WEEK 1- L1.2 philosophy of social science | positivism, scientific realism, interpretivism Flashcards

1
Q

what’s ontology?

A

discusses the nature of the social world, if there’s a reality independent of the observer

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2
Q

what’s epistemology?

A

what can we know about social phonomena

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3
Q

what’s methodology?

A

how do we gain and obtain knowledge

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4
Q

what’s positivism?

A

search for the truth through systematic collection of observable facts

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5
Q

who’s a proponent of positivism?

A

august compte- father of sociology

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6
Q

different positions of positivism? (3)

A
  1. classical positivism
  2. logical positivism
  3. falsification (popper)
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7
Q

what’s classical positivism?

A

assumes that the social sciences are equivalent to the natural sciences

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8
Q

what are the basic tenants of classical positivism?

A
  1. naturalism: social sciences= natural sciences
  2. empiricism: knowledge of the world is limited to sensory experience
  3. laws: social world is subject to regular and systematic processes; laws are explanatory and predictive
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8
Q

basic tenants of classical positivism? (4)

A
  1. naturalism: social sciences= natural sciences
  2. empiricism: knowledge of the world is limited to sensory experience
  3. laws: social world is subject to regular and systematic processes; laws are explanatory and predictive
    empirical observations are enough to establish a causal r.ship- no need for underlying reasons
  4. science is objective and value free
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9
Q

what approach is positivism based on?

A

induction
observation => theory

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10
Q

what’s logical positivism?

A

empiricism isn’t the only source of knowledge

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11
Q

what approach is logical positivism based on?

A

deduction
theory => observation

retroduction
<=> observation

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12
Q

basic tenants of logical positivism

A
  1. empiricism + logical reasoning
    a. deduction, retroduction, verification
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13
Q

critique of logical positivism by karl popper

A
  1. rejection of induction: observations can’t justify universal claims
  2. rejection of verifiability: attempting to prove right isn’t useful, one exception and theory is gone
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14
Q

critique of logical positivism by karl popper

A
  1. rejection of induction: observations can’t justify universal claims
  2. rejection of verifiability: attempting to prove right isn’t useful, one exception and theory is gone
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15
Q

what does karl popper suggest a goal of a research should be?

A

to falsify a theory

16
Q

who founded the deductive nomological model?

A

carl gustav hempel

17
Q

what’s hempel’s deductive nomological model?

A

an observed phenomenon is explained if it can be deduced from a universal law-like generalization
- law expresses necessary connection between properties, accidental generalization doesn’t

18
Q

what’s the hypothetico deductive model?

A

confirms that a generalization is a law by treating the generalization as a hypothesis
testing the ability of law to predict events
law => hypothesis => explicit processes

19
Q

what are the two conclusion options for hypothetico deductive model?

A
  1. prediction correct- hypothesis corroborated
  2. prediction incorrect- hypothesis falsified
20
Q

what’s the similarities btw positivism and scientific realism? (2)

A
  1. social and natural worlds are similar
  2. objective reality exist
21
Q

what’s the key difference btw positivism and scientific realism? (4)

A
  1. scientific realism says that reality can consist of
  2. unobservable elements too - like structural relationships
  3. assesment by observable consequences
  4. causal mechanisms instead of lawlike generalizations
  5. best theory is the one that explains phenomena the best
22
Q

what are some examples of mechanisms- scientific realism ? (charles tilly) (3)

A
  1. environmental: externally generated influences on conditions affecting social life
  2. cognitive: operate through alterations of individual and collective perceptions
  3. relational: alter connections among people, groups, and interpersonal networks
23
Q

micro-level (individualism) ontology

A

the basic unit of society are individuals, and social phenomena are the combined results of individual actions

24
micro-level (individualism) methodology
explanations of social phenomena like classes ,or nations must be reducible to the characteristics of individuals
25
macro-level (holism) ontology
the whole of something is distinct from and not directly explicable in terms of its parts. social facts have social causes that are irreducible to facts about individuals
25
macro-level (holism) ontology
the whole of something is distinct from and not directly explicable in terms of its parts. social facts have social causes that are irreducible to facts about individuals
26
macro-level (holism) methodology
the properties of a system as a whole can't be deduced by the properties of its components alone. the system as a whole determines how the parts behave. each social entity (group, institution, society) has a totality that's distinct
27
coleman's bathtub
macro conditions lead to macro outcomes. however, to fully grasp the mechanisms, we should look at how a macro condition leads to a micro condition that leads to a micro outcome, which leads to a macro outcome.
28
what's the logic behind coleman's bathtub?
combines structural effects on the macro level with agency/ actors at the micro level
29
differences between positivism and interpretivism?
social world and natural worlds are fundamentally different, so they require different methods
30
why do interpretivists think that the social world is different?
subjectively created understanding human behaviour by interpretation of meaning of social behaviour (socially and discursively constructed) examples: hermeneutics, critical theory, constructivism, post colonialism, feminism
31
abduction is related to the (...) approach
scientific realism
32
abductive reasoning
starts with an observation and then seeks the simplest and most likely conclusion from the observations.