Scope of Rural Sociology

Rural sociology is comparatively a new branch of sociology. It is a science with its own characteristics standpoint and methods. Therefore, its scope should be clarified to distinguish it form other social sciences. In the words of N.L.Sims, 

“The field of rural sociology is the study of association among people living by or immediately depends upon agriculture. Open country and village groupings and groups behavior are its concern.” 

According to Lowry Nelson 

“The subject matter of rural sociology is the description and analysis of progress of various groups as they exist in the rural environment.” 

Thus the scope of rural sociology includes the study of all the social groups in the village. In the words of  Burtrand and associates, “in its broadest definition rural sociology is the study of human relationship in rural environment” thus, the scope of rural sociology includes all the social relationships in rural environments.

An analysis of the scope of rural sociology leads to the study of the following

1. Rural Problems: The subject matter of rural sociology includes the problems of rural life, such as social, economic, political and cultural problems. These problems are studied in isolation as well as in relation to each other. In the former sense each problem is analyst separately and effort is made to arrive at some conclusion for its remedy. For the second viewpoint all the rural problems are taken as different aspects of one single problem. Sometimes this viewpoint leads to confusion since the problems are entangled into each other, therefore, in the integral standpoint towards rural social problems, it is necessary to remember similarities as well as distinctions. Some problems cannot be solved unless studied separately such as the rural problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, low standard of life, inadequate housing, lack or recreation, traditionalism, religious superstition etc.
2. Rural Social Life: Smith has rightly called rural sociology as the sociology of rural life. It aims at the study of rural social life. Rural social life includes rural people, rural population, rural environment, rural standard of living, rural vocations and rural economic conditions. Thus, rural sociology studies both enacted and developed rural social organizations.
3. Rural Social Organization: The most important function of rural sociology is to provide knowledge concerning rural family organization. Rural social organization includes rural family, rural marriage, rural social stratification, rural education, rural administrative system, rural religious and cultural institutions and rural division of labor etc. thus; rural sociology studies both enacted and developed rural social organizations.
4. Rural Institutions: Rural sociology includes the study of rural institution. Institutions are procedures of activities which are developed to fulfill a certain aim. Such institutions may be economic, political, social, religious or cultural. Rural sociology studies all these types of institutions in the context of rural society.
5. Rural Community: In the words of Sanderson “A rural community consists of the social interaction of the people and their institutions in the local area in which, they live in dispersed farm-steads and in a hamlet or village which forms the center of their common activities”. Thus rural community includes all the general activities or rural people. Rural sociology studies the characteristics, forms and activities or rural community.
6. Rural Social Structure: Social structure is the most important basis of social life therefore; rural social structure is the most important element in the scope of rural sociology. Thus, the rural sociologists concentrate on the analysis and the study of rural social structure.
7. Rural Urban Contrast: As has been already pointed out, the village and city present two contrasting modes of community life. Rural sociology studies this rural urban contrast. In other words, it studies the fundamental distinctions between rural and urban culture and also their relationship. 

From the above discussion it is clear that rural sociology study with rural society under natural circumstances and conditions. It pay special attention to structural and functional aspects of village organization, family organization, class and caste structure, folk, art, dance and literature, folk culture and customs and traditions.

Methods and Essential Qualities of Social Research

Social Research

Another important method or rural study is social research. Social research is the discovery of new truths about society. It is a systematic method of discovering new facts or verifying old facts, their sequences, inter-relationship, causal explanations and natural laws. In this way, social research or investigation discovers new facts about social activities, social circumstances, social assumptions, social groups, social values or social institutions etc. and investigates the old facts on these subjects. It locates inter relationship or causal relations among social incidents. It locates those natural laws which stimulate different phenomena in social life.

In this way the objective of social research is to formulate general laws by collection, analysis, interpretation and generalization of facts, having studied social incidents and activities, and to predict on the basis of these general laws as well as to indicate future changes and reactions. The aim of social research is obviously and purely theoretical and scientific lacking any direct relation with human welfare.

Social research is, by nature, scientific. Its aim is to gather fresh knowledge and to verify the knowledge which has been obtained. It is not connected with practical and immediate social planning or social engineering or with ameliorative and therapeutic measures. It is not concerned with administrative changes and refinements of administrative procedure as with social reform.

There are the following four steps in the method of social research

• Forming a hypothesis.
• Observation an collection of data.
• Classification and organization of collected data.
• Generalization.
• Verification of general laws and examination of their truth.

