial and Publishing Council
Compiled by: N. A. Aleksandrova, Associate Professor of the Department of Personnel Management and Sociology, Ph.D. Philosopher Sciences, USGUPS
A. D. Galyuk, Associate Professor of the Department of Personnel Management and Sociology, Ph.D. sociol. Sciences, USGUPS
O. N. Shestopalova, Associate Professor of the Department of Personnel Management and Sociology, Ph.D. sociol. Sciences, USGUPS
Reviewers: N. I. Shatalova, head. Department of Personnel Management and Sociology, Doctor of Sociology. sciences, professor
R. A. Khaneev, deputy Head of the Sverdlovsk Infrastructure Directorate for Personnel and Social Issues
© Ural State Transport University (URGUPS), 2013
Preface........................................................ ........................................................ | |
Lecture 1. Sociology as a science................................................... ....................... | |
Lecture 2. History of the formation and development of sociological thought....... | |
Lecture 3. Society as a social system.................................................... ... | |
Lecture 4. Social structure of society and its elements.................................... | |
Lecture 5. Social stratification and mobility.................................... | |
Lecture 6. Social interactions and social relationships........... | |
Lecture 7. Social control and deviation.................................................... ... | |
Lecture 8. Personality as a social type and active subject................... | |
Lecture 9. Youth as a specific social | |
demographic group................................................... .............. | |
Lecture 10. Family as a social institution.................................................... .... | |
Lecture 11. Education as a social institution.................................................... | |
Lecture 12. Public opinion as an institution of civil society.82 |
|
Lecture 13. Social movement as a type of collective action.......... | |
Lecture 14. Social processes and changes.................................................... | |
Lecture 15. Culture as a factor of social change.................................... | |
Lecture 16. Global society: concept and varieties. | |
Russia's place in the world community.................................................... | |
Lecture 17. Methodology and methods of sociological research........ | |
Glossary of terms................................................... ....................................... | |
Bibliography................................................................ ....................... | |
PREFACE
Why does sociology exist when there are already so many sciences about society? - any, not very curious person can ask. In fact, society and man are studied by many sciences - history, political science, economics, psychology, philosophy... Why was another science needed?
Sociology is the science of social reality as such. The subject of her research is social life, social changes in society and events that people constantly encounter, in which they participate and which in one way or another affect their behavior, lifestyle, position in society, and, possibly, their fate.
Sociology carefully analyzes the structure of society and its elements, the range of its scientific interests extends from the small family or group of friends to large human associations, whether social classes, audiences or crowds. Sociology is interested in professional groups or political parties, perhaps organized crime or religious cults, since both are manifestations of human behavior and interaction.
Sociology as a science is unique in that it has developed several strategic theories of the development of society, from the positions of which one can look at and explain the world around us in different ways. These are functional structuralism and humanistic perspective, gender and phenomenological sociology, Marxism and positivism, etc.
The variety of sociological approaches is caused by the complexity and multidimensionality of human society itself, as well as the complexity of the inner world of man, who evaluates and cognizes reality from a wide variety of points of view. Only the physical world is unambiguous and consistent, since it is created by nature, not by human beings. Social reality is not only multidimensional, but also multi-valued. By creating it, man does not
only measures and analyzes, he also evaluates, experiences, criticizes, accepts and rejects, endows the surrounding with symbolic knowledge, generates illusions and fictions.
One of the main tasks of studying sociology in higher education is the formation of sociological thinking, which provides for an adequate understanding of existing social problems, sources of occurrence and the mechanism for their effective resolution. Information about social phenomena and processes allows students to correctly evaluate them, form their own opinions, develop strategies and tactics in business, political, social, family and other areas.
Lecture notes for the course “Sociology” are compiled on the basis of the State educational standard for higher professional education and can serve as a reliable aid in the educational process.
LECTURE 1. SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
1. Object and subject of sociology. Functions of sociology.
2. The place of sociology in the system of sciences.
3. The structure of sociological knowledge.
Object and subject of sociology
The term “sociology” was first introduced into scientific circulation by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in the 1840s. Literally it means “the doctrine of society” or “the science of society” (societas - society, logos - word, doctrine). This term is also applicable in many other sciences, for example, philosophy, history, political science and other social sciences. The specificity of sociology lies in the object and subject of research.
So what is sociology? How does its subject of study differ from those of other social sciences?
Thus, according to the founder of sociology O. Comte, the subject of research should be laws of social development, from which practical recommendations would flow, useful in all sectors of human activity. O. Comte likened sociology to the natural sciences, sometimes calling it social physics. The laws of social development, like natural laws, have, in his opinion, a strict, unambiguous and objective character, independent of the will of people.
M. Weber considered the so-called subject of sociology social action, that is, an action that correlates with the actions of other people and is oriented towards them. As we can see, Weber's subject is sociology subjectified,“attached” to a person.
E. Durkheim declared the subject of the science of society social facts, by which I meant norms, laws, values, pre-
Sociology as a science
attitudes of people, social institutions, organizations and ideas in general, materialized in the form of buildings, structures, etc. Each generation sets its own set of social facts, which determines people's behavior. Durkheim's approach to the subject of sociology has objective nature, character independent of a given person.
But the approaches of M. Weber and E. Durkheim are united by the fact that they, like the overwhelming number of other sociologists, consider a person’s behavior in society to be determined by the connections that this person has with the people and objects around him, his previous experience of communication, education, upbringing, place in public life, public institutions.
