Relationship between Rural Sociology and Sociology

Rural sociology is a specialized branch of Sociology with scope of making extensive and intensive survey and investigation of the rural society. It is also an object of rural sociology to study the peculiar characteristics of rural society problems or rural people in the most micro-way’. Such a study cannot be expected in general sociology wherein the urban societies are also given equal weight age and coverage.

Rural sociology attempts an extensive as well as intensive investigation of the rural problems. In comparison to the urban societies, the rural society is much more complicated and vast. Though, it shares some common features with the urban society.

So vast is the scope of rural society its peculiarities and problems that it is not possible for the general sociology to do justice to all these aspects of rural society. It is rather impossible for the general sociology to fully investigate and explore the rural problems and the rural way of life.

To explain the manner in which the two disciplines differ and the way the peculiar problems  of these can be at most appropriately, touched by general sociology we may refer to the problems of ‘Slums’ and Hookah Club. The problem of slum is peculiar to cities and will be studied adequately by urban Sociology alone whereas ‘Hookah Club’ exists only in a village and this has no role to play in urban life. Both urban and rural society shares a common approach and adopts similar methods but there is sizable difference between the two.  As the subject matter is concerned both study social events, actions and organizations. But whereas sociology is indifferent to the geographic and environmental factors and tries to grasp the most general laws of social action and organization, the rural and urban sociologists study the same in their environment, that is, whether a problem or event occurs in rural or urban context. Furthermore, while the scope of rural sociology assimilate both rural and urban life and also extends far beyond. Thus, rural sociology is a specialized discipline of sociology; on the other hand, sociology is a general science.

In short, whereas there is a common approach of both the subjects of study when each pursues the subject matter; there is vast difference between their scopes.

Refernces

Rural Sociology by Dr. G. Das

Importance of Rural Sociology

Major portion of Bangladesh is constituted of rural areas. Where, about eighty percent of the Bangladeshi people still live in the villages. The truth is that even the urban population is constituted by the migrating from the rural areas to the towns and cities and also many villages have grown into towns. Villages have been the fountain head of Bangladeshi culture; Bangladesh’s economy is predominately agricultural. In our country it is not possible to achieve a political ‘awakening without redeeming the rural population from its obscurity.’

It is strongly felt that it is essential to understand and to act according to the laws prevailing in the village if the objective is to achieve is to achieve progress of the villages and in such a circumstance only the rural population be able to create the development plans of their own and offer their co-operation. This makes it essential to attempt a special study of the rural society. “In order to effect a desirable change in the rural institutions and communities, the laws introduced against their laws will be an imposition which will not be able to attain permanency. Without understanding the special features, qualities and defects of the rural religion and culture the village level workers will not be successful in effecting rural reconstruction.’ It is essential to study the attitude, customs and practices of the rural people.

The importance of rural sociology is far greater in Bangladesh. In the theoretical background of the plans devised the country’s progress the study of rural society is essential to achieve objectives and such a study will reveal the conditioning factors which govern the development, change and control of society. These factors will have to be kept in mind if the plans for the villages are to be successful.

The discussion leads to the stage which emphasis the urgent need to study the rural community in a comprehensive way. Following reasons put forward the highlight the importance of the study.

According to A. R. Desai, It is ‘urgently necessary to make scientific and systematic study of the rural society, of its economic foundation and social and cultural superstructure, of its institutions and their functions, of the problems arising from the rapid process of disintegration which is undergoing and which even threatens its breakdown.”

1. Bangladesh is a classic land of agriculture. Its long past history, its complex social organization and religious life, its varied cultural pattern, can hence be understood only if a proper study is made of the rise, growth crystallization and subsequent fossilization and breakup of the self-sufficient village community, the principal pivot of the Bangladesh society only till recently.
2. Due to historical reasons, the existing Bangladesh rural society has become a veritable mosaic of various types of rural societies and hence reveals a diversified cultural pattern. The culture of the hunting and food gathering tribes; the culture of the primitive hoe-agriculturists; further, all the varied culture of people engaged in agrarian production with the plough and the bullock, as also the modern culture of a rural people influenced by new technical and economic forces-all these cultures are juxtaposed in the contemporary by the ideological currents of the rural humanity is also being influenced by the ideological currents of the rural humanity is also  being influenced by the ideological currents of the rural humanity is also being influenced by the ideological currents of the modern era. Consequently we find in the Bangladesh rural world today, the persistence of primitive cults of magic and animism, polyeism, pantheism of the ancient world, monotheism and other idealistic philosophic world outlooks inherited from the ancient medieval periods as also a minor current of modern rationalist world view. This has transformed it into a veritable museum of different and even conflicting cults and ideologies.
3. The unique agrarian socioeconomic structure of Bangladesh experienced a decisive transformation as a result of the impact of the British conquest and rule. On the eve of the British conquest of Bangladesh. Bangladesh rural society was composed of a multitude of villages. Each village lived almost an independent, atomistic, self-sufficient social and economic existence. The village represented a closed society based on economic autarchy and social life governed by case and community rules.

Refernces

Rural sociology by Dr. G. Das

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