Social research starts with the formulation of a most probable hypothesis regarding a particular problem. For example, in order to investigate the relations of broken family with crimes, one may form a hypothesis that broken family is a cause of crime. The result of the research will either prove or disprove this hypothesis. The next step in social research will be the observation of several broken families and collecting data about criminal tendencies in them or observing criminals and finding out as to how many of them come from a broken family. This requires an alert, keen and objective approach in the researcher.

After observation and collection of the data it is classified and organized in that the implicit pattern may become sufficiently explicit. In the above mentioned example, the research will classify the families of the criminals under observation. Now, one may generalize broad principles on the basis of particular cases. By seeing that most of the criminals come from broken families or that the member of broken families generally exhibit criminal tendencies one may conclude that the broken families ten to breed crime. This proves the initial hypothesis. But before it is accepted as a scientific principle in sociology, it should be verified by many sociologists in different concrete situation.

Essential Qualities of a Social Research Worker

Compared to their fields of research, social research demands better social qualities in its research worker. He should be equipped with an 

• appropriate knowledge of the subject 
• have experience of conducting research 
• possess knowledge of past researchers
• historical facts corresponding to the present one
• the ability to profit by the experiences of others. 

He should have knowledge of the necessary machines and be able to handle them. He should also be capable of choosing tools appropriate to the time, place and subject. But besides these qualities, which are characteristic of scientific research worker, the social research worker must also supplement them with some special qualities because while other scientists conduct their research in the laboratory, the social research worker has the society as this laboratory where he has to cooperate with individuals, depend on their cooperation. Hence, he must be possessed of an attractive, adaptable and cheerful disposition. He should be a master of etiquette, and be a skilled, intelligent, impartial, alert, active, balanced, good conversationalist, forbearing and constructively imaginative.

References:

RURAL SOCIOLOGY BY RAJENDRA KUMAR SHARMA

Objectives and Types of Social Survey

Social Survey

The word survey is derived from two words sur or sor which means over and the word veeir or veor which means to see. In this way, the word survey means to oversee or to look over. According to Webster Collegiate Dictionary the word connotes, 

“A critical inspection, of then official, to provide exact information, often a study of an area with respect to a certain condition or its prevalence as a survey of school”.

Objectives and subject matter of social survey

The following are the major objectives which social survey strives to achieve

1. Collection of data related to the social aspect of community: Social survey studies individuals as members of society and in this way studies social circumstances and problems.
2. Study of social problems, labor class and its problems: In social survey social problems and in particular, problems of the labor class like illiteracy, poverty, in sanitation, unemployment, drinking, crime, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, labor problems etc. are studied.
3. Practical and utilitarian view point: Studies of social survey are made from a practical and utilitarian viewpoint in order that suggestions for constructive programs in solving different problems may be offered.

In this way, the subject matter of social survey includes—(1) demographic characteristic. (2) Social Environment. (3) activities of the members of the community. (4) opinions and attitudes.

