Is Sociology A Science? Flashcards
Yes: Popper’s 5 key components of science
Empiricism (observations), testable, theoretical (based on a theory), cumulative and objectivity
Yes: Positivists and induction
Induction involves the accumulation of data through observation and measurement
As our knowledge grows, we are able to observe feneral patterns e.g. we observe that objects always fall at the same rate
Yes: Positivists and the experimental method
Sociology should adopt the experimental method used by natural sciences
Should be objective so that the researcher is unable to influence the research
Maybe: Popper’s verification and give an example
Use Polyani to back this up!
This is when inductive reasoning claims to verify a theory. The patterns we observe can be explained in a circulatory way
e.g. sociologists explain educational failure, a social fact with material deprivation, another social fact.
Polyani: all belief systems are circulatory
Maybe: Popper’s falsification
The idea that a scientific statement must be able to be disproved with evidence. This is unique to science
Maybe: How is sociology unscientific? Include counterpoint and example
It consists of theories that cannot be proven
e.g. Marx’s prediction of revolution cannot be falsified because it cannot happen
COUNTER: its scientific because hypotheses can be falsified in principle e.g. Ford’s hypothesis that comprehensive schools would produce mixing of social groups
NO: Interpretivists and the fundamental differences between sociology and science
Science studies matter which has no consciousness so its behaviour can be explained by a straightfoward response to an external stimuli
VS
Sociology which studies people who make sense of the world by attaching meanings to it so action can only be understood through these meanings
NO: what does Mead argue?
People interpret meaning of a stimulus then respond to it vs responding to it automatically
