Emmergency of Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of human groups. It provides tools for understanding how and why our society functions, impact of social intuitions on individual lives, and the challenges of social interaction between individuals and society. Sociology enables one to see the world in a new light. Cragun, D. (2011). In a country like the Zambia where individualism is celebrated, it is very easy to forget that the way we behave and feel is socially produced. Whether they are friendships, families, church groups, socio-economic classes, complex organizations, or nations, much of our lives are socially constructed. This is the basic premise of sociology.
Sociology also helps people liberate themselves. In his Invitation to Sociology, Peter Berger (1997) stated that “sociology can help people to take charge of their lives by making them aware of their situation in society and the forces acting upon them…By discovering the workings of society, they gain an understanding of how this process takes place.” The wisdom of sociology is the discovery that things are not what they seem. It is in this conduit that the essay will thrive to outline the genesis of sociology and explain its problems and limitations as a science. THE GENESIS OF SOCIOLOGY
Although sociology has its roots in the works of philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and Confucius, it is a relatively new academic discipline. It emerged in the early nineteenth century in response to the challenges of modernity. Increasing mobility and technological advances resulted in the increasing exposure of people to cultures and societies different from their own. The impact of this exposure was varied, but for some people it included the breakdown of traditional norms and customs and warranted a revised understanding of how the world works. Sociologists responded to these changes by trying to understand what holds social groups together and also to explore possible solutions to the breakdown of social solidarity. Thinkers of the Enlightenment period in the eighteenth century also helped set the stage for the sociologists that would follow. This period was the first time in history that thinkers tried to provide general explanations of the social world. They were able to detach themselves, at least in principle, from expounding some existing ideology and to attempt to lay down general principles that explained social life.