theories & methods- is soc a science

Question 1

Comte

Answer 1

early positivist thinker, sociology should use experimental methods used in natural sciences, systematic + controlled, cause + effect

Question 2

Inductive reasoning

Answer 2

accumulating data by giving explanations and identifying patterns to aid a hypothesis (think of conveyor belt)

Question 3

Verificationism

Answer 3

verifying theory when is enough data to prove it true

Question 4

Lukes

Answer 4

verificationism creates social facts (similar to scientific facts)

Question 5

Durkheim’s study of suicide social fact

Answer 5

moral regulation can impact social integration

Question 6

Feminism

Answer 6

women cannot be studied like scientific objects so they take an interactionist approach

Question 7

Interpretivists

Answer 7

soc not science, science studies unconscious things but soc studies humans and attaches meanings based on their consciousness, use verstehen to understand meanings of their experiences

Question 8

Popper’s falsification theory

Answer 8

soc is not a science because it cannot be falsified eg w/c not overthrown m/c yet because of false class consciousness

Question 9

Inductive reasoning as a myth example

Answer 9

if saw 9999 white swans could say swans are white by positivist standards but if saw 1 black one would disprove

Question 10

Kuhn & paradigms

Answer 10

science follows 1 paradigm which soc does not eg positivism and interpretivism

Question 11

Realists

Answer 11

soc is open system where variables can be controlled and accurate predictions can be made so can be science but not fully because can study underlying effects like marxism but not predict individual impact

Question 12

Foucalt and metanarratives

Answer 12

postmodern society fragmented so every viewpoint just metanarrative as truth is relative, another version of truth can choose to believe