Science has been defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as "knowledge obtained through study or practice." Using this definition sociology can be classified as a science as it is a field of study that has been developed to obtain knowledge about society and human social behaviors through the study of societies and individuals within societies. Sociology is a relatively new branch of science, at least when compared to the hard science subjects like chemistry and astronomy, however, this does not make it any less worthy of the classification of a science.
Social Science
One of the broadest areas of study within sociology is the area of social science. Social science is the study of social relationships. This field studies human relationships at every social level including personal, family, business, community, state, national and world. This field is important as it helps to explain why we develop the types of relationships that we do and how these relationships impact the function of society as a whole.
Criminology
Criminology is another field of study under the sociology heading. It is the study of abnormal social behaviors that are classified as crimes against society. Criminology examines criminal behavior and the steps that societies take to deter and punish these behaviors. This is an interesting field of study that has many practical applications.
Demography
Demography is one of the more known sub-fields of study under the classification of sociology. Demography is the study of specific characteristics that define a specific population. These characteristics include the size of the population, the sex ratios within the population, the ages of the members of the population, where people live, what they do to make a living and their educational backgrounds. This information is very important and is usually collected by governments and by other agencies.
Psephology
Psephology is one of the lesser known sub-specialties of sociology. It studies election trends. These trends include how people in certain states vote, how people with specific demographic profiles vote and how certain generations vote. This information can be used to make election predictions or to find constituents to target for political campaigning and fund raising.
Sociometry
Sociometry is a unique sub-specialty in the field of sociology. It measures various characteristics of social behaviors to create a quantitative analysis of the behaviors. Frequency and severity of behaviors are common quantitative factors that are measured in sociometry.
Structural Sociology
Structural sociology, as its name suggests is the study of the structures found within societies. These structures include family unit structures, social structures and government structures. This field of science has developed a body of knowledge that indicates that institutions and social structures are given a higher priority from humans than individuals. This is an interesting theory to ponder when studying human behavior and sociology.
Conclusion
Sociology is a science. It is dedicated to developing a body of knowledge that describes society and its internal structures and systems. It is a young science, but one that is important to our understanding of what makes the human experience so unique and complicated.
Over the last several decades I have worked to promote science to students. Through experimentation with educational science gifts and work with science fair projects kids of all ages have learned to be scientifically innovative.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/is-sociology-a-science-1515163.html