Theory And Methods

Question 1

Why is sociology a science

Answer 1

• it uses the same experimental methods that are also used in natural sciences
• it establishes a cause and effect relationship in research

Question 2

What is inductive reasoning

Answer 2

Accumulating patterns and data

Question 3

What is verificationism

Answer 3

Verifying the theory once there’s enough data to prove it

Question 4

Comte

Answer 4

Positive thinker who says sociology is a science

Question 5

Lukes

Answer 5

Scientific sociological research creates social facts (like scientific facts but with society)

Question 6

Why isn’t sociology a science

Answer 6

• we cannot see actions and interpretations through numbers
• feminists believe we shouldn’t study women like they’re objects
• humans are conscious beings who are too difficult to study in a lab

Question 7

What is verstehen

Answer 7

When we put ourselves into people’s shoes to understand their behaviour and the meanings behind it

Question 8

Popper - falsification

Answer 8

• falsification = disproving an argument
• if a scientific argument cannot be disproved, it is the best version of the truth
• we cannot falsify social facts so therefore sociology is not a science yet, as there can be an answer to every theory
• inductive reasoning is a myth because it is always dependent on things like place and time

Question 9

Kuhn - paradigms

Answer 9

• paradigm = a single framework/set of principles that we follow. For something to be scientific it must follow only one
• therefore sociology isn’t a science because it does not follow only one paradigm, and instead a meta narrative
• sociology could be scientific if it only followed one paradigm. For example only followed Marxism

Question 10

Realists - open and closed systems

Answer 10

• open system = all variables can’t be controlled
• closed system = the variables can be controlled
• society runs on an open system whereas science runs on a closed system so sociology can’t be a science yet
• however some cause and affect relationships can be seen but not fully

Question 11

Foucalt- is sociology a science

Answer 11

• why does it matter
• science is just another version of the truth, it is not objective so neither is sociology