Introduction to Sociology

This textbook explores the emergence of sociology as a distinct social science. Focusing on the evolution of social theories, movements and ideas through history, it analyses the dynamic relationship between the individual and the larger social forces around them. This volume examines the definitive aspects of societies, communities and social groups, and their intersections with culture, political and economic movements and religious institutions. It establishes the connections between sociology and other disciplines such as philosophy, history, political science, economics, psychology and anthropology to explore the interdependence between different realms of social life. The chapters in this book explain and highlight the significance of quantitative and qualitative methods of research in understanding the dynamics of social life. Drawing from the works of classical social theorists such as Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, this book traces the development of sociological perspectives and theories and their relevance in the history of ideas. Lucid and comprehensive, this textbook will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students of sociology, development studies, history of ideas, sociological thought, social theory, research methods, political science and anthropology.