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Sociology Theory and Methods > Is sociology a science debate > Flashcards

Is sociology a science debate Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what are the 4 points of the debate?

A

-can
-should
-can’t
-shouldn’t

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2
Q

what does the word can mean?

A

possible, has the ability

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3
Q

what does the word can’t mean?

A

impossible, doesn’t have the ability

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4
Q

what does the word should mean?

A

desirable, want it to be

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5
Q

what does the word shouldn’t mean?

A

even if it could, it is not desirable

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6
Q

who said that sociology can and should be a science?

A

positivists

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7
Q

who said that sociology can’t and shouldn’t be a science?

A

interpretevists

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8
Q

what did positivists say in terms of being the cheerleaders of science?

A

we can create a ‘science of society’ to solve social problems and achieve progress in society.

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9
Q

what did Auguste Comte about society?

A

society is an objective, factual reality that can be measured, applying the same methods, logic and procedures

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10
Q

what are social facts according to Durkheim?

A

scientific laws about society, they are tested/proven

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11
Q

what is the AO2 for Durkheim’s support for sociology being a science?

A

Durkheim’s study on the official statistics on suicide patterns

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12
Q

what is the goal of sociology according to Durkheim and how does this link to science?

A

-use science to identify patterns
-predicting future events would guide social policies to cure social ills.

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13
Q

what is the evaluation of science being able to be a science?

A

-difficulties of studying people scientifically
-manipulating results and Hawthorne effect
-free-will, choice and consciousness
-people are unpredictable
-scientific settings are artificial
THEREFORE, it is impossible, sociology cannot be a science

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14
Q

what did Comte say about methods of science?

A

‘if we borrow the methods of science success will follow.’

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15
Q

what are the reasons as to why sociology should be a science in terms of modernity?

A

-science was respected
-people more likely to believe if considered a science, because science grew and became the source of truth
-technology made it easier for research and to spread ideas
-rational thinking and logic, people may believe sociological ways of thinking

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16
Q

what does sociology ensure?

A

-prestige
-authority
-status
-protection
-truth

17
Q

who disagrees that sociology should be a science?

A

feminists

18
Q

why do feminists believe that sociology should not be a science?

A

-science is male-dominated and patriarchal so they don’t want to use patriarchal methods/critical thinking
-research hierarchy, participants are used and discarded

19
Q

what do feminists want instead of scientific methods?

A

–use verstehen and rapport
-bring validity and understanding
-more flexible hierarchy

20
Q

what was the quote that Popper said, which supports that it can’t be a science?

A

‘there will always be one black swan around the corner.’

21
Q

what is verification and who seeks it?

A

WHAT= aim to find evidence to prove theory right, gain patterns that only support hypothesis
WHO= sociologists

22
Q

what is falsification and who seeks it?

A

WHAT= bombarded with challenges to prove them wrong, if it can’t be proven wrong, we can say it is right.
WHO= scientists

23
Q

what are paradigms?

A

shared and agreed set of beliefs, they become a norm that all scientists accept and adhere to.

24
Q

who came up with the idea of paradigms?

A

Kuhn

25
Q

why does sociology not have any paradigms?

A

too much disagreement
eg- structuralist vs action

26
Q

what is the analysis of sociology never being able to be a science?

A

-they would need a shared paradigm but this would never happen

27
Q

what did Popper say about sociology not being able to be a science?

A

change method of testing, abolish verification and replace with falsification

28
Q

what did Kuhn say about sociology not being able to be a science?

A

resole disagreements and overcome differences to create a unified paradigm

29
Q

who believes that sociology shouldn’t be a science?

A

Postmodernists

30
Q

what do postmodernists believe about science?

A

think of all the harm science can cause

31
Q

who is an example of a postmodernist who believe sociology shouldn’t be a science?

A

Anderson

32
Q

what are the two harms caused by science?

A

1- Military/Political harm - science used as a weapon
2- Medical harm - through medication usage or belief about health

33
Q

what are some examples of military/political harm?

A

-use of napalm
-nazi experiments
-nuclear weapons

34
Q

what are some examples of medical harm?

A

-morning sickness pill scandal
-Andrew Wakefield and MMR and autism, was found to be 100% a fraud

35
Q

why are scientific approaches dangerous according to postmodernists?

A

it claims monopoly of the truth (trust it and don’t challenge it)

Sociology Theory and Methods (8 decks)

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