• between society and peculiar domain of social life;

• Inward interconnections and interdependence that are inherent one or another domain

Special sociologic theories are methodology to perceive individual social processes, communities, their institutes and simultaneously are the foundation to empiric researches.

Datum of sociological studies – are social facts, that are revealed by sociologists, their analysis and generalization. They concern both specific social subjects (actions, motivations of human behaviour, everyday practice, specific products of human activity) and separate social processes, relations (conflict situations, degree of solidatiry in different social groups, free play of … девіантної behaviour such as alcoholism, drug addiction, internet addiction etc.).

All these components of social knowledge are closely bound together: without being scientific substantiated sociological empirical studies are not capable to give reliable picture of social processes and phenomena, to generalize them, to guarantee the enrichment of scientific knowledge; the theory itself can fall behind the life without these studies and become recreated to the dogma, if it doesn’t have a primary sociological information about the modification and new tendencies in individual and social progress.

Юлія Жугель

8. Functions of Sociology and its place in the life of the society.

Sociology directly influences the life of the society through performing a number of social functions (from Lat. functio –execution, implementation). To the most important functions we refer the following:

1. Theoretical and cognitive function (sociology at all its levels and in all of its structural components provides increment of new knowledge about different spheres of social life, it reveals perspectives of social development, it brings to light those things, that need radical transformations and changes. In this respect great importance lies in relationship between sociology and government, in provision by sociology of scientific findings to the authorities obtained as a result of empirical social research. This knowledge about new processes and phenomena will help to identify so-called «stress points» in society, of which not only social conflict may develop overtime, but even uncontrollable elemental explosion. Art of state control is, in fact, the prevention of transition from stress to social explosion, the ability to implement reforms and social transformations with a help sociology data without harming social organism and each individual. This function gives answers to the following questions: « How does the society we live in look like? What exactly undergoes changes in this society? What are the directions of these changes? »).

2. Descriptive and informative (sociologists conduct systematic description and accumulation of material, on the basis of which politicians and managers (управлінці) can eventually draw practical conclusions, can make administrative decisions and legislation acts, can implement control over social processes or their correction. This description of social phenomena is directed to their full theoretical reproduction, where different forms of social existence rise in its natural contradiction without ideological stratification. In this case, it is desirable to have a dialog between scientists-sociologists and representatives of government and public self-government, when the received information would contribute to the society condition improvement, communities it consists of and each individual. This function helps to find answers to such questions: «What characterizes modern development of society and its main spheres? In what direction is this development? Does the activity of state and public organization meet this development? »).

3. Function of social planning (sociologists provide results of theirs researches for development planning of different spheres of social life, so that social planning is carried out in all countries the regardless of type of social and political systems; it covers various fields– from the processes of vital activity of world community, specific regions and countries to social planning of towns and villages, separate companies, associations etc. On the basis of data received by sociologists short-term and medium-term, as well as long-term plans for are built. These plans eventually, after discovery of new data, received by sociologists, have to be corrected so that they can fully display the condition of society that was achieved, as well as the tendency of social changes and transformations. Indicated function will help to find answers to the questions: «What is the strategy and tactics of society development for short-term and long-term perspective? What must be changed in the planned, so that social stirrings can meet desirable social targets? »).

4. Predicted ( prognostic ) function (sociology can produce scientifically based predictions about tendency of social processes and communities development; it is especially important to have such predictions in such transitional (inconstant ) eras as we have now, eras of development of society and mankind in general. In this aspect sociology can determine the range of possibilities and chances; can present several possible scenarios of processes deployment, connected to each of the chosen scenario; can predict possible loss concerning each of the chosen variant, can determine risks and side effects as well as long-term consequences. This attention to the future requires from sociology answers to such questions as: «What do you have to be prepared for? What should you be ready for? What should you expect? What can you be sure about and what should you be aware of? How can you avoid undesirable consequences? »).

Sociology can take a very important part in the life of society and each individual, only in condition that it performs the most important functions. What concerns the last, it can be seen in the following:

- sociology helps individuals to form knowledge about social reality and changes that occur in it; it explains logic of the social development processes;

- it helps individuals to find their place in the society, to choose their life route and to understand life perspectives, to concentrate personal efforts on resolution of social conflicts;

- sociology helps to reveal social groups and communities of associates (partners), people, who share the same beliefs and views on surrounding world, who want to change social reality by combined efforts and to unite efforts in order to achieve aim.

Meaning of sociology has tremendously increased in the end of ХХ –in the beginning of ХХІ century, after the fall of the Soviet Union and creation of new independent states out of the former soviet republics. We live in the circumstances of global transformations, when there is a transition from totalitarian or authoritarian «closed» society to liberal-democratic social order and «open» society. This is the time, when the foundations of an old social regime are abolished and new time is being born in difficult struggle. In Ukraine, the processes of state building and nation consolidation are being added to these radical changes. The fact that there still exist the remnants of totalitarian system and its corresponding mentality of «soviet man», as well as former economic relations, complicate the situation; there is no strategy of transitional period, routes and directions of the future are not clearly defined. All this has to be overcome as fast (quick) as possible for successful formation of civil society in Ukraine and its fully fledged entry into the world community. That is why the role of sociology is increasing nowadays, as it can give knowledge about the real condition of modern Ukrainian society, its changes, the appearance of new processes and phenomena, that were not encountered before. Sociology will help to find out development tendencies of the country in the future, to produce scientifically based prediction for the coming years and more remote perspective. Finally, sociology can also draw the horizons of a new, global by character megasystem of the mankind that is being created these days in the world, and to determine, in what way Ukrainian society is joining the processes of its formation, and to clear out, how it reacts to the challenges of globalization.

Being the constituent part in their general and professional education, especially important meaning sociology has in training of young specialists. How does the society we live in look like, what are the perspectives of its development, can we take part in social processes and influence them, can we master the science of wise management and regulation of there processes in modern life– sociology will help to find answers to all there questions.