Page 26 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Unit 3: Social Science Discipline: Sociology and History

Notes

Caution A general weakening in the moral condemnation of crime and certain type of
economic crisis leading to anarchy in society are other examples of pathological
facts.

Main Characteristics of Social Facts

In Durkheim’s view sociology as an objective science must conform to the model of the other
sciences. It posed two requirements: first the ‘subject’ of sociology must be specific. And it must be
distinguished from the ‘subjects’ of all other sciences. Secondly the ‘subject’ of sociology must be
such as to be observed and explained. Similar to the way in which facts are observed and explained
in other sciences. For Durkheim this ‘subject’ of sociology is the social fact, and that social facts must
be regarded as ‘things’.
The main characteristics of social facts are:
(i) externality
(ii) constraint
(iii) independence
(iv) generality

Did u Know? What are the social facts?
A social fact is that which has more or less a general occurrence in a
society. Also it is independent of the personal features of individuals
or universal attributes of human nature. Examples are the beliefs,
feelings and practices of the group taken collectively.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
3. .....………….. as a science of society, studies its social institutions, social groups, social
processes and organisations.
4. Science deals with a specified, area or a subject matter of its own, not with……………….. .
5. Legal codes and customs, moral rules, religious beliefs and practices, language etc. are all
………………. .
6. Durkheim made an important distinction in terms of normal and …………… social facts.

3.3 History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events.
History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. scholars who write about history

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