Sociology & Other Social

Sciences
• Different social sciences deals with the different aspects of social
life of man.

• Accordingly History, Anthropology, Psychology, Economics &

Political Science, these social sciences are interrelated.

• It is essentials for the student of sociology to know in what respect

his subject differs from other social sciences and what ways it is
related to them.

• Some social thinkers says that sociology is the basic and sole social
science and others are its divisions.

• It is essential for us to know the interrelations between sociology

and history, economics, anthropology, political science, psychology.
• Anthropology

• The word anthropology derived from two Greeks words, ‘Anthropos’-

meaning man and logs mean study.
“Thus anthropology is the study of man”.
“The science of man and his works and behavior”

. In number of universities anthropology and sociology are

administratively organized into one department.
 Difference between Sociology & Anthropology
• Sociology
2. Sociology is the study of
modern civilized and
complex societies.
3. Sociologist study the
institutions marriage,
family or processes such
as change, social mobility.
4. Sociologist studies small
as well as large societies.
5. Sociology makes use of
observation, interview,
social survey,
questionnaires and other
method of techniques in
its investigations.
• Anthropology
2. Anthropology concerns
with un civilized or primitive
and non literate societies.
4. Anthropologist study
human primitive cultures.
5. Anthropologist usually
concentrate on small
societies.
6. Anthropologist directly go
and live in the communities
they study. They make use
of direct observations and
interviews.
 Sociology & History
History:
History is a study of past, which people have already lived.
Data for historian come in the form of records form museums,
libraries and personal collection of people.

History is the reconstruction of man’s past. It is study of the

experience of man kind. It is a record of the human past.
Historian are interested in what happened at a particular time
in the past.
Historian are only concentrate only on the past.
• Sociology
• Sociology as science of society on the other hand is
interested in the present. It studies various stages of
human life.

• Sociology has thus to depend upon the history for its

materials. e.g.

• If he wants to study of marriage and family he must

study their historical development also. Similarly he
wants to know the impact of Islamic culture on the Hindu
culture
 Difference between sociology & History

• Sociology • History
2. Sociology is interested in 2. History deals with the past
the study of present with all events of man. It is silent
their complexity. regarding the present
3. Sociology is relatively 3. History is an age-old social
young social science. It science. It has a long story
has very short history of its of 2000 years or even
own. more.
4. Sociology is an analytical 4. History is descriptive
science. science.
5. Sociology is generalizing 5. History is an individualizing
science. science.
• Political Science
• Political science deals with political activities of man.

• Political science has its own topics such as origin, evolution and
functions of state, the forms of Government, types of constitutions,
administration law, legislation, elections, voting, political movements.

• Political science is concerned with state. There are some common

topics of interest for both sociologist and political scientists. Such as
war, mass movements, government control, public opinion,
propaganda, leadership, elections, voting.
• Further many social problems are also deep political problems
(clashes of Muslims and Christians, Hindus and Muslims, Asian and
Europeans.
 Difference between Sociology & Political Science
• Sociology • Political Science
2. Sociology is a science of 2. political science is a science of
society. state and government.
3. Sociology studies all kind of 3. Political science studies only the
societies organized as well as politically organized societies.
un organized. 4. Political science has narrower
4. Sociology has a wider scope. field.
5. Sociology studies man as 5. Political science studies man as
fundamentally a social animal. a political animal.
6. The approach of sociology is 6. Political science is a special
sociological. It follows its own social science because it
methods in addition to the concentrates only on the human
scientific methods in its relationships which are political
investigations. in character.
7. Finally sociology is quite young. 7. Political science is an older
It is not even two centuries old. science comparatively. It has
centuries of history.
• Difference between Sociology & Psychology
• Psychology
Psychology is the study of individual behavior and mental
processes- what occurs in the mind.

• Sociology • Psychology

3. Sociology studies society 3. Psychology studies behavior of

and social groups. individual in society. Its focus
of interest is individual and not
the society as such.
5. Sociology analysis social
processes.
5. Psychology concerned with
behavior of individuals.
7. Sociology studies society
form sociological point of
view. 7. Psychology studies the
individual’s behavior form the
view point of psychological
factors involved.
• Economics
Economics deals with the economic activities of man.

“economics studies the aspects of production, distribution

and exchange and consumption in society”.

It studies the structure and function of economic

organization like banks, factories, market, business,
firms, corporations, transport.
 Difference between two social
sciences
• Sociology • Economics
2. Sociology studies all kind 2. Economics deals with only
of social relationships those social relationships
which are economic in
3. Sociology is general social
character.
science.
3. Economics is a special
4. Sociology is a science of
science.
recent emergence.
4. Economics has attained an
advanced degree of
maturity.
thanks