Debates Flashcards
What is value freedom?
Research should be free from opinion
What is value driven?
Research cannot and should not be free from opinion
What are the 4 concepts for sociology can be a science?
Positivists
Objectivity
Paradigms shift
Some sociology can be falsified
What do positivists say about sociology should be a science?
Research should follow the same structure as natural sciences that gain true and objective knowledge so solve social problems, make comparisons and the finding will be representative
Who is the theorist for positivists thinking sociology should be a science?
Durkheim and his study on suicide
What does the theory of objectivity say about sociology being science?
Keeping opinions out of it and they should be value free or validity will be compromised so they don’t emphasise or sympathise with the person being researched?
What does the theory of the paradigm shift say about sociology being science?
Society sometimes moves away from a shared set of assumptions so the competing paradigm becomes the new one and we have moved away from modern society
What does the theory say for some sociology being falsified?
Some theories can be proven wrong just like in science
What are the 4 theories for sociology not being a science?
Interpretivists
Committed sociology
Paradigms
Falsification
Who is the theorist for interpretivists?
Douglas
What does the theory for interpretivists say about sociology not being a science?
Society cannot fit into a lab and that in research they need to gain verstehen
What does the theory for committed sociology say about sociology not being a science?
Sociologists should be openly taking sides to different theories and should be interested in the same values of particular groups and they are not expected to impose their own values on research
Who is the theorist for committed sociology?
Gouldner
What does the theory for paradigms say about sociology not being a science?
Most people hold the same discipline but sociology doesn’t have a paradigm as the theories are all competing
What does the theory for falsification say about sociology not being a science?
Theories cannot be put to the test or falsified as they are only predictions
Who is the theorist for falsification?
Popper