Sociology as a science Flashcards
Which two methods should be considered when looking at the debate of soc as a science?
Positivism and Interpretivism
Which positivist looks at scientific knowledge?
Karl Popper
How did popper distinguish between the two?
Defined scientific knowledge as that which can be ‘falsified’
> what knowledge or scientific facts are created today may be disproven tomorrow
What did Popper want to do?
Distinguish the difference between the common sense and religious knowledge with that of scientific knowledge
What does falsification mean for scientific knowledge?
All scientific knowledge is only temporary, those that can withstand vigorous falsification will be a lot closer to the truth
- can only occur when precise predictions are made
Who defines scientific methods by paradigms and scientific revolution?
Kuhn
What do paradigms do?
Forms the framework in which all future scientific research is conducted, a blueprint in which to hold methods and research against
- any info or data from outside of it will be dismissed until there’s too much to ignore leading to a scientific revolution
What does Kuhn’s approach assume?
Sociology is pre-scientific as there’s many paradigms that shape the interest of the research
EG: Marxism, functionalism and feminism
- not desirable for soc to reach this goal as its the debate between such perspectives that forms the foundations of what’s soc
Why is Kuhn criticised?
Anderson and 2 others argue he underestimates the disagreement which occurs between scientists and question Kuhn’s relevance to sociology
What did Durkheim do?
Published Le suicide in 1897
- presented a sociological study of suicide, concluded suicide can have origins in social causes
- shown individuals aren’t 100% free, patterns of behavior can be predicted thus studied as a science
What were the typologies of suicide?
- Anomic
- Altruistic
- Egoistic
- Fatalistic
What is meant by Anomic suicide?
An extreme response by a person experiencing anomie
- sense of disconnection and a feeling of not belonging resulting from weakened social cohesion
When does altruistic suicide occur?
When people are so strongly integrated into social experiences and society itself that they will commit suicide in an effort to achieve collective goals
What is meant by altruistic suicide?
Often a result of excessive regulation of individual by social forces that a person may be moved to suicide for the benefit of a cause or for society at large
EG: Japanese kamikaze pilots of WW2
When does anomic suicide occur?
During periods of serious social, economic or political upheaval resulting in quick and extreme changes to society and everyday life
What is meant by egoistic suicide?
A profound response executed by people who feel totally detached from society
- people are typically integrated into society by work roles, family ties, community and other social roles
- when these roles are weakened through retirement or loss of family and friends, the likelihood of egoistic suicide increases
What is meant by fatalistic suicide?
Occurs under conditions of extreme social regulation resulting in oppressive conditions and a denial of the self and of agency
- a person may elect to die rather than continuing to endure oppression
Who looked at logics?
Kaplan
What did Kaplan do?
Distinguished between reconstructed logics and logics in use
- reconstructed logics are the methods in which scientists claim to be using
- Logics in use are the actual methods used
Who supports Kaplans point?
Michael Lynch
What did michael lynch do?
Observed scientists studying rat brains
- They ignored slides that contradicted their theories, dismissing them as procedure errors
What does this point about logics mean for science?
Cannot obtain any objectivity and in practice is manifested by careful selection of which data confirms their theories
> even scientists cannot be objective
How does the interpretivist approach affect the method they use?
Use qualitative methods as they provide greater, in depth info about the meaning such actors create on their behavior
What are the different branches to interpretivist thought?
- Weber
- Symbolic interactionism
- Phenomenology
- Ethnomethodology
What is the interpretivist approach to sociology as a science?
Sociology isnt a science, very different from natural science
- sociologists study human beings which move and think freely compared to scientists that study inanimate objects
Why is verstehen key according to weber?
- Helps to uncover personal meanings and motives individuals give to their own actions
- Crucial to understanding how social structures changed over time
Whats weber’s view to sociology as a science?
Sees sociology as the study of social action
- Requires verstehen (empathy/understanding) to understand why people behave in particular ways
What’s an example of weber and verstehen?
In his study of The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
- attempted to understand why Calvinists reinvested their money and became early capitalists
What did weber believe?
Could make generalizations about types of motive people had and that these general motivations were influenced by the wider society
- half way between structure and action theory
What is phenomenology?
Studies the structures of conscious experience from a 1st person pov
- stems from idea that someones perception of reality is constructed
- requires a conscious mind
Who was the founder of phenomenology?
Edmund Husserl
What did Husserl argue?
To answer the question of how we can appreciate phenomena in the world, we need to understand the experience of consciousness
What’s a study for phenomenology?
Douglas studied concepts of suicide and found that there were different motivations for committing suicide
- suggests the purpose of comitting suicide is determined via conscious mind
What is an ethnomethodology based around?
- Society is considered a social construct on an individual basis - cannot be studied objectivity
- sociologist job to uncover the ‘rules’ in everyday interactions that people unknowingly use to construct their reality
Who talks about the etcetera principle?
Garfinkle
What is the etcetera principle?
Process by which information can be skipped over in conversations
What else does Garfinkle discuss?
The benefits a ‘shared identity’ brings to a conversation and the relative value of indexicality (ability to draw meaning from the context in which people are placed)
- verbal interaction (primary method) is a means of constructing your world
Who talks about indexicality?
Turner
How does Turner describe indexicality?
Hearer’s ability to make out what is meant from what is said
Whose study supports indexicality?
Atkinson’s study of coroner’s reports (suicide) supports the idea of indexicality as suicide were identification using the coroners own construction of reality
What do interactionists say?
Becker argues we should take the side of the underdog (criminals, mental patients etc)
- opposed to functionalists and positivists viewpoint of the powerful (police etc)
How does the interactionist viewpoint link to their methods used?
Often favour methods like Participant Observation due to identifying with the powerless
Who criticizes Becker?
Gouldner
What does Goulder say?
Criticizes romanticizing underdogs and instead takes a Marxist perspective
- argued that its not enough to describe the underdog’s life
- sociologists should be committed to ending their oppression
- shouldn’t be celebrating ‘the man on his back’, we should be supporting ‘the man fighting back’
What did Giddens develop as middle ground?
An approach that combines both structural (positivist) and social action (interpretivist)
- Called Structuration theory
What does Giddens recognise?
The influences that structures have on individuals whilst understanding the meanings in which they attach to them and their choice of accepting or rejecting an institution
- sociologists must understand the motivations/actions of individuals before understanding how structures exist
