Sociology, like other disciplines, uses particular methods in explaining society. This discipline tries to make sense of issues relating to society and people on a whole by rationalizing theories put forward as an explanation. Sociology is the term used to explain the study of society. Some well known early founders to this discipline, such as August Comte, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, have all contributed their understanding and theory to what sociology could be. In this essay, the intention is to look a little closer at those early contributors and to discuss how and where sociology may have come and how it may relate to other social sciences in explaining human behaviour. Mostly all Sociologists argue that sociology is used to explain human behaviour and other aspects relating to the human perspective on a whole. Most contributors to sociology, view sociology as a way of using the imagination in gaining knowledge and understanding into what is deemed as truth. (Giddens A, 1989).

The meaning of the word ‘Sociology’ is the ‘Science of Society’ and the definition of the word ‘So

Max Weber (1864-1920) was considered another contributor to early sociology and was considered by others to be a rationalist. He focused his arguments on a ‘Social Action’ theory. He argued that Society itself is a result of the actions of individuals. So therefore it was important to study the actions of individuals in order to understand the way individuals looked at the world and how their views helped to influence their actions (Kirby et al, 1997).

As a type of science, sociology differs in its methodical approach in arriving at conclusions. Some contributors to sociology dismiss the idea of it being a science because they believed that it was almost impossible to use the same methods in collecting data for chemistry, biology and other scientific research, in the same way, for sociology. Science is seen as an attempt to create truth and understanding from information that can be proved (Haralambos & Holborn, 2000).

In comparing sociology with psychology, again one can argue that there is not much difference between the two. Psychology concerns itself with the study of the mind and how it influences behaviour under certain circumstances and conditions. Many psychologists would argue that its purpose and function is to try and understand the mysteries of human nature and why people feel, think and act as they do. It could also be argued that people act, feel and think as they do as a direct result of their biological makeup. On the other hand there are some psychologists who would argue that environment plays a major part in why people behave the way they do (Giddens A, 1989).

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