Interdisciplinary nature of Sociology

1. SOCIOLOGY AND
OTHER SOCIAL
SCIENCES

2. • Origin with a desire to have a close affinity to natural
sciences- but later contested
• Some areas overlap with other social sciences like history,
anthropology, ethics, psychology, political science and law
• Have a profound influence on sociological discourse and
vice versa

3. Sociology and Economics
• Economics- study of production in society; how man earns
and spends money
• while sociology studies all the aspects
• Economic activity is also a social activity
• Production involves social relations as well- guided by
norms and values
• Consumption behaviour also affected by social cultural
values

4. • Classical economic calculations-excludes social costs and
benefits (economists call them as externalities eg. Bhopal)
• Pierre Bourdieu- A true economist takes into consideration
even the costs of externalities like suicide and pollution
• Sociologists have a more nuanced approach of studying the
economic institutions (even subtle shades of meanings are
counted)
• Eg. Indian Capitalism as compulsive capitalism and
Japanese Capitalism as nationalist capitalism
• Economists’ predictive ability- often futile- neglect of
individual behaviour, cultural norms and institutional
resistance etc

5. • Classical sociology- Marxism- economy as the
superstructure which dominates all other social structures
like family, religion, culture etc- economic behaviour of man
is viewed as a key to understand the social behaviour of man
• Economic sociology- deals with the social aspects of
economic life; concepts like gender budgeting and feminist
economics
• Recent trends- economists are interested in economic
growth, national product and national income, development
of underdeveloped regions etc- needs to collaborate with
sociologist

6. A true economic science would look at all the costs of the
economy, not only at the costs that corporations are
concerned with, but also at crimes, suicides and so on
(Bourdieu)
Economic calculations can never leave social calculations

8. Sociology and Political
Science
• According to Marx, political institutions and behaviour are
closely linked with the economic system and social
classes
• Provoked by this thinking, theorists explored studies of
political parties, elite, voting behaviour, bureaucracy and
political ideologies; eg. political sociology of Michels, Marx,
Weber and Pareto
• 1930- University of Chicago- behavioural approach to
political phenomena

9. • Political science- laws which affect welfare of masses;
sociology provides data and basis for these laws and
policies
• Social considerations like caste, kinship and demography
play an important role in political decisions, especially in
elections
• Sociological studies on membership of political
organisations, voting behaviour, casteism, process of
decision making in organisations, sociological reasons for
support of political parties, role of gender in politics
• Blend of Political Science and sociological thinking
• Social policies of government rely on sociological studies

10. • Political system also affects social institutions
• Organisation of family impacted by the political system
• family planning, population policy; China, India, Pakistan
(religious), U.S (more open),
• Arab spring- a social movement- huge political implications

12. Sociology and History
• History is past Sociology, Sociology is present history— G.E
Howard
• Sociology without history is rootless and history without sociology
is fruitless
• Philosophy and History- mother of all social sciences
• Karl Marx (historical materialism) Weber (protestant ethic and
spirit of capitalism) and Durkheim pioneered the use of historical
data in their sociological discourse
• With the help of history, sociology can get crucial information
about the past
• Subject matter of both disciplines overlap

13. • Classical historiography- mere description of events (which
and what aspects only)
• Historians describe a past event, unique and particular
while sociologists compare a set of similar events that are
universal and regular
• Recent developments- history is no longer descriptive
• The how of events also explained (cause effect) - bringing
sociology and history closer

15. Sociology and Law
Law is the most specialised and highly furnished engine of social
control— E.A Ross
• Law- a set of rules made by an authority or the representative of the
ruling body of society to regulate the behaviour of the individuals in the
society
• Customs of people- important source of law- all forms of social control
• Law as an agent of social change
• Absence law- chaos
• Sociological information- formulating and enacting laws

16. • Social origin of legal institutions, impact of law on society
etc
• Criminology, penology crimes and criminality in society
• Gender studies- gender specific laws
• Laws for the disadvantaged, marginalised
• Socially informed laws and policies
• Complementary relation between law and sociology

17. Group Activity
• Political science is the study of power relations. But
sociology looks beyond that as well. Illustrate with the help
of a few examples.
• Sociology without history is rootless and history without
sociology is fruitless. Analyse this statement.
• Economics have a narrow view of division of labour, but
sociology looks beyond production. Critically evaluate this
statement.

18. References
• Seema and Sangwan, Essential Sociology for Civil
Services
• G. Rekha Venugopal, Sociology for Beginners