sociology and science Flashcards
why can and should sociology be a science?
- positivists
- objectivity
- paradigm shifts
- can be falsified
why can’t and shouldn’t sociology be a science?
- interpretivists
- committed sociologists
- paradigms
- falsification
positivists (science)
Durkheim and other positivists want sociology to be perceived and follow the same structure as natural sciences
sociology can gain true, objective knowledge similar to natural sciences
can use this objective data to help solve social problems and achieve progress
Durkheim - stats - suicide
therefore, sociology can and should be a science because using scientific methods will allow objective data to be found
interpretivists (science)
scientific research methods are inappropriate to study society - not all social issues can fit in a lab
sociologists should seek to gain verstehen and qualitative data
Douglas - suicide - notes - understanding
therefore, sociology cannot and should not be a science because researchers should aim to gain detailed and in-depth data.
objectivity
positivists value objectivity and keeping opinions out of research
sociologists should be value free so that data that they find is high in validity and not clouded by subjective opinions.
if impose values - research is tainted by bias and opinion
therefore, sociology can and should be a science because it ensures all research is factual
committed sociologists (science)
Gouldner - committed to discipline
sociologists should openly ‘take sides’ and advocate for the values and interests for certain social groups e.g. working class, women, ems etc - should implement their values
feminists agree and think that sociologists should openly be on the sides of women so that they have a voice in a patriarchal society.
emphasising with these participants allows verstehen
therefore, sociology cannot and should not be a science because researchers need to emphasises with participants
paradigm shifts
a paradigm shifts is when there has been movement away from a shared set of assumptions - when confidence in a paradigm declines, scientists seek for new answers
in sociology a paradigm shift has occurred - functionalists and marxists agreed that we were in a modern society but a new theory of sociologists emerged and argued that we have moved away from modernity - indicating that a paradigm shift has occurred
therefore, sociology can and should be a science because just like natural sciences, it has had a paradigm shift
paradigms
a paradigm is a shared set of assumptions that people in a same discipline hold
e.g. in biology, photosynthesis
kuhn - to be a science there needs to be a shared paradigm otherwise there would just be rivalry
sociology does not have a paradigm as it is made up of theories that compete with eachother
therefore, sociology cannot and should not be a science because it doesn’t have a paradigm or a shared set of assumptions
can be falsified
some aspects and theories can be put to the test and proven
e.g. feminists and left realists criticise new right for their assumption that single parent families lead to a life of crime and have proved this theory wrong
therefore, sociology can and should be a science because some areas can be tested and falsified just like natural sciences
falsification
popper - falsification is what makes science unique - a scientific statement can be put to the test and proven wrong
this cannot happen in sociology because it consists of theories and therefore can’t be put to the test and falsified
e.g. Marc predicts that a revolution will occur whereby there will be a classless society, however he also states that this has not happened because the proletariat face a false class consciousness - his prediction cannot be falsified as if there is a revolution he will be correct and if there doesn’t, he will still be correct
therefore, sociology cannot and should not be a science because theories can’t be tested and falsified
