The development of Sociology in the Philippines can be described as a cycle of repeated stillbirths. While it traces its early roots during Spanish colonisation, the discipline’s formal introduction to the country happened during American colonisation (Weightman 1987). Despite this, the development of sociology in the Philippines is rather slow. According to Alan Hunt (1978), the slowness of the development is attributed to the fact that Sociology is not common in the United States in its early years and was given low priority in the Academic Institutions in the United States and so similarly, the discipline received similar treatment in the Philippines (Weightman 1987). 

In 1908, the American authorities of higher education established the University of The Philippines and began to offer and teach sociology in 1908 (Weightman 1987). The discipline was then combined with the department of anthropology under Henry Otley Beyer. Shortly after, Americans attempted to revitalize sociology separate from anthropology by engaging to another cultural anthropologist, John De Young due to Beyer’s unwillingness and inability to develop sociology (Weightman 1987). After the successful re-establishment of sociology as a discipline of its own, De Young left the country in 1952 and a few months later, Fulbright Professor Chester Hunt arrived and made large contributions to the development of Philippine sociology (Weightman 1987). With his enthusiastic pushing, in August 1953, Philippine Sociological Society was founded. During the same period, Hunt also helped in establishing Philippine Sociological Review (Weightman 1987). Today, both Philippine Sociological Society and Philippine Sociological Review lead the foundation of Philippine Sociology.

Meanwhile, the history of emergence of Sociology in the University of Santo Tomas is a continuous debate among sociologists. While early data presented  the university as the first to offer sociology among academic institutions in the Philippines, such history of origin was debunked because of lack of source and credibility. No documents served as evidence verifying the claim that Sociology was offered as a course in the University of Santo Tomas in 1896 however, the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters was established in the said year. On the other hand, teaching Sociology in the university developed after World War II—between the 1950s and 1960s—as it became a part of general Social Science courses. Sociology then became a full major and specialization with Undergraduate Degrees to Masters and PhD Degrees. And in 1964, the university established the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Batan and Samaco 2013).

In 1967, the University of Santo Tomas eventually formally established the Department of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts (Batan and Samaco 2013). Years later, in 2006, undergraduate degree in Sociology was changed into “Bachelor of Arts in Sociology” from “Bachelor of Arts – Major in Sociology” which had the curricula changed to allow more major Sociology subjects in the first two years (Batan and Samaco 2013).

At present, the Sociology program in the University of Santo Tomas centers in sociological theories and perspectives as well research methodologies to mold students to be quality and competent social researchers informed by local and global economic, political, ecological, and socio-cultural trends. This program also aims to produce graduates to be an instrument to the production, interpretation, transmission, and application of knowledge through social research that will enable them to address social issues and problems (University of Santo Tomas, 2016).

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Filipino:

Ang kasaysayan ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas ay maituturing na isang siklo ng paulit-ulit na “kapanganakan”. Habang ang mga naunang datos nito ay makikita natin noong kolonisasyon ng mga Kastila, ang pormal na introduksyon ng disiplina sa bansa ay nangyari noong kolonisasyon ng mga Amerikano. Ganun pa man, ang pag-inam ng sosyolohiya sa bansa ay mabagal. Ayon kay Alan Hunt (1978), ang matumal na pag-inam ay dulot ng kadahilanang ang sosyolohiya ay hindi masyadong nabibigyang pansin sa Estados Unidos at hindi gaanong binibigyang halaga sa mga akademikong institusyon kung kaya naman ang kaparehas na pagtrato ay makikita rin sa Pilipinas (Weightman 1987).

Taong 1908 nang itinatag ng mga Amerikanong awtoridad sa mataas na edukasyon ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (Weightman 1987). Kasabay nito ay sinimulan rin ng unibersidad na mag-alok at magturo ng sosyolohiya noong 1911 kung saan ito ay isinama sa departamento ng antropolohiya sa pangunguna ni Henry Otley Beyer (Weightman 1987). Matapos nito ay minabuti ng mga awtoridad sa mataas na edukasyon na ihiwalay ang sosyolohiya sa antropolohiya sa pamamagitan ng pagtalaga kay John De Young dulot ng kawalang kapasidad ni Beyer na pagyabungin ang sosyolohiya (Weightman 1987). Matapos nito at ang matagumpay na pagtatayo sa sosyolohiya bilang indibidwal na disiplina ay tuluyan nang umalis si De Young noong 1952. Ilang buwan matapos lisanin ni De Young ang bansa, sa parehas na taon ay dumating si Chester Hunt, propesor mula sa Fulbright na kalaunan ay nagkaroon ng malaking gampanin sa pag-unlad ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas. Sa kaniyang pangunguna ay itinatag ang Philippine Sociological Society noong Agosto 1953. Matapos naman nito ay itinatag ang Philippine Sociological Review, opisyal na tagapaglathala ng mga pananaliksik sa sosyolohiya. Sa kasalukyan, ang Philippine Sociological Society at Philippine Sociological Review ang pangunahing tagapagtaguyod at pundasyon ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas.

Samantala, ang kasaysayan ng pag-usbong ng sosyolohiya sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas ay hindi malinaw at patuloy pa rin pinagdedebatehan ng mga sosyolohista. Habang ang mga naunang datos ay sinasabing ang unibersidad ang unang nag-alok ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas, ang teoryang ito ay hindi na tinatanggap pa dahil sa kakulangan ng letihimong pagkukunan at kredibilidad. Walang kahit anong uring dokumentong nagsilbing ebidensya na nagpapatunay sa pahayag na ang Sosyolohiya’y naging isang kurso sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas noong 1896 ngunit, itinatag naman ang Faculty of Philosophy and Letters sa nasabing taon. Sa kabilang dako, ang pagtuturo ng Sosyolohiya sa unibersidad ay lumago pagkatapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Daigdig—pagitan ng mga taong 1950 at 1960—dahil naging parte ito ng general Social Science na mga kurso. Ang Sosyolohiya ay naging ganap na full major at specialization na may Undergraduate Degrees hanggang Masters at PhD Degrees (Batan and Samaco 2013).

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Noong 1967, ang Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas ay pormal na itinatag ang Department of Sociology sa College of Liberal Arts. Ilang taong nakalipas, noong 2006, ang undergraduate degree sa Sosyolohiya ay napalitan ng “Bachelor of Arts in Sociology” mula sa “Bachelor of Arts – Major in Sociology”. Dahil dito, nagbago ang kurikulum para sa nasabing program upang magbigay ng dagdag na major Sociology subjects sa unang dalawang taon (Batan and Samaco 2013).

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Sa kasalukuyan, ang programang Sosyolohiya sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas ay sumesentro sa mga teoretika at perspektibong sosyolohika, pati na rin sa paraan ng pananaliksik upang hubugin ang mga mag-aaral para maging isang mananaliksik na may galing at kakayahan na nagbibigay-kaalaman mula sa lokal at global na ekonomika, politikal, ekolohikal, at sosyo-kultural trends. Ito rin ay naglalayong makapagtapos ng mga mag-aaral upang maging isang instrumento sa produksyon, interpretasyon, transmisyon, at aplikasyon ng kaalaman sa pamamaraan ng panlipunang saliksik na makatutulong sa pagharap ng isyu at problemang panlipunan (University of Santo Tomas 2016).