1
Sociology and Rural Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the science of human relationships. Auguste Comte (1798-1857), a French
Philosopher is traditionally considered as the father of sociology. Comte, who invented the term
‘Sociology’, was the first man to distinguish the subject matter of sociology from all the other
sciences. Comte introduced the word ‘Sociology’ for the first time in his famous book “Positive
Philosophy’ at about 1839. The term sociology is derived from Latin word ‘socius’ meaning
companion or associate and the other is Greek word ‘logos’ meaning study or science.
SOCIOLOGY
SOCIUS LOGOS
(Latin) (Greek)
(Companion or associate) (Study or science)
Thus, the etymological meaning of sociology is the science of society. He defined sociology as
the science of social phenomena “subject to natural and invariable laws, the discovery of which
is the object of investigation”.
Definition of Sociology
1. Sociology is the science of society or social phenomena. L. F. Ward
2. Sociology aims at the study of the conditions and consequences of human interactions
and interrelations. M. Ginsberg
3. Sociology describes the behaviour of man in groups. Yong
4. Sociology is the study of the nature of social relationship. MacIver
5. Sociology is the science of collective representation. E. Durkheim
6. Sociology is the science of collective behaviours. Park & berges
7. Sociology is the study of interactions of human brain. Hobhouse
8. Sociology is a systematic description and explanation of society viewed as a whole.
Giddings
1
,Thus, it may be defined as the study of the ways in which social experiences function in
developing, functioning, maturing and repressing human beings through inter-personal
stimulation. Since these ways of making and re-making the members are social processes,
sociology may be said to be a study of social processes. Sociologists utilize scientific methods in
their research studies to develop a body of accurate and reliable knowledge about human
relationships. The content or subject matter of sociology is not literary writing as is assumed by
many people. It is a detailed and systematic study of society. There are animal societies also but
sociology studies only human societies. Human beings have progressed to a large extent and
therefore, sociology is used for the systematic study of the human being in group relations.
Sociology is concerned with people and without people or human beings there cannot be
sociology, it cannot be in isolation as its main emphasis is on their relationship with other
persons. They stay in groups and therefore the sociologists study people organized in families,
friendship groups, temples, schools, industrial plants and in other organizations. The
fundamental process in any society is interaction or social interaction. In short, sociology studies
the social behavior of people, their different social groups and the intra and interrelationship of
these social groups. Sociology is the web or tissue of human interaction and interrelationship.
Rural Sociology
Rural sociology is the systematic study of people living in rural areas and who are living by or
are immediately dependent on agriculture. It is made up of two terms rural and sociology that is
science of rural society. It is the study of the sociology of life in the rural environment, which
systematically studies the rural communities to discover their conditions and tendencies and
formulate the principles of progress as the term implies. It is limited to the study of various
aspects of rural society.
Definition of Rural Sociology
1. Rural sociology is the body of facts and principles of the systematized knowledge, which
has developed the application of scientific method in the study of human relationships in
rural environment and people, engaged directly or indirectly in agriculture occupation.
An extension worker is a change agent. Transfer or communication of innovations is the
main job of these changes agents. But for introducing improved farm practices, an
understanding of the farmer, his social and cultural environment within which he
operates, his home, his village and the local region is necessary. Smith
2
, 2. Sociology of rural life is a study of rural population, rural social organization and the
social processes operative in rural society. Probably, it is more logical, however, to refer
to it as systematized knowledge of rural social relationships. F. Stuart
3. The sociology of rural life is a study of rural population and the social processes
operative in rural society. F.S. Chapin
4. Rural Sociology is the sociology of rural life in the rural environment. Sanderson
5. Rural sociology is the science of rural society. The laws of the structure and development
of rural society in general can aid us in discovering the special laws governing a
particular society. A. R. Desai
6. Rural sociology is the study of human relationship in rural environment. Burtand
Hence, rural sociology is expected to develop greater understanding of the behaviour of rural
people and rural society. In addition to providing scientific knowledge about rural society and
laws governing its development, it should serve as a guide and suggest practical programmes of
reform or construction of that society in the economic, social and cultural fields.
Scope of Rural Sociology
The scope of rural sociology is very wide as it studies the relationships and interactions in the
village society. Rural sociology works in three areas:
a) Accumulation and use of sociological knowledge and use it for solving the present
problems of rural society.
b) Direct its efforts in obtaining sociological knowledge by empirical research procedures.
c) Channel its efforts by keeping faith in the methods used in this discipline in solving the
problems of rural society.
