45 Questions
What did Durkheim aim to prove by studying suicide?
That sociology has a unique subject matter and can be a scientific discipline
According to interpretivists, what is the primary focus of sociology?
Understanding meaningful social action
How do interpretivists view the relationship between natural science and sociology?
Sociology studies conscious beings while natural sciences do not
What method did Weber suggest for understanding the meanings behind human actions?
Verstehen
What do interactionists prefer over having a definitive hypothesis before conducting research?
A bottom-up approach
How do phenomenologists and ethnomethodologists view society?
As shared meanings and knowledge among members
What was G.H. Mead's argument regarding human response to external stimuli?
Humans interpret the meaning of stimuli and choose their response
What methodology does Jack Douglas advocate for understanding the meanings behind suicide?
Qualitative data
How does Atkinson's view on the 'real rate' of suicide differ from Douglas's?
Atkinson claims we can never know for sure what the deceased's meanings were.
Why do postmodernists argue against the scientific approach in sociology?
They view it as a dangerous meta-narrative that claims monopoly of the truth.
What is a key criticism poststructuralist feminists have against a single, scientific feminist theory?
It excludes many female groups.
What fallacy does Karl Popper associate with inductive reasoning?
Verification
What is falsificationism according to Karl Popper?
The methodology of testing theories by attempting to refute them.
Which example does Karl Popper use to illustrate the fallacy of induction?
Swans
What, according to Popper, is the defining characteristic of scientific methods?
They are capable of being proven wrong
Which feature does NOT describe a good theory according to Popper?
It provides absolute truth
Why does Popper believe science grows rapidly?
Because it is a public activity open to criticism and scrutiny
What is a key reason Popper judges much of sociology as unscientific?
It often cannot be tested with the possibility of falsification
According to Kuhn, what is a paradigm?
A set of norms and methods shared by a scientific community
Which activity best describes 'Normal Science' as per Kuhn?
Engaging in puzzle solving within the existing paradigm
Why does Kuhn argue that a science cannot exist without a shared paradigm?
Because it prevents the creation of rival schools of thought
What is the biggest advantage of a paradigm according to Kuhn?
It allows scientists to agree on the basics of a subject.
How does Kuhn describe scientific revolutions?
As processes similar to religious conversions.
According to the content, when can sociology become a science?
When it resolves basic disagreements.
What do realists believe about the nature of systems sociologists study?
Sociologists study open systems, making exact predictions difficult.
What does Kuhn believe is the primary activity of scientists within a paradigm?
Engaging in puzzle-solving work.
What is a key characteristic of closed systems as highlighted by Keat and Urry?
Researchers can control and measure relevant variables.
How do Kuhn's views of science contrast with Popper's?
Kuhn focuses on puzzle-solving within a paradigm, while Popper emphasizes falsification.
What type of system allows a researcher to control and measure relevant variables?
Closed systems
Which perspective argues that sociology studies open systems where precise predictions are difficult?
Realists
According to Keat and Urry, which of the following is NOT true about science?
Science is only concerned with observable phenomena
What term refers to making precise predictions in systems where researchers can control variables?
Closed systems
Which of the following best describes an open system as studied by sociologists?
A system where relevant variables can't be controlled
Realists argue that social science attempts to explain the causes of events through what?
Underlying structures and processes
According to Realists, what is a major difference between natural science and sociology?
Natural science can study closed systems under lab conditions
What concept disputes the idea that science is only concerned with observable phenomena?
Realism
For Durkheim, what are 'social facts'?
Social, external aspects greater than the individual
What does the term 'Verstehen' mean in sociology?
Putting oneself in someone else's shoes
What is a key belief of positivists regarding reality?
Reality exists outside and independently of the human mind.
What method do positivists primarily use to discover patterns in society?
Induction
Which sociologist studied suicide to demonstrate that sociology is a science with its own subject matter?
Émile Durkheim
What is the main goal of positivists when conducting research?
