Theory and debates Flashcards
1
Q
positivists - is sociology a science?
A
- it’s a natural science that should use quantitative methods
- researchers should be detached and objective
- they should seek to discover laws of cause and effect
- verificationism - explains observation, when observing an event it will occur every time - verifies the theory
2
Q
Durkheim study as a positivist
A
- found protestant suicide rates higher than catholics
- this was caused by social facts rather than motives of the individual
- believed catholics were better at integrating individuals into their community
- this was a ‘real law’ that levels of integration lead to different suicide rates
3
Q
interpretivists - is sociology a science?
A
- sociology is about unobservable individual meanings
- natural sciences’ subject matter has no consciousness or choice but sociology’s does
- they prefer qualitative methods whcih are hgih in validity and rich in data
- there is only a causal relationship with human behaviour but we shouldn’t have definitive hypothesis before the research
- verstehen - empathetic understanding to grasp meaning
4
Q
Douglas - evaluation of positivists - is sociology a science?
A
- when studying suicide, the meaning behind the acts should be uncovered
5
Q
Atkinson - evaluation of positivists - is sociology a science?
A
official statistics are socially constructed so we cannot know the true rate of suicide - people’s interpretations of others’ deaths construct the stats
6
Q
postmodernists - is sociology a science?
A
science is only one explanation for society and doesn’t have the monopoly on the whole truth
7
Q
Popper - is sociology a science?
A
- knowledge is temporary, provisional and capable of being refuted
- the fallacy of inductive reasoning - reject the view that facts can be made by observation - doesn’t prove things are right
- falsification - a good theory withstands attempts to be falsified, is bold and makes wide generalisation so it’s at greater risk of being falsified
- sociology cannot be tested with possibility of being falsified
- science is an open system that’s open to criticism and falsifiability allowing it to grow
- much of sociology is unscientific as its theories cannot be falsified
8
Q
Kuhn - is sociology a science?
A
- paradigm - set of norms shared by a scientific community that define what their science is
- contrary findings cause a paradigm shift after a period of crisis
- sociology is pre-paradigmatic and therefore pre-scientific and divided into competing perspectives
9
Q
postmodernists - evaluation of Kuhn - is sociology a science?
A
- a paradigm isn’t desirable in sociology, it would be a dominating view of what reality is
10
Q
Keats and Urry - is sociology a science?
A
- realists
- closed system - all variables controlled for precise predictions in lab environment
- open system - all variables cannot be controlled
- sociologists study open systems where processes are too complex to make precise predictions
- science is also concerned with unobservable events and structures eg. black holes
- both sociology and natural sciences attempt to explain the cause of events through underlying structures and processes
- sociology can be scientific
11
Q
Weber view on value freedom
A
- there is a distinction between judgement and facts and we cannot obtain one from the other
- facts do not logically compel us to accepts value and a value cannot be proved or disproved by facts
- values have an essential role in the research process:
- they are a guide to what we research
- data collection and hypothesis testing should be as objective and unbiased as possible
- they should be used in the interpretation of data and be set in a theoretical framework
- sociologists should not dodge moral and political issues their work raises
12
Q
criticism of Weber view on value freedom
A
- values of those providing the funds or the sociologists career interests can influence research topics rather than the sociologists own personal values
13
Q
Gouldner - value freedom
A
- if we don’t interpret or carry out research using our own values, we become ‘spiritless technicians’ - disconnected from real world inequalities and injustices
- these people often align with powerful institutions and and fail to recognise the broader dimensions of society
- we must recognise social context and challenge existing power structures
- value-free sociology to gain scientific credibility is used to enhance social positions of professional researchers
- values are inevitable in research and should be declared
14
Q
Oakley - value freedom
A
- there is a male focus in sociological research, reducing women to a side issue
- sociology claims to put forward a detached and impartial view of the world but represents the perspective of men
- some believe this can be corrected by carrying out more studies on women, some believe we need a sociology for women by women concerned with developing knowledge specifically by and about women
15
Q
Lyotard view on value freedom
A
- the whole process of sociological and scientific thinking is based on values about the nature of society
- the rational thinking approach based on verifiable evidence can be disputed
