Three Approaches to Science in Sociology PDF

Three approaches to science in sociology We will look at how sociologists use science to understand social phenomena No consensus in sociology on what science is or should be We'll consider three different approaches to science, all of which claim to be scientific: Positivist, inter...

Three approaches to science in sociology We will look at how sociologists use science to understand social phenomena No consensus in sociology on what science is or should be We'll consider three different approaches to science, all of which claim to be scientific: Positivist, interpretive (or interactionist), and critical (or conflict) positions  Three approaches to science in sociology These three approaches are paradigms What is a paradigm? A paradigm is a set of assumptions and beliefs that affect how we understand things Paradigms often involve unstated assumptions, things that the researcher takes for granted We’re going to make those assumptions explicit  Positivist social science Most famous approach Foundations in the work of Auguste Comte (1798-1857) and others  Positivist social science Anyone know of any words coined by Comte? Comte coined the terms sociology and altruism What does “altruism” mean?  Another key figure in early positivism: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) His work still widely respected and relevant  Positivist social science Many sociologists today are positivists Positivists likely to use experiments, surveys and statistics “Quantitative” approach  Positivism: to understand society, we must use the same methods used in the natural sciences What are the natural sciences? Physics, chemistry, biology, and so on Positivists assume all the sciences, including the social sciences, share common principles and logic  To understand positivism, let's consider how positivists would answer a series of seven questions Socratic method After whom was the Socratic method named?  Question 1 Q1: Why should one conduct social scientific research? This is an existential question Positivist answer: to EXPLAIN social phenomena The aim of science should be to acquire knowledge They believe that acquiring knowledge is an end in itself  Research designed to explain things: “basic” research Versus “applied” research, designed to solve a particular problem – E.g., how to improve reading comprehension among third graders, how to reduce racism, etc.  What's the best way to acquire knowledge or explain social phenomena? Positivists: Discover the NATURAL LAWS that govern them They are very interested in scientific "laws" or general principles  These principles are general in that they can be applied to large numbers of people Let's say a positivist is doing a study of domestic violence They would try to come up with some general principles that explain why domestic violence occurs  Can anyone think of a general principle that might explain why domestic violence occurs? ____________________--> domestic violence We normally derive predictions or hypotheses from these sorts of laws in order to test them Can you think of a prediction or hypothesis that can be derived from this law? How could we test that prediction?  In-class exercise To be done in small groups: Come up with a different general law or principle that can explain domestic violence Then produce a specific prediction or hypothesis that follows from it that can be used to test the law or principle