Sociology, science and common sense Flashcards
common sense definition
understandings and interpretations of everyday life
how does sociology use common sense?
sees it as a starting point. they have a shared subject matter
weaknesses of common sense
-narrow/limited view based on assumption
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-too involved in everyday life to detach themselves and take another perspective
example of common sense as the base of sociology
queue waiting
Berger talks about the ‘first wisdom of sociology’
‘things are not what they seem’
how does sociology work?
sociologists review systematic evidence, conceive, design and conduct the research. then open the results to scrutiny. use cross-cultural and historical comparisons
features of a science
- causal explanation
- hypothesis testing
- verification
Positivists view of science
test observable evidence against a theory
do positivist view sociology as a science?
YES
criticism of sociology as a science
- putting people in a controlled setting is unhelpful
- cannot quantify results
Kuhn (1962) how do paradigms work?
- science at any given point in time is dominated by a specific paradigm
- accumulated knowledge supports the paradigm, but anomalies are found. i
- if these anomalies mount, a crisis stage is reached…could lead to revolution
- reigning paradigm would be overthrown and a new one takes its place
paradigm definition is elusive
Kuhn uses the term in different ways
what was wrong with Kuhn’s first definition of paradigm?
too broad so is inappropriate and made science appear irrational
problem of paradigms being a political phenomenon
one paradigm wins out over another because its supporters have more power than those who support competing paradigms, not necessarily because their paradigm is better. supporters of one paradigm make little effort to understand competing paradigms.
how does kuhn respond to critics over competing paradigms?
one paradigm wins over another for good reasons including accuracy, scope, simplicity etc
how does Frieddrichs (1970) criticise Kuhn’s description of a paradigm?
examines the subject matter of sociology and labels almost every theory as a paradigm, or would-be paradigm
Blau (1960) differentiated between two basic types of social facts
1) social structures
2) institutions
how do functionalists such as merton view sociology?
objects can be subjected to structurral functional analusis and must represent a standardised item (pattern/repetitive) =sociology is a science
how does conflict theorist like Dahrendorf view sociology?
opposite to functionalism. at every point society is subject to change. authority doesn’t reside in people but in positions. social facts are paradigms and sociology is a science
what are social fascists?
-rely on questionnaire/interview method
social behaviourists fall into 4 groups:
- action theor
- ethnomethodology
- phenomenology
- symbolic interactionists
how do social behaviourists study sociology?
interview/questionnaire. would be better suited to use observation but can only deduce not know for certain
intergrated sociological paradigm is needed
kuhn thought sociology could make progress when they ‘achieve consensus about their past and present accomplishments’
hermeneutics defintition
SOCIOLOGY IS NOT A SCIENCE
theory arguing for the importance of meaning in gaining understanding of human behaviour (like interpretivisim)
positivism defintion
SOCIOLOGY IS A SCIENCE
the theoory that sociology should use methodologies of the natural science, including measurements and quantifications of observable phenomena
sociology isn’t a science but is scientific
it is based on common sense understanding but uses scientific methods to investigate and understand