The following are the important kinds of social survey

1. General or specialized surveys: Originally, social survey was taken to be two kinds –general and specialized. In the general survey the community is made the subject of study like a country, state, town or village. In the specialized or topical survey the study is confined to some special aspect only e.g. unemployment, health, cleanliness, labor welfare, child welfare etc.
2. Direct or indirect surveys: Direct survey is one in which the facts can be quantitatively interpreted while, on the other hand, no such quantitative interpretation is possible in the case of an indirect survey, e.g. the survey of population is direct, while on the other hand, the surveys of the state of health or the level of nutrition are indirect. Different problems of social sciences are studied by both kind of survey.
3. Census survey or sample survey: in the census survey the different parts of the entire area are individually studied and the figures are then complied into one. On the other hand, in the sample survey, instead of the whole is being studied, a part which represents the entire area is taken. Now this representative part is studied. Compared to the census survey, the sample survey is far less expensive and it is, therefore, very popular in the study of rural sociology which makes much use of it.
4. Primary or secondary surveys: in the primary survey, the survey work is started right from the beginning. In this, the survey or himself collects facts concurring with his objectives and hence the primary surveys are more reliable and pure. But, if some data have already been collected in the study of any subject a new start has not to be made. The survey conducted under these circumstances is called a secondary survey. It is obvious that when the situation is favorable to a secondary survey there is much saving of time and money.
5. Initial or repetitive surveys: if the survey conducted in the area is the first of its kind, it is called an initial survey while if some survey has been done in the past then the present survey is termed a repetitive survey. An initial survey involves comparatively greater effort and exertion and comparable data are not available. In repetitive survey the information obtained is more reliable and can be compared.
6. Official, semi-official or private surveys: As the names indicate, official survey is the survey sponsored by the government, semi-official survey is the survey conducted by universities, district boards, municipalities and other similar semi-official institutions and private survey is a survey attempted by an individual. Among these, official survey has the greatest probability of success because it is not hampered by a dearth of finances or trained personnel. Semiofficial survey is not only less economic but also more difficult. In the private survey, the problem of expenditure, time and trained personnel is even more acute. But, in spite of the fundamental difficulties, some semi-official and private surveys have yielded better results than some government surveys.
7. Widespread or limited surveys: surveys are given these names according to their extension or coverage. A survey covering a greater area is called widespread survey while a more delimited or less extensive survey is known as a limited survey. A limited survey is comparatively more reliable and less liable to mistakes but it carries with it the probability of some of the facts being omitted. On the other hand, a widespread survey includes many aspects of the subject under study and presents a more complete picture. But, due to its extension, it becomes less reliable because the probability of irregularities is increased.
8. Public or confidential surveys: it is evident from the very name that public surveys are those in which the processes and results of study are not concealed while the confidential surveys are those in which the processes and results are not revealed to people. Whether the survey is going to be public or confidential depends upon it nature and aim.
9. Postal or personal surveys: postal survey, as the term itself implies, is a method in which the survey or obtain the answers by sending the questionnaire by post. If the survey is to be a personal one then the surveyor has to move about the area to be surveyed and collect information. Postal survey certainly does economies upon effort and money but the information which it can obtain is very limited and lacks reliability. Although personal survey demands more time, energy and money the information obtained is correspondingly more comprehensive and more reliable.
10. Regular or ad-hoe surveys: regular surveys are conducted after the lapse of a fixed period of time. The organization made for an ad-hoe survey is temporary and is dissolved after the survey has been completed. An ad-hoe survey, in comparison with a regular survey, supplies less extensive and less comparative information but it, all the same time, involves the expenditure of less time, money and energy.

In the book Social Survey in Town and Country Areas, Herman N. Morse has accepted the following steps in the scientific methods of social survey:

1. Definition of the purpose or object.
2. Definition of the problem to be studied.
3. The analysis of this problem in a schedule.
4. The delimitation of the area or scope.
5. Examination of all documentary sources.
6. Field work.
7. Arrangement, tabulation and statistical analysis of the data.
8. The interpretation of the results.
9. Deduction.
10. Graphic expression.

Social surveys are carried on by official or non-official bodies with a  set purpose or object, for example, to explore particular facts regarding a particular  problem. This problem should also be well defined and precise. Clarity of the problem is the sine quo of all scientific research. Now each problem involves several important aspects which should be minutely studied. Hence, after defining the problem, it should be analyzed in a schedule. Then, the researcher should delimit the area of scope or survey. Without this delimitation, survey would be neither possible nor useful. For example, there can be no general survey of the working conditions of the laborers. Only the working conditions of the laborers at a particular factory or city may be studied. Now, actual survey starts. This is a twofold job, first, examination of documentary sources and second, field work. Examination of documentary sources is table work and if done properly, it will save much labor besides clarifying the actual lines of field work. The field work involves on the spot inquiries from the person concerned. For this, the surveyor should visit the area of survey and gather necessary information in the pre-planned schedule. After the gathering of the data through the above mentioned steps, facts are systematically arranged, tabulated and analyzed. These results are now to be interpreted. This requires a statistically keen understanding of the problem and an objective approach. In fact, interpretation of the results is the most important steps in a survey. This interpretation helps in the deduction of useful principles. Finally, the results are graphically expressed so that the whole thing may be understood at a glance.

Limitations of Social Survey 

As in evident from the meaning and purpose of social survey, this method has certain limitations. It studies only one part of the society. In it the study of the working of the lower classes is made something of a specialty. Obviously enough, in social survey, there is no endeavor to obtain detailed information about the middle and the upper class people. But to be limited is no defect in any scientific method. The scientific method invariably studies only a delimited subject, a fact which constitutes its limitation, but it is, at the same time the secret of its success and validity. It is for this reason that the survey method yields organized, systematic and scientific information about the problem, on the basis of which, programs for social development and social reconstruction can be formed. It also protects the society from becoming disintegrated. Information regarding different aspects of social institutions and society is supplied by the use of the survey method.

