Besides there are some laws typical for the family, labour organization, personality in a social group etc. It is them that form the carcass of specialized theories.
3. Structure of sociological knowledge
Modern sociological knowledge is of a complex inner structure. As any other sciences, historically sociology developed in two basic directions - fundamental and applied. But sociologists, representatives of different paradigms, used different criteria and concepts for defining one and the same event and phenomenon that resulted in confusing. So nowadays, sociological knowledge is structured as follows.
The first structure is macro- and micro-sociology. The point is that for the first decades of its existence sociology developed in Europe as macro-sociology pretending to reveal global laws of the society, and this aim is reflected in its name. But soon micro-sociology appeared to stop philosophizing about the society in general and get down to learning human behaviour in different social conditions, motivations of human deeds, mechanisms of interpersonal interactions etc.
Since then the development of sociology has gone along two parallel directions that were of little correlation with each other. Macro-sociologists operated with the concepts “society”, “social system”, “social institution”, “civilization”, “culture” etc. It means they used abstract categories. Micro-sociologists preferred discussing stimuli of human behaviour and people's reactions, factors determining their certain deeds, deviant behaviour etc.
Macro-sociology is sociology investigating large-scale social systems and historically long processes taking place in the society. Another area of its interest is tendencies of the society's development in general. As macro-sociology is often referred to as a fundamental science, most of its attention is paid to social institutions such as the family, religion, education etc. and to political and economic systems of social order It also studies interrelations between different parts of the society and dynamics of their changing.
Micro-sociology is sociology studying small-scale social structures, groups and direct interpersonal relationships. The object of micro-sociological research is a human as a member of the group, association or community.
Grand/ all- sociological theories
Learning social structures
Learning social development, integration and disintegration processes
Learning
a personality's development
Learning models, methods and techniques of sociological reseach
Social institutions
Social communities
Social processes
Middle
range theories
Sociology of family
Sociology of science
Sociology of education
Sociology of religion
Sociology of labour
Sociology of arts etc.
Sociology of small groups
Sociology of organization
Sociology of crowd
Sociology of strata, classes
Ethnosociology
Feminist sociology etc.
Sociology of conflicts
Sociology of town
Sociology of social movements
Sociology of deviant behaviour
Sociology of mobility and migration etc.
Primary generalization of empiric data
Carrying out empiric sociological researches in social groups and institutions
At present there exist a number of middle range theories that occupy an intermediate place between theories of the grand or all-sociological level and empiric generalization of primary sociological information. They are aimed at generalizing and structuring empiric data within definite areas of sociological knowledge (the family, organization, deviant behaviour, conflict etc.) applying both the ideas and terminology borrowed from fundamental sociological theories and specific concepts, definitions formed only for the given branch of sociological research.
When emerged, middle range theories created a number of indisputable advantages. First, researchers were given a possibility to make up solid theoretic grounds for investigating definite areas of human activities, not applying to the conceptual apparatus of fundamental theories; second, middle range theories allow to exercise close interaction with people's real life as the subject of their research.
Middle range theories gave birth to rather a narrow specialization of sociologists who work, for instance, only in the area of the family or management, gather empiric data, generalize them and make theoretic conclusions within the given area of applied sociological knowledge. That's why these theories bear an applied, or branch character. At the same time, applied theories enabled to increase effectiveness of fundamental researches because sociologists were given an opportunity to generalize theoretic outcomes in separate sociological branches without constant applying to first-hand empiric data.
All middle range theories can be conditionally divided into three groups: those of social institutions, social communities and specialized social processes. Theories of the first group investigate complex social dependences and relationships; those of the second one consider structural units of the society (social groups, classes, communities etc.); those of the third one study social processes and changes.
In each group the number of middle range theories is constantly increasing as far as learning the society is deepening, and sociology as a science is developing. Sociologists, who study applied social problems, work out a specific conceptual apparatus, carry out empiric researches of their issues, generalize the given data, make theoretic generalizations and combine them into a theory within their own branch.
Thus, sociology is not some monosemantic or homogeneous formation because it includes different levels of sociological knowledge. Although at each of the given levels the notion of the subject of research, goals and objectives are given a definite expression to, in all cases sociology is represented as a scientific system. It means that its main goal is to get scientific knowledge about the society on the whole or about its parts and subsystems.
Additional literature
· Blau P. Exchange and Power in Social Life. (3rd edition). - New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers, 1992. - 354 p.
· Bourdeiu P. Logic of Practice. - Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990. - 382 p.
· Coser L. The Functions of Social Conflict. - Glencoe, Ill: Free Press, 1956. - 188 p.
· Durkheim E. The Division of Labour in Society. - New York, NY: Free Press; 1997. - 272 p.
· Durkheim E. Suicide. - New York, NY: Free Press; 1951. - 345 p.
· Goldthorpe J. H. Class Analysis and the Reorientation of Class Theory. - British Journal of Sociology, 1996, # 47.
· Homans G. Elementary Forms of Social Behavior. (2nd edition) - New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974.
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