Relationship between Sociology and History

Relationship between Sociology and History

As a mother of social sciences, sociology has a close and intimate relationship with all other social sciences. It is closely related to history because present society bears symbols of the past. The relationship between the two is so close and intimate that scholars like G. Von Bulow have refused to acknowledge sociology as a science distinct from history.

Similarities:

1. Both sociology and history study the same human society.

2. Both sociology and history are social science disciplines.

3. Sociology and history are both concerned with human activities and events.

4. History helps and enriches Sociology. History is a storehouse of knowledge from which Sociology gained a lot. History provides materials sociologists use. History is a record of past social matters, social customs, and information about different stages of life. Sociology uses this information.

5. Similarly, Sociology also provides help to history and enriches it. A historian greatly benefited from the research conducted by Sociologists. Historians now study caste, class and family by using sociological data. Sociology provides the background for the study of history.

6. Now, history is being studied from a Sociological angle. Every historical event has a social cause or social background. To understand that historical event, history needs help from Sociology, and Sociology helps history in this respect. Sociology provides facts on which historians rely.

7. Apart from philosophy, today's historians depend considerably upon sociological concepts and narrations. Modern historiography and sociology have been influenced by each other.

Thus, history and Sociology are mutually dependent on each other. History is now being studied from a Sociological angle, and Sociology is also now studied from a historical point of view. Historical sociology has now become a new branch of sociology that depends on history. Similarly, Sociological history is another specialized subject based on both the Sciences.

Differences:

The two social sciences, History and Sociology, are different. The points of difference between the two may be noted.

1. Sociology is a science of society and is concerned with the present society. History deals with past events and studies the past society.

2. Sociology is a modern or new subject whereas history is an older social science.

3. Sociology is abstract, whereas history is concrete in nature.

4. Sociology's scope is very wide, whereas history's is narrow. Sociology includes history within its scope.

5. Sociology is an analytical science whereas history is a descriptive science.

6. Attitude of sociology and history differ from each other. Sociology studies a particular event as a social phenomenon whereas history studies a particular event in it’s entirely.

7. Sociology is a general science whereas history is a special science.