Sociology as a Science

Sociology emerged in the eighteenth century after a period of intense

cultural, social and economic changes. As people began to try to

understand these changes, there came a period called the

Enlightenment. This is also considered by Hamilton (1992) to be a

“time characterised by the development of distinctively modern forms

of thought about society and the realm of the social.” The

Enlightenment encouraged a new way of thinking marked by application

of reason, experience and experiment to the natural and social world.

Sociologists approached the study of society and change by using

scientific means as they were inspired by the recognition of the value

of scientific principles and procedures.

Science is a systematic, rigorous, controlled discipline aimed at

understanding, gathering knowledge about and predicting occurrences

within the natural world. If a research method has these

characteristics it can be considered ‘scientific’. Science is a body

of knowledge associated with a particular style of research, that is,

one characterised by the use of certain methods in specific

circumstances and shaped by an underlying rationale. The purest

example of the scientific method is the experiment. In the mid

eighteenth century science became, as Hamilton (1992) would say it,

“for the intellectuals of the Enlightenment, the epitome of

enlightened reason.” Science was perceived as knowledge that people

could trust and that would be true for all circumstances, hence,

science became a powerful force in society and assumed a new status as

a superior form of understanding. This belief in science led two

strands of sociologists being formed,...

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procedures and research methods to push back the boundaries of

inquiry. They both seek to improve the human condition through

research and fort both the purpose of research is to enhance our

understanding of the world, be it natural or social.

Although there are sociologists that believe in sociology becoming

scientific and those who do not, there are advantages and

disadvantages that have to be take into account when analysing whether

or not it is convenient or beneficial for sociology to become

scientific. The truth is that if it were to become considered a

science that sociology would become more respected and it would become

well known in society than it is today. But on the other hand, if it

would become a science it would be considered a metanarrative and

therefore move away from post-modernity.