Sociology is the mother of all social sciences.

Auguste Comte is called the father of sociology because he coined the word ‘Sociology’ in 1830, for that branch of science which studied human behaviour. He suggested first of all that sociologists should use the tools of research developed by natural sciences.

Studying sociology is beneficial both for the individual and for society. By studying sociology people learn how to think critically about social issues and problems that confront our society. The study of sociology enriches students’ lives and prepares them for careers in an increasingly diverse world.

Sociology differs from other social sciences in that it is more general and covers human interaction from a broad dimension whereas the other social sciences are specific. As indicated, sociology is the scientific study of human relationships, their interactions, and institutions.

According to Auguste Comte and Durkheim, “Sociology is a science because it adopts and applies the scientific method. Sociology does make use of scientific methods in the study of its subject matter. Hence Sociology is a science.

Sociology is a Pure Science and not an Applied Science. Each pure science may have its own applied field. For example: physics is a pure science and engineering is its applied field. Sociology as a pure science has its applied field such as administration, diplomacy, social work etc.

Lack of Measurement: It is further argued that sociology is not a science because it cannot measure its subject matter. In physics or chemistry the subject matter is exhaustively measured by instruments. Sociology does not possess instruments to measure urbanisation, cultural assimilation quantitatively!

Like anthropology, economics, political science, and psychology, sociology is a social science. Although this chapter naturally focuses on sociological research methods, much of the discussion is also relevant for research in the other social and behavioral sciences.