attempts to formulate theories and generalizations that
will make sense of facts (Giddens, 1982).
Regarding the detective and expository nature the
science, Soroka (1992:34) states that “Sociology is a
debunking science; that is, it looks for levels of reality
other than those presented in official interpretations of
society and people’s common sense explanations of the
social world. Sociologists are interested in
understanding what is and do not make value
judgments.”
1.1.2. Brief Historical Overview
Sociology and other social sciences emerged from a
common tradition of reflection of social phenomena;
interest in the nature of human social behavior and
society has probably always existed; however, most
people in most past societies saw their culture as a fixed
and god-given entity. This view gradually was replaced
by more rational explanations beginning from the 17th
century especially in Western Europe (Rosenberg,
1987). The sociological issues, questions and problems