alternative views of sociology as a science

Question 1

what does Kuhn challenge?

Answer 1

-Popper’s hypothetico-deductive model
-science is always changing/ improving (paradigm)

Question 2

What is a paradigm?

Answer 2

-dominates scientific thinking, those who challenge it can be marginalised
-e.g. idea that humans affect the climate was initially met w/ scepticism

Question 3

what’s a scientific revolution?

Answer 3

-creates a new paradigm to fix previous inconsistencies
-this new paradigm becomes accepted with little question until it too is replaced by an approach that better fits evidence

Question 4

paradigms & sociology

Answer 4

-a single paradigm has rarely been dominant in sociology (closest was structural functionalism)
-sociology is characterised by a plurality of paradigms (therefore not scientific)
-unlikely that a single paradigm could explain every aspect of society

Question 5

Realist view

Answer 5

-Sayer
-social & natural sciences aren’t dissimilar
-models provided by positivists are misleading and don’t distinguish between open and closed systems

Question 6

closed systems

Answer 6

-stereotypical view of science.
-limited number of variables (all can be controlled)
-labs used
-precise predictions
-e.g. chemistry

Question 7

open systems

Answer 7

-many variables (not all can be controlled)
-unpredictability is recognised
-can’t conform to poppers view
-can’t make precise predictions
-e.g. seismology

Question 8

similarities of natural and social science

Answer 8

-aim to undercover underlying structures and processes that make things happen
-e.g. seismic waves vs class conflict