1. BASIC CONCEPTS OF
SOCIOLOGY
BY
ROSEMARY BRAIMAH

2. INTRODUCTION
• The basic principle of sociology is that human behaviours is
largely shaped by the groups to which people belong and by the
social interaction that takes place within those groups.
• The main focus of sociology is the group not the individual.
• The sociologist is mainly interested in the interaction between the
people - the ways in which people act towards respond and
influence each other.

3. • Sociology is characterized by its approach to phenomena (the
approach to science) and by its subject matter (human interaction).
• It is rightly defined as scientific study of human interaction.
• Sociology is about society, its constituent institutions, their inter
relationship and the actors. Sociologists study the patterns in social
interactions

4. • Sociology is a discipline that belongs to what conventionally is called
the social science.
• Social science, is a branch of academic study or science that deals
with human behaviour in its social and cultural aspects.
• Usually included within the social sciences are cultural (or social)
anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, and economics.

5. • This discipline (sociology) plays a leading role in the social
sciences. The term sociology literally means the science of society.
• Sociology as an academic discipline which arose in the first half of
19th century as a special science dedicated to unravel the
fundamental laws governing the societal phenomena and human
social relationship with primary interest in analysing the problems
and societies of the modern, western world. A simple definition here
is that it is the study of society and culture.

6. • The word “sociology” is derived from the Latin word socius
(companion) and the Greek word logos (study of), meaning “the
study of companionship.”
• While this is a starting point for the discipline, sociology is
actually much more complex. It uses many different methods to
study a wide range of subject matter and to apply these studies to
the real world.

7. Definitions
1.A dictionary defines sociology as the systematic study of society and
social interaction.
2.Sociology is the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole
societies and human world as such (Giddens, 2010).
3.Sociology is the systematic study of human society (Macionis, 2007).
4.The American sociological Association- ASA (2006) describes
“sociology as the study of social life, social change, and the social
causes and consequences of human behavior. The ASA contends that
“sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations and
societies, and how people interact with these contexts”..

8. • Sociology is the science of human relationships. It studies
man as a social animal.
• It deals with human groups, and tracks the evolution of
customs and behavioural patterns that are handed down from
generation to generation through personal contacts

9. Importance of Sociology To The Nurse I
• Sociological knowledge enables the nurse to provide an
environment that is socially acceptable to patients/clients and family
so as to help them adjust to their new hospital environment.
• Knowledge acquired from sociology will equip the to nurse treat
each patient/client as an individual taking into consideration the
person’s unique problem, cultural and social background.

10. Importance of Sociology To The Nurse II
• Most of the health problems in Africa are associated with socio-
environmental factors and can be effectively prevented by actions
based on an understanding of the cultural pattern of our people and
not only on drugs and human biology
• Sociologists conduct research into areas of interest and advice
various disciplines to the best ways to deal with the problem/ a
problem.

11. Importance of Sociology To The Nurse III
• The study of sociology will help the nurse understand the public
and help improve upon the image of nurse.
• Some aspects of health deals directly with the community. E.g.
public health, community health nursing, community psychiatry
nursing, therefore knowledge in the community political system,
economic organization and cultural practices are very important

12. • Anthroplogy is the scientific study of man from all angles. Its major
branches include linguistics which is the scientific study of the way
languages work at their natural setting.
• Psychology is the scientific study of human and animal behaviour.
• Social psychology is the study of how people’s thoughts, feelings
and actions are affected by others. Social psychologists study;
1.Aggressive behaviours (eg. violence, rape, alcoholism)
2.Conflict between groups, communities, and ethnic groups and
methods of solving it.

13. Similarities between Social Anthropology and
Sociology
1.They both study about the society.
2.They both conduct research.
3.They both do prediction
4.They both use scientific method to solve problems.

14. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND
SOCIOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
1. Anthropological study concentrates on
traditional small scale society
Sociology concentrates on developed society
2. Anthropologist take a whole village or
even an ethic group and study it as a
unit.
Sociologist selects an aspect of society for
study
3. Anthropologists employs the use of
participatory observation to get data
Sociologist employs the use of interviews and
questionnaires to obtain data
4. Research results can be generalized
for the entire society
Research results cannot be generalized for the
entire society due to complexity of the
society.

15. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
1. Psychology examines more of
workings of the human mind, why
people think and behave as they do.
Sociology is the scientific study of human
behavior
2. Psychology deals with interactions
among small groups of people.
Sociology deals with the large groups of
people, their behavior as a group