Topic 1- Theory And Methods Flashcards
Who are modernists?
Marxists/ feminists/ functionalists
Who are conflict theorists?
Marxists and feminists
Who are structural theorists?
Marxists/ feminists/ functionalists
What is a macro approach and who takes this?
Macro approach is looking at society as a whole, look at large scale studies.
Functionalists, marxists, feminists
What is the micro approach and who uses it?
A bottom up approach, looks at individuals and their affect on structures. Interpretivists
Who says sociology is a science and who doesnt?
Positivists say sociology is a science
Interpretivists say it isnt
Popper, kuhn and realists say it isnt but it can be with some changes
How do positivists evidence sociology being a science?
Comte is one positivist thinker who agrees it is a science.
They believe that sociology should take the experimental methods used in natural sciences.
They believe sociology is something that has cause and effect.
They believe sociology should undergo inductive reasoning ( collecting data and patterns) and verificationism which is verifying theories when there is enough data
Why do interpretivists believe sociology cant be a science?
Feminists- believe women cant be studied like scientific objects
Sociology studied conscious people in which they attach meanings to the world internally, this means the only way to understand is through verstehen.
What does popper think about sociology not being a science but could be?
Popper- falsification
Science used falsification, disproving ideas and if they cant be disposed they are accepted as the best version of the truth at the moment.
Sociology cant be a science until it is falsified, popper states there are to many unfalsible theories to be a science.
We must falsify instead if verify ( find a counter example instead of finding enough evidence to accept)
What does kuhn think sbout sociology not being a science but could be?
Kuhn- paradigms
A paradigm provides a framework of assumptions, principles and methods within members of scientific community work. (Set of rules)
Sociology doesnt have this paradigm therefore cant be a science
What do realists say about sociology not being a science but could be
They believe there are open and closed systems to sociology.
Open system- researcher cant control all variables so accurate predictions cant be made
Closed system- researcher can control all variables so accurate hypothesis can be made
Sociology works mostly in a open system and needs to work in a closed system more.
Keat and urry- believe soc can study certain aspects of society scientifically but not all
What are meta narratives?
Post modernists-
Meta narrative- another story or version of truth people choose to believe.
Foucault- There is no objective reality, truth is relative to the individual as society is fragmented and theories are just meta narratives