- the scientific approach is just one of the many ways to understand society, which is also based on a set of values and the researcher bases their process on these values
16
Q
Marsland - value freedom
A
- sociology exaggerates the defects of capitalism and ignores its benefits
- sociologists neglect their responsibility for objective descriptions and instead influence people with biased analyses of Britain
- there is a ‘bias against business’ where sociology ignores positive features of capitalism and concentrates on job dissatisfaction and alienation
- The view on work is always negative and focuses on inequality and exploitation while ignoring high levels of job satisfaction identified by empirical research
17
Q
Becker view on value freedom
A
- sociologists should sympathies with the underdog in society - those labelled as deviants by agencies of social control
- research should give a voice to those frequently marginalised
- values enable sociologists to empathise with the powerless in society in order to further social change in a positive direction towards equality
18
Q
Worsley - social/sociological problem
A
- social problem - piece of behaviour causing public friction or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it eg. educational underachievement, poverty
- sociological problem - pattern or relationship that needs an explanation eg. why people commit crime
19
Q
comte - view on sociology and social policy
A
- sociology is a practical subject that should be applied to wider society
- It provides ideas to reinforce social order and direct social progress
- purpose of sociology - ‘to know, in order to predict, in order to control’
20
Q
Durkheim - view on sociology and social policy
A
- sociology restored social order and strengthened social integration after political upheaval and breakdown of value consensus after industrialisation
- sociology shows need for new moral order in industrial society where people should be bound together by a sense of duty and obligation to the community
21
Q
Marx - view on sociology and social policy
A
- sociologists should work to overthrow the governments and replace them with communist societies
- sociology should inspire and direct WC movements
- eg. Marxism provided direction for establishment of communist state after Russian revolution in 1917
22
Q
Donnison - view on sociology and social policy
A
Social policy is shaped by 2 things
Changes in society:
- Eg. after the war, people have made great sacrifices and aren’t prepared to accept their old status - caused the expansion of social services after WW1 - The Beveridge report’s recommendations were put into effect leading to the modern welfare state
Growth in knowledge:
- Eg. 19th century poverty was believed to be caused by lazy people who lacked moral fibre, then Rowntree found 28% York’s population were poor under his definition (insufficient food, fuel and clothing to maintain good health) - no evidence for individual blame - breadwinner’s wages too low for family
- influenced liberal governments to see poverty as a social rather than individual problem eg. minimum wage, Old age pensions act
23
Q
how do right wing political agendas shape social policy?
A
- governments use sociology when it suits them and when sociological research supports their politics
- Thatcher and Major - did not like sociology but were influenced by New Right like Marsland and Murray
- they blamed the welfare state for creating a dependency culture where those at the bottom of the class structure became dependent on welfare benefits - lost initiative and individual responsibility
- attempted to end this by reducing welfare benefits and introducing Jobs Seekers Allowance
24
Q
how did New Labour shape social policy?
A
- Tony Blair was influenced by Giddens - ‘Third Way’
- Giddens argues social solidarity and social cohesion were very important - need active citizens concerned about their duties and obligations to the community as well as their rights
- saw it as the government’s job to promote a renewal of civil society - community based organisations with a sense of civic duty should be encouraged to strengthen social integration
- social exclusion - main threat to social order eg. ethnic minorities feel detached from society, won’t feel part of national community
- exclusion can be prevented for the poor by raising welfare benefits, improving health and education, providing opportunities to move out of poverty
- They set up the Social Exclusion Unit - ensures all policies (health, education, poverty, crime, urban renewal) are part of a coordinated solution to deal with social exclusion
- minimum wage, increased Child benefit allowances, development of childcare centres
25
Q
what policies did New Labour set up to tackle social exclusion?
A
- They set up the Social Exclusion Unit - ensures all policies (health, education, poverty, crime, urban renewal) are part of a coordinated solution to deal with social exclusion
- minimum wage, increased Child benefit allowances, development of childcare centres
- The New Deal - offered education and training for 18-24 yr olds who had been out of work longer than 6 months - gave direction and support while emphasising duties of citizenship