It should be noted that the discussion about the subject and the object was conducted throughout the development of science. Modern sociology is a variety of movements and scientific schools that explain its subject and role in different ways and answer the question “what is sociology” in different ways. At the same time, in modern science, despite the diversity of theories, concepts and approaches, two main paradigms dominate - sociological realism(objects of research - society, social structure, social institutions) and sociological nominalism(objects of research – individual, personality, person). They continue to exist, personifying one or another methodological strategy. In accordance with this, the structure, levels and conceptual apparatus of sociology depend on what is considered the object and subject of sociology as a science.
Then the most common idea of sociology as a science of society should be supplemented with a number of clarifying points: 1) the science of the social systems that make up society; 2) the science of the laws of social development; 3) the science of social processes, social institutions, social relations; 4) the science of social structure and social communities.
So, we can say that sociology is the science of the structure, functioning and development of social systems of different scales.
Based on this definition, the object of sociology is the world of social relations and actions of people, which make up the forms of organization of social life, i.e. modern society, and accordingly, the subject is the patterns of development and functioning of human society as a whole, social communities, groups, systems and organizations filling society.
Characteristic features of sociology as a science:
– systemicity - sociology studies the entire set of really existing spheres in which a person acts, and creates a complete picture of the modern world;
– studying the mechanism of functioning of systems or general
– unity of theoretical and empirical foundations;
– understanding the contradictions of modern society;
– sociology is one and indivisible for all humanity, since its main goal is to obtain objective information about people’s lives.
Functions of sociology
As a social science, sociology performs a number of functions that prove its significance and usefulness for society.
1. Epistemological(cognitive-theoretical) – allows you to obtain new knowledge, create and clarify theories, concepts, a general view of society, its social connections.
2. Informational (worldview)– provides an opportunity to gain sociological knowledge not only for specialists, but also for the public; and social knowledge contributes to a person’s evaluative activity, that is, the development of his orientation in society, his attitude towards himself and towards others.
3. Managerial – the essence is that sociological conclusions, recommendations, proposals, assessments of the state of a social object serve as the basis for developing and making decisions.
4. Prognostic– allows you to predict the future, formulate scientific forecasts regarding the development of certain social phenomena and processes in the life of society.
5. Propaganda– makes it possible to form social ideals, values, create images of heroes of society, certain social relations; This function is especially active in education, politics, in the activities of mass media, and in the military sphere.
The place of sociology in the system of sciences
Sociology is closely related to a number of sciences – both social and humanitarian and natural.
The theoretical basis, the foundation of sociology is philosophy, within the framework of which it developed for 2.5 thousand years, until in the 19th century.
Sociology as a science
did not become an independent science. It is from philosophy that sociology draws paradigms, concepts, approaches, individual ideas, methods and terminology.
Based on philosophy, sociology views the life of society and the individual as an integral process. But unlike philosophy, for sociology the possibility of correlating concepts with empirically verifiable facts is of fundamental importance. Since sociology studies real social systems, it is also a kind of basis for deepening the life-meaning problems of philosophy itself.
They had and continue to have a great influence on the development of sociology history, ethics, legal science. It is thanks to history that sociology reveals the general trends of modern development of society. Sociology uses the description of specific social phenomena, facts, processes that history gives it, while history proceeds (more precisely, should proceed) from the knowledge and generalizations developed by sociology.
The sciences closest to sociology, both in age, in historical development, and in relation to philosophy as the ancestor, can be considered psychology and political science. Psychology also studies human behavior, but its focus is on the individual. Political science deals with how a person governs himself. She is interested in formal political organizations and the political behavior that is shaped and determined by these organizations, as well as the cultural beliefs and philosophy of government, and finally, the social structure of society as a whole.
Sociology has very close connections with such sciences as economics, ethnography, anthropology. When studying individual social relations, sociology relies on the laws and trends discovered by these sciences.
Sociology has less close, although no less significant for its development, connections with physiology, mathematics, statistics, geography and other sciences. Today it is impossible to imagine the preparation and conduct of specific sociological research without the use of mathematical and statistical methods for processing and analyzing the information received. And its collection itself is based on calculations of the sample population, which require certain mathematical and statistical knowledge.
Sociology today is closely related to information technologies. Any specialist in the field of sociology, first of all
applied, will not be able to do without the use of software, high technology, electronic computer technology.
All this suggests that sociology is included today in the system of not only social and humanitarian, but also natural science knowledge.
Structure of sociological knowledge
Sociology is a multi-level science, representing the unity of abstract and concrete forms, macro- and micro-theoretical approaches, theoretical and empirical knowledge.
The structure of sociological knowledge is determined depending on the methodological principles that are used in the study of social reality. In sociology the following types of classification are used:
1) on the scale of the social interaction being studied – macrosociology(orientation towards the analysis of social structures, communities, large social groups, layers, systems and processes occurring in them),microsociology(addressed to social behavior, interpersonal communication, motivation of actions, incentives for group, community actions, etc.);
2) on the degree of generalization of knowledge – general sociological theory
(the idea of society as an integral organism, a system of social mechanisms, reveals the place and role of basic social connections, formulates the principles of social cognition, the main methodological approaches to sociological analysis), sectoral sociological theories or middle-range theories(concern certain spheres of public life, social groups and institutions; the cognitive perspective is much narrower than that of general sociological theory and is limited, as a rule, to certain subsystems of society), specifically sociological research (constitutes an important area of empirical sociology, allows one to obtain material
O various aspects of social reality, identify public opinion about certain events in public life, social problems, ways to solve them, etc.);
3) p about the objectives of the study– theoretical sociology (summarizes the accumulated factual material and creates theories and concepts that explain the patterns of development of social phenomena and processes, focuses on clarifying and defining the object and subject of sociological science, its conceptual