REFERENCES

RURAL SOCIOLOGY BY RAJENDRA KUMAR SHARMA

Methods used in Rural Sociology

In spite of the difficulties in the scientific study of rural society that we have seen above, rural sociology, which studies it, is believed to be a science which makes use of the statistical and social survey methods and also of the other scientific methods. Though it is true that scientific method cannot be applied to the study of the rural society as it can be to the natural sciences, there is no reason why the study of the rural society should not be done according to a method recognized by science if such a method can with facility, be used in social sciences like psychology, social psychology, economics, political science etc. If seriously though over, it will be quite evident that the above difficulties which confound the study of the rural society, also arise in the study of all psychological and economic activities. But, nevertheless, psychology and economics respectively use the scientific method. All that can be said with regard to these difficulties is that the scientific study of the rural society is far more difficult, less realistic, less definite and less objective that is the case with the study of physical objects. But, in the future, some progress can be made in this direction, although undoubtedly it will entail a certain amount of effort, with the result that the subject can become more conducive to rural scientific study.

We are now in a position to acquaint the reader briefly with the different methods which are applied to the study of the rural society. The major methods of investigation used by rural sociology are the following:

1. Questionnaire.
2. Schedule.
3. Interview.
4. Participant Observation.
5. Social Survey.
6. Social Research.
7. Statistical methods.

A. Questionnaire

In social research the questionnaire is used comprehensively. In the questionnaire method, as is evident from the name a list of such questions is compiled, which throw light upon the different aspects of the problem. Usually the questions are accompanied by ‘yes’ and ‘no’ as their answer and the information has to reject the wrong answer. The questionnaire method has several difficulties. Often, people prevaricate in answering the questions. Sometimes the questions are so framed that they are interpreted differently by the observer and the informant. Quite often the questions are answered without grasping their full significance. Notwithstanding there difficulties the questionnaire method is, by far, the most popular method in rural social research.

B. Schedule

The schedule method resembles the questionnaire to some extent, in as much as it, too, requires a list of questions, the answers to which supply the data. But these questions are taken by the observer to the informant and filled by the observer himself. Usually, this method is made use of only in a limited sphere. The data compiled by this method is more valid, but compared to the questionnaire method, it involves more time, energy and money. This method achieves greater minuteness in detail.

D. Interview 

In the interview method, evidently enough, the observer faces the informant and questions him across the table, noting down the information which the questions elicit. This certainly does elicit much useful information which the informant can offer indirectly cannot be expected in a direct interview. Actually, much of the success of the interviewer depends upon his individual ability. If the informant shows hesitation because the information is being transcribed, a tape recorder may be used.

E. Participant Observation 

As is evident by the name, in the participant observation method, the observer participates with the people whom he is observing. This gives him the opportunity to come into direct contact with the people who are to provide him with his information and obtain much useful information. This provides much detailed information along with the facility of its execution. But this method involves extensive use of time, money and energy. Yet, in spite of these defects, it assists in a profound study of rural and primitive groups, because other methods like the questionnaire method do not prove efficacious about them. This method finds an uninhibited use in many anthropological studies.

F. Social Survey

Social survey is intended to be the study of the social aspect of a community’s composition and activities. It aims at the collection of quantitative facts. It makes a concrete study of society, especially the social problems inherent in the society. It presets program for improvement and development. It is conducted with fixed geographical limit; it is related to problems of social importance and assists in formulating constrictive programs.

G. Social Research 

Another important method or rural study is social research. Social research is the discovery of new truths about society. It is a systematic method of discovering new facts or verifying old facts, their sequences, inter-relationship, causal explanations and natural laws. In this way, social research or investigation discovers new facts about social activities, social circumstances, social assumptions, social groups, social values or social institutions etc. and investigates the old facts on these subjects. It locates inter relationship or causal relations among social incidents. It locates those natural laws which stimulate different phenomena in social life.

References: 

RURAL SOCIOLOGY BY RAJENDRA KUMAR SHARMA

Difficulties in the Scientific Study of Rural Society

Rural sociology is a branch of sociology, and, therefore, the study of rural community makes and unrestricted use of all the methods of social research.

