Relationship between Sociology and Political Science

Relationship between Sociology and Political Science

Sociology and political science are so closely and deeply related to each other that one becomes meaningless without the other. According to Morris Ginsberg, “Historically, Sociology has its main roots in politics and philosophy of history”. The state, which was the center of political science in its early stage, was more of a social than political institution.

Similarities

These two social sciences are very common in certain spheres. Let us highlight some of their similarities:

1. Sociology refers to the study of all aspects of society whereas; Political science mainly deals with political theory and Government Administration alone.
2. Sociology stresses interrelationship between social institutions including Government whereas, political science deals mainly with the Government.
3. A sociologist while studying the structure and functioning of groups cannot ignore the political organizations, pressure groups and political institutions both at the lower and higher levels whereas, Political Science is the study of the state whereas civics studies citizenship.
4. Sociology is the fundamental social science. Political science, on the other hand, is concerned with the political life of a man, which is one part of his total life.
5. Sociology is also to depend on political science for its conclusions. The special study of political life of the society is indispensable for the complete study of the society as a whole. 
6. Sociology is the science of society where as the political science is mainly concerned with the state and government. Political science is a branch of sociology, which deals with the principles of organization and government of human society.

Thus Political Science and Sociology are two highly related and inter-dependent social sciences. Both are related but distinct disciplines. Each has its own scope and methodology and yet each is related to the other. Both Sociology and Political Science supplement each other.

Differences

In-spite of the above relationship, both sociology and political science are however different from each other in certain respects.

1. Sociology is the science of society whereas political science is the science of state and government.
2. Sociology studies all kinds of society organized and unorganized while political science studies politically organized society.
3. The scope of sociology is found wider than scope of political science.
4. Sociology studies man as fundamentally a social animal whereas political science studies man as a political animal.
5. Sociology is the general science and is relatively younger but political science is special and is older than sociology.
6. The approach of sociology is different than that of political science.

Despite the similarities and dissimilarities between two discipline sociology and political science, they have close relationship. Political sociology thus becomes popular in the modern period.