Sociology and Science

Question 1

Who argues that sociology CAN and SHOULD be a science?

Answer 1

Positivists

Question 2

Who argues that sociology CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be a science?

Answer 2

Interpretivists

Question 3

What are the three reasons sociology CAN and SHOULD be a science?

Answer 3

Objectivity, Paradigm Shifts, Sociology can be falsified

Question 4

What are three reasons sociology CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be a science?

Answer 4

Committed sociology, paradigms, falsification

Question 5

Objectivity

Answer 5

Data should be objective and value free so it is not biased, leading to high validity

Question 6

Paradigm shifts

Answer 6

Paradigm shifts occur in science, for instance, people learning that the earth is round, similar to sociology with the idea of postmodernism

Question 7

Sociology can be falsified

Answer 7

Sociology can be proven wrong, just like science, such as marxist criticisms of functionalist ideas

Question 8

Committed sociology

Answer 8

Sociologists should impose their values for the ‘underdogs of society, such as femenists

Question 9

Paradigms

Answer 9

Sociologists all believe different things and critique each other, so it has no paradigm

Question 10

Falsification

Answer 10

Sociology cannot be falsified, for instance, marxists believe there will be a communist revolution but this won’t happen due to a false class consciousness