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Unit-14: Contribution in Sociological Method-Sociology as a Science-the Concept of Social Facts

1. consider social facts as things: This is the first rule of scientific observation of sociological fact that notes
every social fact is seeing in the form of a separate thing .Durkheim makes difference between things
and ideas. Ideas are indirect and spiritual wherever thing is a positive fact. Which is positive the
researchers cannot do any change on his desire but facts are full of emotion. Scientific observation can
be the base of sight of subjective. Whenever we will not, there positive observation to understand an
outer thing of sociological fact then will not present their reality because precedent and preconceptions
are obstruction in our scientific study. For removing these problems sociological fact should be,
understand an external incident like physical fact. Normally it is clear, it present own structure in front
of ours. Ours feeling and prediction cannot affect his real structure. So the scientific of sociological
fact Durkheim force on belief in the form of things study. To defining the things, Durkheim writes
“All these which is already clear all that which can be seen, keep the importance of a thing.” Thing is
an objective fact and sociological incident is a things. Social incident can be understood in the form
of thing when we understand separate from psychological fact. This quality is found in sociological
fact that these are not the achievement of personal consciousness so these are beyond from the control
of a human. Like things in sociological fact we cannot any change and correction. In brief Durkheim
believe this sociological fact is beyond from personal consciousness and because of keep control on
human and being free can understand in the form of a thing.
2. eradication of all preconceptions: In the idea of Durkheim the first importance of scientific study
we keep in related to subject method the number of production and imagination on his mind removed
them and give importance only scientific believe. During study a sociologist should be free from such
ideas shadow on the mind of a normal human and being of the member of the society involved in
the form of mantel structure of them. Emotional affection is an interruption in scientific observation.
In which subject we take interest, against them we don’t want to see listen anything. We keep idea
related to political believes religion and morality these are the obstruction in our neutral study.
Durkheim says, “This emotional nature makes pradushit to the method of to understand the natural
facts and their description”. We frees from the feelings and prediction in observation of sociological
facts from their behaviours as much as possible in our method comes such scientificness. That is the
reason Durkheim forces the observation of prediction of sociological facts.
3. Definition of subject-matter: For scientific and neutral study is not sufficient the separation of
prediction. A sociologist must to description of their subject matter. For this in their study should be
define clear upcoming things. Durkheim writes” the work of sociologist should be defining that work
which its studies so find out the subject matter of these. It is the condition of indispensable of firstly
and mostly of all prove and reexaminations.”
4. separation of individual and social: For the scientific observation of sociological facts, the personal
and social facts should be separate. Durkheim writes,” When sociologist studies the any type of
sociological facts then they will try to attention on that side of them which are free from sociological
manifestation.” In a study of sociological facts person should not take place of their personal feelings,
detention or thing involved in society in as form, then study should be in those form.

types of social facts

Durkheim divides in two parts of sociological fact in third chapter of their book-Normal Fact and
pathogerical Facts. They are describing the rule for difference in these two.
1. normal social facts: Normally social fact is that which similar to the granted norm of society and
increased the health of sociological life. It can understand the example of body. When body is in
normal form these make the weather favourable and become healthy. In healthy state, the mordacity
is low. In society which arrangement is already make that continuing then social fact is normal to
continue keeping. In this condition, the vyadhikiya pathogenical facts are in low quantity. By this

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