Final answer:
Sociology arose in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries due to the rapid social, political, and economic changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Thinkers like Durkheim and Weber established sociology, focusing on social structures, norms, and institutions to understand human behavior and drive societal reform.
Step-by-step explanation:
Origins of Sociology
Sociology emerged as a distinct discipline in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries during the Industrial Revolution. The driving forces for the development of sociology were the drastic changes that occurred during this period, including rapid urbanization, increased mobility, and profound shifts in social and political structures. People were, for the first time, exposed to cultures and societies different from their own due to the rise of empires, prompting them to question traditional institutions like family, work, religion, politics, and the economy.
Emile Durkheim and Max Weber are credited as some of the independent founders of sociology, taking systematic approaches to study how individuals behave within complex societies and institutions. They, among others, helped establish sociology as a science that looks outward at social institutions and cultural norms to understand human behavior, which contrasts with psychology’s inward focus. Sociologists were interested in studying society both for scholarly knowledge and for driving social reform, contributing to many significant societal improvements such as equal opportunities and rights.