It is a discipline involving the ability to think imaginatively and one in which personal views of the world are set aside so we may look more carefully at the influences that shape our lives and those of others. Social structure is an important concept in sociology. The permanent construction and reconstruction of social life is based upon the meanings people attach to their actions. In sociological research it is important to distinguish between the intended and unintended results of human action. Sociology studies the resulting balance between social reproduction and social transformation.
Social reproduction occurs because there is continuity in what people do.
Comte and Marx established some of the basic issues of sociology, such as the nature of sociology and the impact of the development of modern societies on the social world, issues later elaborated on by Durkheim and Weber. According to its founders, sociology is a science in the sense that it involves systematic methods of investigation and the evaluation of theories in the light of evidence and logical argument. But it cannot be modelled directly on the natural sciences, because studying human behaviour is in fundamental ways different from studying the world of nature . Sociology is a subject with important practical implications for our lives. It can contribute to social criticism and practical social reform in several ways.