According to the extract, it can be established that social science has existed for years; however, the concept of formal social science is relatively new and it defines a system of knowledge about the growth, nature, functioning, as well as, the nature of human societies. It is also important to note that the extract insists that knowledge can be divided into 2 main categories and these include the knowledge about the natural environment and the knowledge about human beings and this includes their culture and the products of that culture. Scientific knowledge is the knowledge that has been gathered, related, classified, and interpreted. In respect to this, it is important to note that human societies have been changing gradually and the knowledge about this change has been accumulating, however, it is only until the recent times that this knowledge which is, basically social content got to be classified as scientific. It is this that gave rise to the term social sciences, a field of study that the extract confirms is the most important field of study to all human beings and this is because it allows people to learn the conditions that limit their lives, as well as, the opportunities available to improve human conditions.
Arguments
One of the main arguments in this particular paper is that which states that it is difficult to know where one social science ends and where another begins. This particular paper supports this argument and the reason behind this move is the mere fact that all knowledge is interrelated, thus, problems always arise whenever there is an attempt to define the cataloging of the social sciences. It is important to note that not only are the social sciences interrelated but, they are also related to the natural sciences, as well as, the humanities. This particular paper also supports the argument that social sciences is a system of rules and this is because the main rule that links all the social sciences together, for example, Anthropology and Sociology, is the mere fact that once you as a social scientist understand all the concepts you can apply your knowledge in a wide number of circumstances in all of the social sciences. This implies that social scientists will have ample knowledge about their respective social sciences, as well as, the rules of how their individual social sciences interact with the other social sciences. The final argument from the extract that this particular paper is in support of is that which states that social sciences are the most important field of study for all human beings. The reason why this particular paper supports this argument is because unless human beings get to learn how to build societies in which they can live happy, satisfying, and meaningful lives, then the benefits of learning about the construction of faster computers, building of skyscrapers and automobiles, as well as, traveling in space cannot be realized.
The value of knowledge produced by Sociology
Sociology can be defined to as the empirical study of society and this is mainly because it is usually involved in the analysis of culture, social interactions, as well as, the social relationships and patterns of people (Burrell " Morgan, 2017). It is one of the many social sciences; however, it is unique because it makes effective use of critical analysis, as well as, empirical investigations to generate knowledge about social evolution, acceptance, and social order. It is important to note that sociologists conduct research works that can be applied directly to welfare and social policy, whereas, others dedicate all their efforts and time towards refining the theoretical basis that guarantees the understanding of social processes. This particular section will argue that sociology generates a lot of knowledge which helps in the understanding of the human social lives and it will do this by critically analysing chapter 1 of extract titled ‘Social Science and its Methods’. To do this effectively, the paper has produced a brief summary of the main points covered in the extract and agreed with the arguments presented in the extract while at the same time giving valid reasons. Since sociology is the systematic study of the relationships among people, it is true to state that this systematic study helps generate a lot of knowledge about how people’s relationships are formulated, as well as, how they can be natured for the benefit of the people in them. By taking sociology, individuals get to acquire a lot of knowledge, as well as, generate their own through research in a bid to understand how and why politics, settings, intellectual groups, social life, as well as, occupation influence their behaviour. It is also important to acknowledge the fact that the sociological theories of functionalism, interactionism, and conflict generate a lot of knowledge about the human society. According to functionalism, knowledge about how members of a society play vital functions and how these functions serve to keep the entire society functional is generated. The conflict theory provides knowledge on how the society is in perpetual conflict because of competing for limited resources, thus, through the domination of power social order is maintained. The theory of interactionism, on the other hand, provides knowledge on how language is acquired from one member of the society to the other. It is important to note that language is only an aspect of the human culture, thus, if it is learned through interaction, then many other aspects of culture are also learned through interaction. It is true to state that the study of sociology enables people to generate knowledge related to the effective conducting of research, for example, the research methods, theoretical perspectives of research, and methods of data analysis, data collection techniques, as well as ethics (Weber, 2017). It can, thus, be established that due to the fact that sociology which is one of the social sciences that include, Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Criminology (Colander, 2016), and many more provide room for the generation of all the above-discussed knowledge, all social sciences are values of knowledge.
References
Burrell, G., " Morgan, G. (2017). Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis: Elements of the sociology of corporate life. Routledge.
Colander, D. C. (2016). Social science: An introduction to the study of society. Routledge.
Weber, M. (2017). Methodology of social sciences. Routledge.
