Theory and Methods- Sociology and Science

Question 1

How do scientists collect data?

Answer 1

Through experiments, observation and measurement

Question 2

What does science value?

Answer 2

Objectivity

Question 3

What are scientific statements based on?

Answer 3

Evidence which has been collected using systematic, logical methods

Question 4

What do logical positivists believe?

Answer 4

That scientists go off in search of scientific laws

Question 5

How does research start according to positivists?

Answer 5

The researcher observes something and decides it needs to be explained

Question 6

How does the researcher explain the observed phenomenon according to positivists?

Answer 6

By thinking up a hypothesis

Question 7

How is the hypothesis tested? (Positivists)

Answer 7

By experiments

Question 8

What is verification?

Answer 8

If experiments agree with the hypothesis, then the hypothesis becomes a scientific law

Question 9

What does it mean that scientific laws are universal?

Answer 9

They explain all phenomena which are similar to the one which was observed in the first place

Question 10

What did Popper argue?

Answer 10

That experiments should try to prove the hypothesis wrong- ‘falsification’

Question 11

Why did Popper believe that it’s not possible to know the absolute truth?

Answer 11

Because you can’t prove things are correct

Question 12

Why has Popper’s view been criticised by later philosophers?

Answer 12

They point out that an experimental result might disagree with a hypothesis because of experimental error and silly mistakes

Question 13

What did Kuhn believe?

Answer 13

That science uses an accepted body of knowledge to solve puzzles

Question 14

What is a paradigm?

Answer 14

Scientists took a lot of assumptions about the world for granted and a paradigm is this assumed way of looking at the world

Question 15

What are scientists constrained by?

Answer 15

The paradigm they take for granted

Question 16

What is the scientific revolution?

Answer 16

Big leaps of scientific progress come about when evidence which doesn’t fit the paradigm builds up to the point where it can’t be ignored and scientists then come up with a new paradigm

Question 17

Why did Popper say that some sociological concepts weren’t scientific?

Answer 17

As they can’t be proved wrong and sociology could only be a science if it made hypotheses which could be falsified

Question 18

Why does Kuhn argue that sociology doesn’t count as a science?

Answer 18

Sociology doesn’t have a paradigm

Question 19

What are the features of objective knowledge? (3 points)

Answer 19

• The same no matter what your point of view is
• Provides facts that can be easily verified and falsified
• Value-free and no bias

Question 20

What are the features of subjective knowledge? (3 points)

Answer 20

• Depends on your point of view
• Give data that can’t be easily tested
• Requires interpretation

Question 21

Is sociology more or less subjective than the physical sciences?

Answer 21

More

Question 22

How does Lyotard view knowledge?

Answer 22

As something that people construct rather than discover

Question 23

What do positivists think sociology should be and do?

Answer 23

Scientific and analyse social facts

Question 24

How do positivists define social facts?

Answer 24

As things that can be directly observed and measured

Question 25

What do positivists claim about social facts?

Answer 25

They are external to the individual and constrain their behaviour

Question 26

What do positivists look for?

Answer 26

Correlations in data and cause and effect relationships

Question 27

What methods do positivists use?

Answer 27

Quantitative methods like questionnaires and official statistics which are objective and reliable

Question 28

What do interpretivists try to do?

Answer 28

To understand human behaviour from the point of view of the individual

Question 29

What methods do interpretivists use?

Answer 29

Qualitative methods to discover the meanings, motives and reasons behind human behaviour and social interaction

Question 30

What does Weber say?

Answer 30

That it’s important to use empathy to figure out why an individual is doing what they’re doing (Verstehen)

Question 31

What do realists believe?

Answer 31

That sociology can be scientific

Question 32

What is the study of closed systems?

Answer 32

Subjects like chemistry where the variables can be closely controlled and laboratory experiments can be done

Question 33

What is the study of open systems?

Answer 33

Subjects such as meteorology where the variables are difficult or impossible to control so scientists can’t make very accurate predictions and can’t easily test them experimentally

Question 34

What methods do realists use?

Answer 34

Qualitative and quantitative

Question 35

What do realists argue about science?

Answer 35

Science isn’t fundamentally defined by the collection and recording of observable data

Question 36

What do realists argue about sociology?

Answer 36

Sociology can’t be entirely value-free but researchers must try to collect and present data in a clear and neutral way