To discover general laws about how society works.
What type of data do positivists prefer to use in their research?
Quantitative data
What term is used to describe the positivist belief in confirming theories through repeated observations?
Verificationism
Which of the following is a feature of objective quantitative research according to positivists?
Researchers should be detached and objective.
Study Notes
Interpretivism in Sociology
- Interpretivists argue that the subject matter of sociology is meaningful social action, and they need to interpret meanings and motives to understand social behavior.
- They believe that there are unobservable internal meanings that influence individual behavior.
- Interpretivists reject the idea that sociology is a science, and they argue that natural science methods cannot be applied to sociology.
- They emphasize the difference between natural science and sociology, as humans have consciousness and make sense of their world by attaching meanings to it.
Verstehen and Qualitative Research
- Verstehen is a method used to discover the meanings people give to their actions, which involves seeing the world through their eyes.
- To understand the meanings, researchers must abandon detachment and objectivity and use qualitative methods, such as participant observation.
- This approach produces richer, more personal data, resulting in higher validity.
Types of Interpretivism
Interactionists
- Interactionists have casual explanations and reject the positivist view of having a definitive hypothesis before research.
- They prefer a "bottom-up" approach, where ideas emerge gradually from observations made during research, producing testable hypotheses after the research.
Phenomenologists and Ethnomethodologists
- They reject the possibility of causal explanations and take an anti-structuralist view, where society is not a real thing "out there" determining our actions.
- They believe that social reality is simply shared meaning/knowledge of members.
- Sociology can only consist of interpretive procedures.
Interpretivism and Suicide
- Jack Douglas (1967) rejects the positivist idea of external social facts determining behavior, and instead, emphasizes the importance of understanding the meanings for those involved in suicide.
- He proposes the use of qualitative data to reveal the actor's meanings.
Postmodernists, Feminism, and Scientific Sociology
- Postmodernists argue against scientific sociology, which they see as a meta-narrative that excludes other perspectives.
- They believe that the quest for a single, scientific feminist theory is a form of domination that excludes many female groups.
- They reject the idea that science is a desirable model for sociology.
What is Science?
- Interpretivists reject the positivist view of scientific sociology, but they agree with the description of natural sciences.
- Karl Popper argues that what makes science unique is falsificationism, which involves testing theories to prove them wrong.
- He believes that scientific knowledge is provisional and can be refuted at any moment.
Positivism
- Positivists believe that sociology can be a science, and they apply the logic and methods of natural sciences to the study of society.
- They believe that reality exists outside and independently of the human mind.
- They seek to discover laws that determine how society works, using induction and verificationism.
Falsificationism
- Falsificationism involves testing theories to prove them wrong.
- Good theories have two features: they are falsifiable and bold.
- For Popper, science is a public activity that thrives in open societies, where there is free expression and the right to challenge accepted ideas.
Implications for Sociology
- Popper believes that much of sociology is unscientific because it consists of theories that can't be put to the test.
- However, he believes that sociology can be scientific if it produces hypotheses that can be falsified.
Thomas Kuhn: Scientific Paradigm
- The paradigm is a shared framework of assumptions, principles, methods, and techniques that defines what a science is.
- In Kuhn's view, a science can't exist without a shared paradigm.
- Normal science involves puzzle-solving within a paradigm.
Scientific Revolutions
- Scientific revolutions occur when scientists gain results that conflict with the existing paradigm, leading to a decrease in confidence in that paradigm.
- This leads to debates about fundamental assumptions and eventually, the development of rival paradigms.
Implications for Sociology
- Sociology can only become a science if basic disagreements are resolved.
- Realists argue that sociology can be scientific, as it attempts to explain the causes of events in terms of underlying structures and processes.
- They believe that both natural and social science attempt to explain the causes of events in terms of underlying structures and processes.
Explore Emile Durkheim's study on suicide and its significance in establishing sociology as a scientific discipline. Learn how he used official statistics to prove social causes behind individual acts.
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