Sociology and Science 10

Question 1

Sociology IS a science - positivism

Answer 1

Positivists argue that it is possible to apply the logic and methods of natural sciences to the study of society. It will create true, objective knowledge which we can then use to solve social problems. This is bc society exists outside and independently of the human mind ; society is an objective factual reality - it is made up of social facts that exist independently of individuals and these facts can be discovered through the application of scientific methods to society. Positivists use an inductive method for discovering social facts. they examine the data first, then create a theory out of it. This theory then needs to be verified and only then is it accepted as a social fact. this process is known as verificationism. these social facts and patterns can then be used to improve society

Question 2

Positivism (2)

Answer 2

favour the experimental method as it allows the researcher to test the hypothesis in the most systematic and controlled way. They also use quantitative data to uncover and measure patterns of behaviour and make precise statements about the rs between facts they are are researching.
Also believe that researchers should be detached and objective from their subject matter and not allow their personal values to interfere with the research. Durkheim studied suicide in order to show that socio is a science but also to show that even an act as personal as killing urself is socially determined. He used OS from several European countries and analysed them for patterns in suicide rates. He discovered that some groups had higher rates of suicide/ Durkheim concluded that therefore suicide is not a result of the motives of individuals, but rather its caused by social facts. He concluded that these forces are integration and regulation -too much or too little of either cases of suicide.

Question 3

Realism

Answer 3

relativists see little diff between natural science and Socio.
Keat and Urry point our similarities between them:
1. Open systems-are those where the research can not control and measure all the relevant variables.
2. Closed system- those where the research can control and measure all relevant variables
According to Relativism, Sociologists study open system where the processes are too complex to make predictions. They claim that natural scientists often assume the existence of unobservable structures. So if natural scientists can study unobservable phenomena then so can Sociologists.

Question 4

Interpretivism

Answer 4

argues that the scientific approach is inadequate and unsuitable for the study of human beings. The subject matter of Socio is meaningful social action which can only be understood through interpretation of the meanings individuals attach to their actions. Therefore, socio is not about observable social facts that affect human behaviour but about unobservable internal meanings. They claim that socio isnt a science bc science only deals w laws of cause and effect and not human beings who have consciousness and attach meanings to their actions. There are fundamental diff between socio and natural science. Natural science studies matters which has no consciossness. therefore its possible to explain its behaviour as a reaction to an external stimulus. whereas socio studies people who have consciousness and act on the meaning they attach to situations. they have free will and unlike the natural matter studied by scientists. Mead argues that individuals interpret the meaning and then chose how to respond to it

Question 5

according to interpretivism how do we understand human behaviour and what meyhods are favoured by interpretivists

Answer 5

through verstehen - by putting ourselves in the position of other - as this enables us to understand the meanings behind people’s actions. Interpretivists favour the use of methods such as PO, UN INT. personal docs, generate qual, valid data which gives subjective understanding of the actor’s meanings

Question 6

INTERPRETIVISM (3)

Answer 6

Douglas studied suicide using the Interp approach. He argued that suicide is not caused by external, social forces and to understand why people commit suicide, w need to understand the meanings hey attached to the act of killing themselves. Douglas is also critical of Durkheim’s claim that suicide statistics are a social fact. He argues they are a social construct created by the coroners and family members of the deceased. To study suicide , Douglas claims we have to use qual data e.g personal diaries

Question 7

postmodernism and poststructuralist Feminism

Answer 7

PM’s argue that socio is not a science. this is bc they argue natural sciences are meta-narratives they claim to have special, true knowledge, when in fact, their theories are just another view of the world as any other. For PM’s the scientific approach is dangerous bc it claims the monopoly of the truth and therefore exclude other points of view. therefore scientific socio makes false claims about the world, but can also be used to impose domination over society. Poststructuralist Feminism agree with PM . They claim that the attempt to create a single , scientific feminist theory is a form of domination as it covertly excludes many groups of women.

Question 8

Popper

Answer 8

much of socio is unscientific bc it consists of theories that can’t be falsified
disagree with P’s that science is based on the inductive method and verificationism,. He says these are based on fallacies.
All knowledge is temporary, it is only true until it is falsified

also argued that socio can be a science if its based on falsification . To do this, socio must use a testable hypothesis.