science and sociology Flashcards
what is science
-hypothesis based on evidence and facts
what would posititivists say ab socio being a science
-it can be if it uses the methods of natural sciences
(bio,chem , physics)
-Quantitative- higher in reliability
what would interpretivitsts say ab socio being a science
-say cannot or shouldnt be bc humans have free will - cant control humans - free will(understanding) priortise validity
key features of when science emerged
-post industrial revolution (enlightenment period)
-comte, durk, marx - positivsts - writing in this period - trying to understand society in a positivist way
what does popper claim about science
uses a ‘hypo deductive method’
-draws up question or hypothesis
what are the 8 features popper mentions
-hypothesis formation, falsification, use of empirical evidence , replication, accumulation of evidence, prediction, theory formation, scrunity
what is hypothesis formation
-forming ideas of informed guesses about the possible cause of phenomena
what is falsification
-popper believed you should not alwyas try to prove a hypothesis correct you should try and falsify it
i.e prove it wrong
what is the swan example that popper suggests
-are all swans white?
-hypothesis that can be tested
-but cant be proven true
-theres always a possibility of a non white swan
-they can hunt for non white swans to falsify their theory rather than trying to prove it
what is use of empirical evidence
no hypothesis can be regarded as scientific hypothesis unless it capable of being falsidied (proven wrong)
by testing againist measurbale evidence from obs or exp
what is replication
-capable of being checked by other researchers who can repeat anf replicate the findings
whats accumulation of evidence
-scientific knowledge builds up overtime
-through constant hypothesis formation , falsification, testing of data and hypothesis formation until robust and accurate
whats prediction
-establishing cause and effect relationships rooted in evidence , precise predcitions of what will happen in same circumstances in future can be established
whats theory formation
- if hypotheses can be tested againist evidence and cant be show as false , predcition appears sound
-then hypo probs true -can become scientfic theory
whats scrutiny?
-scientific theory will be scurntinised by other scientists and stand only until new evidence comes along to prove exisitng one false
what is science to popper?
-capable of being falsified rather than verified
-a discipline that makes big generalisaitons and bold statements
-open to crticism and review and this leads to better scientific advances and theories
reasons for socio to be a science for popper
-capable of producing hypothesis which can be falsified
-makes big statement and generalisations
-open to critism e.g neo marx criticise marx
reasons for socio to not be a science for popper
-much of socio is unscientific cant be put to the test and falsified
marx predciction of revolution hasent happened but still could happen
how can popper be evaluated
-feryabend criticises popper for portraying scientific method as being cold and rational process
-he claims that in reality theres no logic in science as diff scientists follow their own rules e.g phsyics diff to biology in science
