1 What is the relationship of Sociology to the Social Sciences?

Sociology is the science that deals with human relationship. It is the study of how human
beings relate and interact with one another. Sociology forms part of almost all the other
social sciences. In Economics, economists focus on the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services. Economics tend to see the work force as a supply of
labor. Sociology consider other aspects of the workers as social makeups that can
influence work situation. Workforce comprised of individuals of various races, sexes, ages,
and religion on which any or all of these factors may affect it. In Psychology, it explores
both biological and the social origins of human behavior. Physiological psychology
considers the physical processes that underlie thinking, feeling and perceiving. Social
psychology focuses on what happens inside individuals, including personality
development and how they are influenced by the groups, societies and cultures they
belong.

2 Give two examples of the pioneers of Sociology and describe their contribution to the
field

Auguste Comte was a French philosopher known as the “Father of Sociology” and he
coined the term “sociology” to describe the scientific study of society. He believed that
evolution was the growth of the human mind emerging from the three stages: religious,
metaphysical, and scientific. He argued that society needs scientific knowledge based on
facts and evidence to solve its problems—not speculation and superstition. He also
viewed Sociology consisting of two branches: dynamics, or the study of the processes by
which societies change; and statics, or the study of the processes by which the societies
endure.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher and economist whose theories were about society,
economics, and politics collectively known as Marxism which explains that human
societies develop through class struggle. He believed that the society is divided into two
classes: Bourgeoisie (capitalists) and Proletariat (workers). A classless society would
eventually form when the workers over threw those in power (Socialism) and each citizen
would contribute “according to his ability”.

3 Explain the research process in the field of Sociology

In Sociology, the Scientific Method is also being used. It involves developing and testing
theories about the world based on empirical evidence. It consists of series of steps
namely: First, ask a question. The first method is usually describing the problem and
identifying the specific area of interest. It is when the researchers ask questions about
something that is being observed in the form of How, What, Where, When, Who, and
Why. Second, do background research. Rather than starting from scratch, researchers
may want to conduct a background research through literature review. This step enables
 the current researchers to find the problem of the previous research and allows them to
correct and enhance their research by not making the same mistake and avoid duplicating
previous research. Third, formulate a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an assumption of how
two or more variables are related. It is called an “educated guess” because it is based on
theories, observations, or existing literature. The variables are independent and
dependent, the former being the cause of the change and the latter as the effect or thing
that is changed. Fourth, test your hypothesis. Planning the research design is a key step
in any sociological study. An experiment may be made to determine if the hypothesis is
supported or not. A survey can also be done by distributing questionnaires to the subjects
of the research, can be a population or a sample. An interview may also be done if a
research needs comprehensive and detailed information. Other methods are
observation, field research, case study, etc. Fifth, analyze data and draw conclusion. This
method involves analyzing data gathered using graphs and charts from which a conclusion
can be drawn. Lastly, report results. Communicating the results is the last part of the
research process which may require presentation of the final report paper with the
abstract.

4 What is a Society?

According to Sociologists, a society is a group of people living in the same territory,

interacting with one another, and sharing a common culture. First, territory is an
important factor of a society. It need not be a landmass but as long as it has formal
boundaries and is recognized by the world as theirs, it is accepted as a territory. Second,
interaction must exist between the group. A conversation or exchange builds relationship
among them. By interacting with one another, people create their own rules, systems,
and culture which became their standard of living. Lastly, culture refers to the social
behavior and norms found in society. It is the characteristics of the society encompassing
language, religion, music, arts, habits, etc. In conclusion, a society does not need to be a
large group of people rather it needs to obtain these three elements namely: Territory,
Interaction, and Culture.