SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

Question 1

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Answer 1

Objectivity
Value freedom
Inductive Approach
Quantitative methods
Predictions and Generalisations
Facts

Question 2

MAIN ARGUMENTS

Answer 2

SHOULD BE : Positivists, Realists

SHOULD NOT : Interpretivists, Feminists, Postmodernists

QUESTIONS NATURAL SCIENCES: Popper, Kuhn, Kaplan and Gomm

Question 3

POSITIVISM

Answer 3

Sociology meeting scientific criteria = using quantitative, scientific methods
E.g. Experiments, Official stats, Value free, Objective

DURHEIM = Le Suicide study

Question 4

REALISTS

Answer 4

SAYER = Science operates under open and closed systems
Open - Not all variables ctrl, can still predict effects of unseeable structures
Closed - Variables ctrl, predictions made based on evidence

SOCIOLOGY as open system

KEAT URRY = Science study unobservable structures, NOT empirically observed e.g. gravity
SIMILAR TO MARXISM = Capitalism unobserved as physical structure, can ‘see’ it’s effects

Question 5

INTERPRETIVISM

Answer 5

Sociology CANNOT meet science criteria, subject matter differences
Researchers = human beings w/values, experiences,beliefs = OBJECTIVITY IMPOSSIBLE

AIM for VERSTEHEN w/ experiences to interpret behaviour, NOT OBJECTIVITY

Question 6

FEMINIST

Answer 6

OBJECTIVE, SCIENTIFIC METHODS can’t explain womens experiences
POSITIVISM = Power to interviewer, women as participants w/ little ctrl

Example : 19th century, science supported ed of women = produce infertility

OAKELY = Unstructured interviews, research characteristics

Question 7

POSTMODERNIST

Answer 7

Sociology can’t predict/generalise due to diversity = CANNOT BE SCIENTIFIC

PROBLEMS W/ Science : Thalidomide scandal
Anything making claims ab phenomena = likely dismissal, less accept metanarratives

Question 8

Outline and explain 2 arguments for the view that sociology is a science