Topic 3:sociology and science Flashcards
why do positivist believe that sociology is a science?
positivist believe that “real laws are discoverable” sociologists can discover laws that determine how society works. this is known as “induction”- assuming data through observation and measurement. from this we can develop a theory. after many observations have verified the theory, we claim we have discovered the truth in the form of a general law. known as vertificationism.
what type of method do positivists prefer?
favour experimental methods as it it allows observing effects. Also use quantitative data this means that positivist seek to discover laws of cause and effect.
why do positivist believe that researchers should be detached and objective
as researches may “contaminate” the results
what did Durkheim find in his study of suicide to show how sociology is a science ?
he concluded that suicide patterns were social facts. discovered a law of “integation”
why do interpretivists believe that sociology is not a science?
- sociology is about observable internal meanings of actors involved, not external causes.
- science studies matter with no consciousness sociology studies people who do not have consciousness and meanings are internal
what does interpretivists Mead suggest about whether sociology is a science?
people have free will and can exercise choice. he argues that humans do not respond automatically, they choose how to respond to it e.g. red light. Humans are autonomous being who construct their world through meanings.
how do interpretivists believe that we discover the meanings people give to their actions?
-need to see the world from people’s viewpoint, this means abandoning detached. weber calls this verstehen (empathy).
what are the two types of interpretivism ?
interactionists and phenomologists
what do interactionists believe?
can have causal explanations but reject we need a definite hypothesis. Glasser and Strauss favour “bottom up” approach (grounded theory)
what do phenomenologists believe ?
that society is not a “real thing”, it only exists in people’s consciousness. no possibility of cause and effect.
why does interactionist Douglas reject the positivists idea of suicide
individuals have free will. rejects Durkheim’s use of quantitative data. there is no objective facts, but simply social constructions resulting from the way that coroners label deaths as suicide
why does interactionist Atkinson reject the positivists idea of suicide
agrees with a Douglas and argues that we never know the “real rate” of suicide the only thing we can study is how we classify death.
what do postmodernists suggest about science
science is dangerous, because it has a monopoly of truth and excludes other points of view. science can also lead to “risk society” e.g. nuclear weapons
what does Popper suggest about science?
rejects the view that science lies in inductive reasoning and vertificationism. In popper’s view, the main reason why we should reject vertifcationism is due to a “fallacy of induction” - moving from an observation to a general law
how did popper illustrate his point about “fallacy of induction”
can’t observe that all swans are white by observing them. never any proof that anything is true
