Sociology is the study of human behavior within society

Sociology is the study of human behavior within society. Sociologists look at group behavior rather than focusing on individual behavior by looking at how we interact with one another. They research patterns of our social groups and relationships to determine what impact/influence they have on our behaviour. Sociologists have determined that our human behaviour is mainly shaped by the groups that we associate with by the way we interact within these groups. The main reason of the study is to see how we develop as a society.” The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden”. In 1838 a French philosopher of science called Auguste Comte, first developed the concept of sociology. Auguste Comte who is also known as the “Father of Sociology” used the term sociology to refer to the scientific study of society. Comte believed that all societies progress and develop through the law of three stages, the theological stage, the metaphysical stage and the scientific stage.
Common sense is known as a basic ability that nearly all people have. Which is the ability to perceive, understand and make judgment, easily without hesitation based on mainly past experiences. Some people believe that sociology is nothing more than simple common sense. However, sociology is much more than common sense. Sociology is the scientific study of society. For example, sociology relies on facts by researching and collecting data/evidence of human behavior, religion, education, employment, family and media to develop knowledge about change, social order and even social evolution. Common sense on the other hand is mainly based on our beliefs and our casual knowledge, which is not based on any scientific evidence, for example, the opposite of love is loneliness, which is not based on facts. Common sense is normally perceived as something to be obvious and mainly based on peoples limited life experience.
Sociology and psychology are both scientific studies, but what really sets them apart is the fact that sociology doesn’t concentrate on the individual and instead it examines the society as a whole. For example, instead of concentrating on individual thought, they look at the behavior of people and how they relate and behave towards one another. Overall, they research social issues and assess how the issues will affect the overall wellness of society. Psychology on the other hand focuses on the human mind rather than society as a whole. For example, they normally look at an individual’s brain functions without considering the impact on other people. Psychologists seek to discover and understand the reason behind emotional reactions to find out how to boost individual wellbeing.
Sociology and Criminology both study society but have many differences. For example, sociology studies are about the development and structure of our society and how it functions. Whereas criminology studies the crime within the society and looks at the criminal behaviors’ that cause the crimes. For example, criminologist objective is to eradicate crime rates and to understand criminal behavior and patterns, while Sociologists objective is to understand how human action both shape and are shaped by our social and cultural structures around us.