SIMILARITIES N DIFFERENCES ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

 SIMILARITIES
                                Socioety is the major foundation regarding the subject matter and study area of these two disciplines,i.e,sociology and anthropology.While studing various aspects od society and culture,the relationship between sociology and anthropology is found to be more intimate than other social sciences.It may be thus the American cultural anthropologist Krober has defined,'Sociology and Anthropology are twin sisters.'While studing society both these scienses study the events and activities of social life.Social anthropology studies social organization,institutions and behaviors,which is also included in the study area of sociology.To understand human culture,behaviour and interactions in a perfect matter,these science exchange help with each other.
                  Similarities,to some extent can also be found in techniques and method of study.Both make empirical study of the society .And both apply the same research rechniques as observation.questionnaires,interview,fieldwork study etc.
      DIFFERENCE
                                Sociology and anthropology emerged as separate disciplines as they had   distinct nature and characteristics.Regardingg the subject matter various facts of an individual is focused in anthropology,but social life of an individual is focused in sociology.Anthropological study is in-depth where sociological study is more extensive and descriptive.Anthropology studies primitive society where sociology studies the present.The study area of anthropology is primitive and undeveloped ethnic groups while capitalism and its impact in modern complex societies,urbanization,industrialization and their impacts are the study areas of sociology.Emphasis is given to small groups in anthropology while entire society is emphasized in sociology.More qualitive study analysis is emphasized in anthropology in relation to sociology.

SUB-DIVISIONS OF SOCIOLOGY

                           Specialization sociology has developed greatly.The scope of sociology has broadened a lot.With the changes in society diffenent subdivisions of sociology have emerged.The study of these subdivisions makes our undersatnding of sociology very broad and comprehensive. Those subdivisions are--
1,Medical sociology
2,Military sociology
3,Folk sociology
4,Criminology
5,Sociology of art
6,Sociology of small groups
7,Sociology of sexual Behavior
8,Sociology of Culture
9,Sociology of Aesthetics
10,Sociology of Communication and opinion
11,Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations
12,Sociology of Popular Culture and Recreation
13,Sociology of Social Structure
14,Sociological Methodology
15,Sociology of Group Relations
16,Sociology of Differentiation and Stratification
17,Sociology of Community and Locality Relations
18,Sociology of Graphics and Plastic Arts
19,Sociology of Complex Organization
20,Sociology of Planning for Development Underdeveloped Areas
21,Sociology of International Relations
22,Sociology of Collective Behavior
23,Sociology of Mass Society
24,Sociology of Age Statuses
25,Statistical and Quantitative Sociology
26,Sociology of Action
27,Sociology Psychology
28,Social Psychiatry
29,Sociology of Social Disorganization
30,Sociological Theory
31,Theoretical Sociology
32,Historical Sociology
33,Sociology of Knowledge
34,Sociology of Law
35,sociology of Education
36,Political Sociology
37,Economic Sociology
38,sociology of Occupation
39,Sociology of Religion
40,Rural Sociology
41,Industrial Sociology
42,Urban Sociology

SOCIOLOGY AS A FORM OF SCIENCE

                                          There are two opinions concerning whether we can regard sociology as a social science.One school argues that sociology can not be a science because it has to study social complexities,changeability and human sentiments.Another school views that the study of processes and cause and effect relationship can be done following scientific methods and proceduress thereby making it possible to develop socilogy as a science of society.Before discussing and debating whether sociology can or can not be science,it is first necessary to understand what science means.
                                                  Science basically means a systematic and objective study of research problem.It follows clar cut methods and procedures,there is adequate analysis of cause and effect relationship and conclusions can be generalized.Conclusions can be hypothetical and tested in science,The characteristics of science can be presented as follows;
1,Scientific method,Different methods of study come under this according to which accurate data can be collected.
2,Conceptually clear analysis/interpretation,cause and effect relationship between and among the variables adequacy of the process of measurement are adopted.
3,Reliability and authenticity of measurementcan be tested.
4,Based on facts.
5.Based on universal scienctific law and principles.
6,There is possiblities of making hypothesis and prediction.
7,Conclusions are generalized.
                                           Adopting this process,different sociological studies can be carried out.Use of this menthod makes study scientific.Ciscussing sociology in this context many reasons can forwards to show that sociolgical study is systematic and scientific.Scientific processes and methods are used in sociological study and research.
1,Problem is defined and literature is reviewed.
2,Hypothesis is built.
3,Many scientific  procedures are used observation,interview,questionnaire,comparative studies collection of primary data and their analysis.
4,Interpretation and analysis of the cause and effect relation of different variables and use of statistical measuring methods for comming to conclusions.
5,Truth and reliability is tested.
6,Predictions can be made by studying social phenomena,behavior and attitudes.
7,Conclusions of study can be generalized.

SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY

                                   Different sociologists have put forward their views with regard to the determination of the scope of sociology.Considering those various views,we can categorize them into two major schools of thought.On the basis of definitions of sociology we can argue that scope of sociology is very broad.Trying to delimit the area of its study means not understanding it.Since sociology studies processes of development of societies,its scope goes on expanding as time passes.Sociology do not agree on whether  the study of sociology should be general or particular.Thus,there is no consensus among sociologists regarding the scope of sociology.The variety of opinions can be presented as follows;
     A, Particularistic school-
                                               Sociologists like Max Weber,George Simmel and Ferdinand Tonnies have argued that sociology should be developed as a particular science.Their view is that like social sciences,sociology should also have a particular area of study.It means sociology should deal with what is excluded in other social sciences.Basically that subject matter would turn out to be human behavior,action and interrelationship.This particularistic school's focus is on form of subject matter not its content.Max Weber's view in this connection is that sociology should explain away those social behaviors which are directly towards the fulfillment of certain goals.
 B, Synthetic school-
                                   Mnay sociologists are of the view that sociology being the science of science cannot be confined to a particular field.A mong those sociologists Durkheim,Ginsberg,Sorokin and Hobhouse are some important names.As the focus of this school is on the study of society in all its aspects it is called synthetic school.Their focus in on the entire society since sociology deals with different facts of social life it should be developed as a general science.As the various aspects  of social life are inextricably linked,the study of a particular subject matter can not be the area of sociological study.

NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY

                                                     
                                                      On the basis of diffrent analysis the characteristics of sociology can be enumerated as follows;
A,  It is a social science because it studies social behavior,phenomena,activities and interrelationships.
B. It is a general but not a special science because it studies each and every social behavior and phenomenon as well as the process of change or development.
C, It studies the real structure of society.
D, It is a social science.
E, Society is the subject matter of sociology.
F, It is based on scientific study and analysis.
G, It is descriptive because it studies the social structure,relations and the organization of society.It does not make any prescriptions.
H, Many questions have been raised with regard to its independence and distinctness as a social science.
I, It is the center of attraction for many at present.g
L, Importance is given to both primary and secondary sources as per requirement.
                                     Indeed,a complete study of social life is sociology.Though it has a shoter history in terms of emergence and development,its importance is very great in the context of complex societies of  times.On the basis of interpretation and analysis of nature of sociology,it can be concluded that sociology studies every kinds of social complexities.Following certain methods and processes,sociology comes to conclusions about different dimensions of society.But it cannot come to generalizations from conclusions the way it happens in independent science through objectives study.Since sociology is a social science it can not claim absolute objectivity like that of natural science.Unlike the physical phenomena of natural science,the social phenomena keep on changing from time to time .Sociology is a study of dynamic social processes,So the subject matter and conclusions of sociological research undergo change through time.
                                       These days sociology has established itself as a popular social science.It analyses the complexities and aspects of change and studies how daily life and social world function against the background of those complexities and changes.Thusit is also called a contemporary science.Sociology looks at the entire human society from different perspectives and with the help of different models developed by sociologists at different times.

