realism and science

• similarities between sociology and science

  keat + urry - science and sociology share similarities because they both study systems, but there are differences in ~

  • closed systems - researchers can control and measure all relevant variables to make precise predictions
  • open systems - the researcher has less control over variables so can make predictions, even if they aren't as precise

  sociologists study open systems which are too complex to make precise predictions
• underlying structures

  keat + urry - science isn't necessarily purely concerned with observable processes, and often assumes the existence of things that can't be observed eg. physicists can't directly observe inside a black hole

  • this means interpretivists are correct and sociology may be able to be scientific
  • both natural and social sciences explain causes of events with underlying causes and structures that we can work out by observing their effects

  this means a lot of sociology can be scientific, just without controlled closed experiments