Is sociology a science ? Flashcards
1
Q
What are the arguments regarding whether sociology is a science ?
A
- Positivism v. Interpretivism
- Post modernism (scientific knowledge is not superior)
- Popper - Good science is based on falsification
- Kuhn - Science is based on paradigms
- Keat and Urry - Some sciences are open and involve the study of unobservable
2
Q
What is the debate over sociology as a science ?
A
- ## Some argue it is necessary for sociology to be defined as a scientific field of study whilst other question if it is possible or even appropriate
3
Q
Positivist view of science
A
- Natural sciences are based on inductive reasoning and verificationism
- Data should be accumulated in order to build up knowledge about the world
- Verificationism refers to a theory which can be confirmed based on the evidence which is collected (to prove them true)
- Scientists should use objective methods eg lab testing to uncover facts about the workings of the world
4
Q
Should sociology be a science according to positivists
A
- Yes
- Durkheim has sought to demonstrate that sociology can be studied in the same objective methods
- They see society and human behaviour as patterned and predictable and see people as controlled by wider structural forces
- Quantifiable and detached research methods eg structured interviews can be regarded as a scientific way of studying social behaviour
- The structured nature makes them highly reliable and they can be replicated
- Statistical data allows for the researcher to reach conclusions about correlations
5
Q
Should sociology be considered as a science by interpretivists
A
- They reject the view that it can be considered a science as the methods used aren’t appropriate
- They agree with the positivist definition of science but INSTEAD argue that human behaviour isn’t patterned or predictable so humans aren’t shaped by wider forces
- Believe humans are active beings who constantly interpret the world around them eg in the case of traffic lights
- Natural science involves the study of matter whereas sociology studies people who have free will and consciousness
- Therefore it isn’t appropriate to study using detached methods and instead qualitative methods should be used eg participant observation
- They stress the importance of verstehen (empathetic understanding) about the people studied
- Their research is more likely to be valid due to generating info from the participants POV
- Don’t believe that sociology should strive to be scientific but reliability can be achieved by checking and re-checking results
6
Q
Who regards sociology as a science ?
A
- Positivist - yes
- Interpretivists - Sociology shouldn’t strive to be a science (no)
- Popper - didn’t dismiss sociology as a science completely but doesn’t consider it as a science
- Kuhn - Sociology probably isn’t a science
- Postmodernism - It is undesirable for sociology to adopt scientific principles
- Keat and Urry - no reason why sociology shouldn’t be regarded as a science and could be regarded as an open science
7
Q
Postmodernism - Is sociology a science ?
A
- Postmodernists regard science as a meta narrative (Big story)
- Scientific ideas have no more validity than non-scientific ones because all knowledge is relative
- (may be true for one person but not for another)
- Science has claimed a monopoly over the truth but this can have dangerous consequences
- eg science has created risks and problems which continue to damage the world + environmental issues
- If sociology presents itself as a science which claims to have uncovered truths about organising society then this creates further problems for the world eg Marx claimed communism was the ideal form of society but communism under Stalin resulted in millions dying
- It is undesirable for society to adopt scientific principles as they feel sociologists should focus on offering people different interpretations rather than changing the structure off society to suit their worldview
8
Q
Falsification principle
A
- Popper
- All knowledge is temporary eg many have gone on to be disproven
- Positivists focus on inductive reasoning and verificationism as a fallacy or error
- Instead good science is based on the falsification principle (you should look for evidence which proves your theory false)
- The Black Swan fallacy (‘all swans are white’ , the researcher should look specifically for black swans)
- Good scientific theories should have 2 features :
1. Should be a big theory eg evolution
2. It should stand up to attempts to disprove it - Scientists should always be prepared to accept that one day their theory may be contradicted
9
Q
According to Popper is sociology a science ?
A
- It isn’t a science because most sociological ideas cannot vibe rigorously tested and falsified and sociologists are unwilling to accept criticism of their ideas
- Doesn’t dismiss it completely as their is scope for contemporary research to develop more testable theories
10
Q
Kuhn - Science is based on paradigms
A
- Today scientists are restricted by paradigms (set of ideas, beliefs, methods and theories which are largely accepted and agreed upon)
- Scientists are encouraged to accept paradigms as true and conduct research to further their understanding however any scientists who seek to challenge a a paradigm are often met with ridicule (1990’s Michal Behe ‘intelligent design’ theory attempted to disprove Darwin)
- Science is not the objective and rational field that positivists stress
- Science is a socially constructed body of knowledge
- Scientific progress can occur : If there are anomalies in data, scientists will begin the revolt, as evidence is accumulated there will be a paradigms shift,
11
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science ?
A
- Sociology is probably not very scientific (because it is made up of conflicting and competing therapies and none pf which agree)
- To be a science sociology would have to unite under a single dominant/accepted view
- There are no paradigms in sociology and it is unlikely that one widely accepted theory of society will emerge soon
11
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science ?
A
- Sociology is probably not very scientific (because it is made up of conflicting and competing therapies and none pf which agree)
- To be a science sociology would have to unite under a single dominant/accepted view
- There are no paradigms in sociology and it is unlikely that one widely accepted theory of society will emerge soon
12
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science ?
A
- Sociology is probably not very scientific (because it is made up of conflicting and competing therapies and none pf which agree)
- To be a science sociology would have to unite under a single dominant/accepted view
- There are no paradigms in sociology and it is unlikely that one widely accepted theory of society will emerge soon
13
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science ?
A
- Sociology is probably not very scientific (because it is made up of conflicting and competing therapies and none pf which agree)
- To be a science sociology would have to unite under a single dominant/accepted view
- There are no paradigms in sociology and it is unlikely that one widely accepted theory of society will emerge soon
14
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science ?
A
- Sociology is probably not very scientific (because it is made up of conflicting and competing therapies and none pf which agree)
- To be a science sociology would have to unite under a single dominant/accepted view
- There are no paradigms in sociology and it is unlikely that one widely accepted theory of society will emerge soon