All these methods are scientific and all the common characteristics of any scientific method are to be found in them. Hence, it would be quite in keeping with the context to describe the major steps and common characteristics of scientific method before we proceed with an individual study of each of these methods. In this context, an exposition of the difficulties of the scientific studies or rural community will also be advantageous because all these difficulties are applicable to each and every one of these methods. 

Difficulties in the Scientific Study of Rural Society

Now the question which arises here is as to whether rural sociology is a subject which has all the above mentioned qualities and admits of the use of the scientific methods. Some of the major difficulties in this context are:

1. Possibility of subjective ideas and prejudices: Rural society is a network of social relations. These relations make their impressions upon the person who is studying them. Consequently, the possibility of prejudice and the thoughts and experience of the observer becoming manifest upon the study cannot be ignored. Thus, the objectivity necessary for scientific study cannot be overemphasized.
2. Difficulties in maintaining scientific objectivity: In this way the following difficulties arise in the achievement of scientific objectivity in the study of rural society. (a) From his very childhood an observer is obsessed with certain prejudices and bias which it is very difficult to eliminate. (b) If forceful diminution, of these prejudices is attempted, there is a great likelihood of contrary prejudices being acquired. (c) In the study of rural society, values too are an important consideration but these value can neither be controlled nor studied objectively. (d) There are many different communities in rural societies whose culture, customs, conventions and geographical conditions do not, in the least, concur. Hence, it is difficult to be objective in their study and there is no small possibility of prejudice. A man’s impression of this own society act as an obstacle in studying some other society.
3. Complexity of Rural society: A third difficulty in the study of the rural society is its complexity. Rural society is a network innumerable social relations and these social relations have a multitude of factors. It is due to this complexity that it becomes difficult to expose all the factors involved in any aspect of the study of rural society.
4. Changeability to rural society. Rural society is very much susceptible to change and this is another drawback in studying it scientifically. Society is a network of relations among human beings. Man is a conscious and dynamic being who makes use of his reason. He can, with consummate ease, mark his behavior, thoughts and opinions. At the same time, these do not remain static but change constantly. This continuous change aggravates the difficulty in studying social relations. And secondly, even if they have been successfully studied this success may be obstructed by this changeability of the relations.
5. Dearth of Universality: there are many rural societies which differ from each other in respect of their cultures, customs, conventions, physical environments and other relevant aspects. And even within one rural society the customs, standards of living ideas and values of the different classes of people are different. And even the individuals within a single class differ from each other in many respects. In this way, rural society is a subject in which each unit does not resemble any other. Thus, its study is not conducive to the formulation of any universal laws. Consequently, the scientific method cannot be of much use here.
6. Difficulty in the control of the units of rural society: The scientific method is applied only to those subjects who allow control over their units. In the study of rural society, its units-individuals and groups—cannot be controlled and it is not possible to locate a particular person in a circumstance and control him because it is in no way essential that all people be identically affected by the situation or that the individual be at al influenced. Therefore, rural society cannot be scientifically studied.
7. Hindrance by vested interests: The scientific study of rural society is rendered even more Utopian by the vested interests which make any progress impossible. No society, group or community can hear without objection the criticism of its shortcomings, because, in it, are latent the individual, social or class related interests.
8. Study of values: The scientific method cannot study values due to which it cannot be applied to the study of rural society which possesses so many values. While, on the one hand, it necessarily neglects the axiological aspects of society, it, on the other hand, hinders the study of facts because social facts are not utterly removed from the impact of these values.
9. Other difficulties: Besides the special difficulties which arise in the application of the scientific method to the study of rural society which we have mentioned above, it is further beset with all those difficulties which are inherent in any subject which does not have the necessary characteristic qualifications for scientific study. Values and facts are found mixed in rural society.

Therefore, it is no means easy to discover any cause-effect relation among them by using the scientific method. The fact that rural society is sub-divided into almost innumerable communities makes it difficult to formulate any universal law based upon the study of rural society. These laws are further related to the conscious and changeable man, a fact, which debars these laws from being examined for their validity and neither can they, for the same reason, be considered useful for prediction. Some people assert that the scientific method cannot be used in the study of rural society because it is not possible to establish laboratories and use the apparatus. 

References: 

RURAL SOCIOLOGY BY RAJENDRA KUMAR SHARMA