JLIS abstracts

NIKHLESH KUMAR

NIKHLESH KUMAR. Structure and Development of Sociology. 13,1;1988;15-38

Traces the structure and development of sociology from the perspective of the development of ideas in the study of society. It, however, does not necessarily follow chronological sequence in the discussion. Attention is focused on the ideas concerning the nature of the phenomena and the method applied to the understanding of the phenomena. Beginning with a description of positivism the discussion proceeds with the ideas suggesting its modified application to the study of human society and ends with a discussion of alternative approaches believing in the limitations of positivist analysis. No attempt is made, though, to go into all the details of the application of ideas either by way of ethnographic illustrations or by way of description of their analysis. Instead salient features of each thinker's argumentation at the abstract level have been interwoven for the sake of continuity of debate.