Introduction to Sociology and Social Anthropology

Abstract

This book introduces fundamental approaches and concepts in sociology and social anthropology. The need for and difficulties involved in arriving at a scientific explanation of society will be emphasized. It is pointed out that while sociology and social anthropology build on and go beyond common sense understandings of the social world, unlike other social sciences such as economics, political science and psychology, sociology and social anthropology do not limit themselves to certain selected dimensions or aspects of society but rather examines society as a whole. Both sociology and social anthropology originated in the 19th century, former as a discipline focusing on western societies and the latter as a related discipline specializing in the study of non-western societies. Over the years the two disciplines have tended to merge with each other in terms of subject matter if not always in terms of the approaches employed. This text book has been published for the external degree students who registered at the Center for External Degrees and Professional Learning, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, for reading Bachelor of Arts (General) degree. It will cover their first semester of the first year in their study program, especially in the academic year 2014/2015.