Sociology as a science

• What do interpretivists argue about sociology and science?

  They are very different subjects.
• What does natural science study?

  Natural science studies matter without consciousness.
• How do people differ from matter according to sociology?

  People have consciousness and make choices.
• How do people construct their social world?

  By attaching meanings to their experiences.
• What is the purpose of sociology according to interpretivists?

  To uncover meanings.
• What method do interpretivists prefer to use?

  Qualitative methods and participant observation.
• What is 'verstehen' in sociology?

  Empathic understanding of people's meanings.
• Why do postmodernists reject natural science as a model for sociology?

  They see it as a meta-narrative, not truth.
• How do postmodernists view the scientific approach?

  As dangerous and a form of domination.
• What do poststructuralist feminists think about scientific feminist theory?

  It excludes other points of view.
• What does Popper's principle of falsification state?

  A statement is scientific if it can be disproved.
• What does Popper believe makes scientific knowledge unique?

  Its capacity for falsification and growth.
• How can the statement 'All swans are white' illustrate Popper's view?

  A black swan would falsify the theory.
• What does Kuhn mean by a scientific paradigm?

  A shared framework in a scientific community.
• What happens during a scientific crisis according to Kuhn?

  Too many anomalies lead to a new paradigm.
• What is 'normal science' in Kuhn's model?

  Problem-solving within an accepted paradigm.
• How does Kuhn's view differ from Popper's regarding the scientific community?

  Kuhn sees it as conformist and blinkered.
• What does realism highlight about sociology and natural science?

  Similarities in control over research variables.
• What are closed systems in research?

  Systems where all variables can be controlled.
• What are open systems in research?

  Systems where variables cannot be controlled.
• How do realists view the study of social class?

  As observable through its effects on life chances.
• What do positivists believe about reality?

  It exists independently of the human mind.
• What do positivists aim to discover through sociology?

  Laws that determine how society works.
• What methods do positivists prefer for research?

  Experimental methods and quantitative data.
• How does Durkheim's study on suicide exemplify positivism?

  It explains patterns through integration and regulation.
• What do interpretivists believe about sociology's methods?

  They are unsuitable for studying human beings.
• Why do interpretivists reject natural science methods?

  They focus on internal meanings, not external causes.
• What are the key differences between positivism and interpretivism in sociology?

  • Positivism seeks objective laws and patterns.
  • Interpretivism focuses on subjective meanings and experiences.
  • Positivists use quantitative methods; interpretivists prefer qualitative methods.
  • Positivism views sociology as a science; interpretivism does not.
• What are the implications of Kuhn's model for sociology?

  • Sociology is seen as pre-paradigmatic.
  • Competing perspectives exist (e.g., functionalism, Marxism).
  • Disagreements hinder the establishment of a unified science.
  • Postmodernists argue against a single paradigm.