Is sociology a science?

Question 1

What are the features of a science

Answer 1

Objectivity, falsifiability, hypothesis testing, reliability, accurate measurement

Question 2

What do positivists Comte and Durkheim think of this?

Answer 2

If you can understand the workings of society you can improve it. there are cause effect relationships in the social world not just the natural world and only science can uncover the social forces affecting behaviour.

They may have only wanted it so it could become more respected

Question 3

How did Durkheim apply this to his theory??

Answer 3

He used scientific methods through looking at a pattern, drawing conclusions of a cause and effect relationship for suicide.

Question 4

What is the interpretivist view on sociology as a science?

Answer 4

We shouldn’t attempt to be a science. Our ability to empathise helps us fully understand human behaviour making quantitative data too simplistic.

Question 5

What was Popper’s view of sociology as a science.

Answer 5

It doesn’t create testable hypothesis’ so it lack falsifiability. This hinders the growth of science as it claims to know absolute truth (Marxism)

Question 6

What was Kuhn’s view of sociology as a science?

Answer 6

He’s critical of all sciences as they work under a paradigm trying to prove their theories while disproving others. Science compares sociology to an unrealistic view of what a science is and however sociology an only be a science with a shared paradigm producing falsifiable hypothesises