SOCIOLOGY AS A SEPARATE FIELD OF STUDY

                                               Maclver and Page have defined sociology as a study of a study of social relations.On this account,sociology studies the network od social relationships.Rose has defined sociology as a study of human relationships.Of course,sociology is a science that studies social relations and interrelationships.It studies social relations of different nature and levels.Sociology is a general science thats studies different social,political and economic aspects of society.L.F.Ward has regarded sociology as a social science.Giddings also regards sociology as a scientific study of society.It establishes sociology as a multidimensional study of society.One special characteristic of sociology is that it does not put emphasis on the study of individual life.It studies the behavior,activites and interrelationships of human beings as members of social groups.For Emile Durkheim society is a system consisting of different social components or units.It studies different social behavior,interrelationships and interactions that take place within different social institutions like marriage and kinship.For Johnson too,sociology,thus,studies human beings as social animals.
                                                In facts sociology studies various aspects of social interactions in a systematic way.It carries out a deep analysis of social behavious and interactions.This is highlighted by Max Weber's definition of sociology as a study of social interactions.Serious and deep study of society can take place only when we study social interactions at different levels.For Sorokin,sociology is a general science studying the common forms,types and interrelations of social and cultural phenomena.
                                       Though there are many sociologists defining sociology in their own ways,sociology should in the last analysis be seen as a study of society as a whole.Sociology is a subject that is concerned with the study of social behaviors,social life and social relationships of the entire society.Study of individual life in isolation is not its concern from macro and micro perspective.This study includes ecomomy,politics,religion,law,language and many other facts of society.Sociology is complete and broad in that it incorporates various aspects of social life.Thus,sociology is rightly called the science of social sciences.

MEANING AND DEFINATION OF SOCIOLOGY

                        Seen from the perspective of its development,the word sociology is formed from 'Societus'[Latin] and 'Logos'[Greek].Societus and Logos in sociology mean society and science or study respectively.This establishes sociology as a science that is concerned with the study of society.This also indicates that society is a broad concept.Sociology is a study of that broad subject matter.The science that studies relationships,inter-relationships,processes and changes is sociology.Thus,sociology studies various facts of society.The credit for developing the term sociology goes to the French philosopher Auguste Comte,who developed the term in 1839.The belated emergence of sociology becomes clear when we compare it to other social sciences.Sociology studies human relations,behaviors and activities and other institutions of political,economic,social and cultural nature.Moreover.it also studies social problems like poverty,industrial labor,murder,boycott and other csocial conflicts.Society constitutes many units nd sociology studies the interactions and inter-dependenc among those units.
                                         As it studies the ethnic,linguistic,gender,cultural,religious,economic and political diversity of society,sociology can be a good source of theoretical and practical knowledge for us to know more about society.Like other pure sciences,sociology provides us analysis of social events and processes.Because of changeability of social variables or units of study,it is difficult to make the conclusions and findings of sociology universal.However sociological studies are bases on scientific procedures of research.
                                         In general,sociology is the study of society and many sociological definitions of sociology have been given by sociologists.For Emile Durkheim,"sociology is the systematic description and explanation of society as a whole."It means sociology provides a systematic study of society in its entirety.Defining sociology Maclver and Page remark,"sociology is about social relationships,the network of relationship we call society."This definition sees sociology as a science that studies society as a network of relationship.According to Herbert Spencer,"sociology is the study of inter relationships between different parts of society."Here,sociology studies the interconnectedness among different components of society.Auguste Comte defines sociology as" the scientific and more particularly the positivistic study of society."Similarly,for Schaefer and Robert P Lamn,"sociology is the systematic study of social behaviours and human groups.It focuses primarily on influence of social relationship upon people's attitudes and behaviour and how societies are established and changed."In Max Weber's view,"sociology is the science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action."Giving a long and comprehensive definition of sociology from encyclopedia of social science edited by Frank N Magill says,"sociology involves the study and understanding of human interaction.As people live they live in relation to others for example, in a family or at school how they pereceive themselves and others and how they act is a consequence of the type of interaction and expectation.Sociology analyzes how various group structures are organized,how they work and what meaning individuals bring to and get from the groups in which theylive."