Soc as a science Flashcards
Who is considered one of the earliest Positivist thinkers in Sociology?
Auguste Comte
Comte deemed sociology as a scientific way of studying the social world.
What do Positivists believe about sociology?
Sociology should take experimental methods from natural sciences as a model for research
This allows for systematic and controlled testing of hypotheses.
What type of reasoning do Positivists believe sociological research should undergo?
Inductive reasoning
This involves accumulating data and patterns in research.
What is ‘verificationism’ in the context of Positivist sociology?
Verifying the theory when there is enough data to prove it
This process follows inductive reasoning.
What term does Lukes use to describe the outcome of Positivist research?
‘Social Facts’
These are likened to scientific facts.
In Durkheim’s study on suicide, what was identified as a ‘social fact’?
Moral regulation (religious belief) impacting social integration
This was measured through suicide rates.
What methods do Positivists advocate for in sociological research?
Objective experimental methods
These methods are intended to produce reliable results.
What is the stance of Interpretivism regarding sociology as a science?
No, sociology cannot be a science
Interpretivists argue that social phenomena cannot be studied like scientific objects.
Which sociological theories use interpretivist methods?
Interactionist theories and Feminist theories
They emphasize the subjective experience of individuals.
Fill in the blank: Positivists believe that sociology should take the experimental methods used in the _______ as a model for research.
natural sciences
True or False: Positivists believe that cause and effect relationships can be established in sociology.
True
What is interpretivism in sociology?
Interpretivism is the view that sociology cannot be a science because it studies people who have consciousness and construct meanings in their lives
Interpretivism contrasts with positivism, which treats social phenomena as objects of scientific study.
Why do feminists adopt an interpretivist approach?
Feminists believe that women cannot be studied like scientific objects
This perspective emphasizes the unique experiences and contexts of women.
What is the term used for understanding the individual meanings attached to behavior?
Verstehen
Verstehen refers to putting oneself in the position of the social actor to understand their actions.
What are subjective research methods?
Subjective research methods are techniques that produce insights into the meanings individuals attach to their experiences
Examples include interviews, open-ended surveys, and participant observation.
What is the main argument of Popper regarding science?
Popper argues that science relies on falsification, which means theories must be testable and potentially disprovable
This contrasts with verification, where a theory is accepted if it cannot be disproven.
Why is sociology considered not a science according to Popper?
Sociology cannot be falsified due to the presence of unfalsifiable theories, such as Marxism’s claim about the working class
The concept of ‘false-class consciousness’ is an example of a get-out clause that prevents falsification.
What does Popper say about inductive reasoning?
Popper claims inductive reasoning is a myth, as true knowledge cannot be established merely by repeated observations
He uses the example of observing swans to illustrate that one black swan can disprove the theory that all swans are white.
Fill in the blank: Sociology could be a science if it allowed for theories to be _______.
falsified
This would enable sociology to adopt a scientific approach similar to that of the natural sciences.
What criticism does Popper have regarding the acceptance of theories in sociology?
Popper criticizes that many sociological theories are unfalsifiable and therefore cannot be scientifically validated
This leads to a lack of rigorous testing and refinement of sociological theories.
Who talks about paradigms
Kuhn
what does kuhn suggest
Believes that sociology is not a science yet because there is not an agreed upon paradigm that all sociologists work from
what’s is a paradigm
a framework of assumptions
