Having discussed the sociological approach to understanding society, it is worth noting the limitations of sociology. Because of the subject of investigation (society), sociology runs into a number of problems that have significant implications for this field of inquiry:
• Human behaviour is complex, making a prediction - especially at the individual level - difficult or even impossible
• The presence of researchers can affect the phenomenon being studied (Hawthorne Effect1)
• Society is constantly changing, making it difficult for sociologists to maintain current understandings; in fact, society might even change as a result of sociological investigation (for instance, sociologists testified in the Brown v. Board of Education2 decision to integrate schools)
• It is difficult for sociologists to remain objective when the phenomena they study is also part of their social life
While it is important to recognize the limitations of sociology, sociology's contributions to our understanding of society have been significant and continue to provide useful theories and tools for understanding humans as social beings.
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