Rural sociology has become an important aspect of the science of sociology and has made a
unique contribution on its own. Most of the people of the world are rural and most of them live
in the so-called, under developed areas. These people are reproducing at a faster rate than those
in the more advanced areas and if these trends continue, will finally dominate the world.
Significance of Rural Sociology in Agricultural extension
The word Extension is derived from the Latin roots ‘Ex’ meaning ‘out’ and ‘tensio’ meaning
‘stretching’. Thus the term extension education means the type of education, which is stretched
out into the villages and fields beyond the limits of schools and colleges to which formal type of
education is normally confined. In other words the word ‘extension’ used in this context signifies
3
, an OUT OF SCHOOL system of education. The three links in the chain of rural development are
research, teaching and extension.
EXTENSION
(Latin word)
‘EX’ ‘TENSIO’
(Out) (Stretching)
Agricultural extension is defined as a special branch of extension education which deals with the
transfer of agricultural technologies from lab to land. It is concerned with agricultural education
aimed at assisting people to bring about continuous improvement in their physical and social
well being through individual and cooperative efforts. It makes available to the villagers,
scientific information and also guidance in the application of such information in solving their
problems. Villagers are educated to change their attitudes so as to raise their standard of living.
Interrelationship between Rural Sociology and Extension
Rural Sociology Extension
It is a scientific study of the laws of the structure It is non-formal education for the rural people
and development of rural society. with a view to develop rural society on desirable
lines.
It studies the attitudes and behaviour of rural It seeks to modify or change for the better, the
people. attitudes and behaviour of village people.
It studies the needs and interests of rural society. It helps rural people to discover their needs and
problems, and builds educational programmes
based on these needs and wants.
It analyses rural social relationships, or group It fosters and utilizes village organization and
organizations and leadership in rural areas, the leadership and favorable social processes, to
social processes like cooperation, association achieve its objective of rural development.
competition etc. among village people.
It studies social situations and assembles social It makes use of such social data as a basis for
facts of rural society. building up its extension programmes for rural
areas.
It investigates the social, cultural, political and It also studies these problems with reference to
religious problems of rural society. their impact on extension work in villages.
4
Sociology and Rural Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the science of human relationships. Auguste Comte (1798-1857), a French
Philosopher is traditionally considered as the father of sociology. Comte, who invented the term
‘Sociology’, was the first man to distinguish the subject matter of sociology from all the other
sciences. Comte introduced the word ‘Sociology’ for the first time in his famous book “Positive
Philosophy’ at about 1839. The term sociology is derived from Latin word ‘socius’ meaning
companion or associate and the other is Greek word ‘logos’ meaning study or science.
SOCIOLOGY
SOCIUS LOGOS
(Latin) (Greek)
(Companion or associate) (Study or science)
Thus, the etymological meaning of sociology is the science of society. He defined sociology as
the science of social phenomena “subject to natural and invariable laws, the discovery of which
is the object of investigation”.
Definition of Sociology
1. Sociology is the science of society or social phenomena. L. F. Ward
2. Sociology aims at the study of the conditions and consequences of human interactions
and interrelations. M. Ginsberg
3. Sociology describes the behaviour of man in groups. Yong
4. Sociology is the study of the nature of social relationship. MacIver
5. Sociology is the science of collective representation. E. Durkheim
6. Sociology is the science of collective behaviours. Park & berges
7. Sociology is the study of interactions of human brain. Hobhouse
8. Sociology is a systematic description and explanation of society viewed as a whole.
Giddings
1
,Thus, it may be defined as the study of the ways in which social experiences function in
developing, functioning, maturing and repressing human beings through inter-personal
stimulation. Since these ways of making and re-making the members are social processes,
sociology may be said to be a study of social processes. Sociologists utilize scientific methods in
their research studies to develop a body of accurate and reliable knowledge about human
relationships. The content or subject matter of sociology is not literary writing as is assumed by
many people. It is a detailed and systematic study of society. There are animal societies also but
sociology studies only human societies. Human beings have progressed to a large extent and
therefore, sociology is used for the systematic study of the human being in group relations.
Sociology is concerned with people and without people or human beings there cannot be
sociology, it cannot be in isolation as its main emphasis is on their relationship with other
persons. They stay in groups and therefore the sociologists study people organized in families,
friendship groups, temples, schools, industrial plants and in other organizations. The
fundamental process in any society is interaction or social interaction. In short, sociology studies
the social behavior of people, their different social groups and the intra and interrelationship of
these social groups. Sociology is the web or tissue of human interaction and interrelationship.
Rural Sociology
Rural sociology is the systematic study of people living in rural areas and who are living by or
are immediately dependent on agriculture. It is made up of two terms rural and sociology that is
science of rural society. It is the study of the sociology of life in the rural environment, which
systematically studies the rural communities to discover their conditions and tendencies and
formulate the principles of progress as the term implies. It is limited to the study of various
aspects of rural society.
Definition of Rural Sociology
1. Rural sociology is the body of facts and principles of the systematized knowledge, which
has developed the application of scientific method in the study of human relationships in
rural environment and people, engaged directly or indirectly in agriculture occupation.
An extension worker is a change agent. Transfer or communication of innovations is the
main job of these changes agents. But for introducing improved farm practices, an
understanding of the farmer, his social and cultural environment within which he
operates, his home, his village and the local region is necessary. Smith
2
, 2. Sociology of rural life is a study of rural population, rural social organization and the
social processes operative in rural society. Probably, it is more logical, however, to refer
to it as systematized knowledge of rural social relationships. F. Stuart
3. The sociology of rural life is a study of rural population and the social processes
operative in rural society. F.S. Chapin
4. Rural Sociology is the sociology of rural life in the rural environment. Sanderson
5. Rural sociology is the science of rural society. The laws of the structure and development
of rural society in general can aid us in discovering the special laws governing a
particular society. A. R. Desai
6. Rural sociology is the study of human relationship in rural environment. Burtand
Hence, rural sociology is expected to develop greater understanding of the behaviour of rural
people and rural society. In addition to providing scientific knowledge about rural society and
laws governing its development, it should serve as a guide and suggest practical programmes of
reform or construction of that society in the economic, social and cultural fields.
Scope of Rural Sociology
The scope of rural sociology is very wide as it studies the relationships and interactions in the
village society. Rural sociology works in three areas:
a) Accumulation and use of sociological knowledge and use it for solving the present
problems of rural society.
b) Direct its efforts in obtaining sociological knowledge by empirical research procedures.
c) Channel its efforts by keeping faith in the methods used in this discipline in solving the
problems of rural society.
Rural sociology has become an important aspect of the science of sociology and has made a
unique contribution on its own. Most of the people of the world are rural and most of them live
in the so-called, under developed areas. These people are reproducing at a faster rate than those
in the more advanced areas and if these trends continue, will finally dominate the world.
Significance of Rural Sociology in Agricultural extension
The word Extension is derived from the Latin roots ‘Ex’ meaning ‘out’ and ‘tensio’ meaning
‘stretching’. Thus the term extension education means the type of education, which is stretched
out into the villages and fields beyond the limits of schools and colleges to which formal type of
education is normally confined. In other words the word ‘extension’ used in this context signifies
3
, an OUT OF SCHOOL system of education. The three links in the chain of rural development are
research, teaching and extension.
EXTENSION
(Latin word)
‘EX’ ‘TENSIO’
(Out) (Stretching)
Agricultural extension is defined as a special branch of extension education which deals with the
transfer of agricultural technologies from lab to land. It is concerned with agricultural education
aimed at assisting people to bring about continuous improvement in their physical and social
well being through individual and cooperative efforts. It makes available to the villagers,
scientific information and also guidance in the application of such information in solving their
problems. Villagers are educated to change their attitudes so as to raise their standard of living.
Interrelationship between Rural Sociology and Extension
Rural Sociology Extension
It is a scientific study of the laws of the structure It is non-formal education for the rural people
and development of rural society. with a view to develop rural society on desirable
lines.
It studies the attitudes and behaviour of rural It seeks to modify or change for the better, the
people. attitudes and behaviour of village people.
It studies the needs and interests of rural society. It helps rural people to discover their needs and
problems, and builds educational programmes
based on these needs and wants.
It analyses rural social relationships, or group It fosters and utilizes village organization and
organizations and leadership in rural areas, the leadership and favorable social processes, to
social processes like cooperation, association achieve its objective of rural development.
competition etc. among village people.
It studies social situations and assembles social It makes use of such social data as a basis for
facts of rural society. building up its extension programmes for rural
areas.
It investigates the social, cultural, political and It also studies these problems with reference to
religious problems of rural society. their impact on extension work in villages.
4
