Is sociology a science?

• Do positivists believe sociology is a science?

  Yes - We can model sociology on the natural sciences, obtaining quantitative data. Inductionism and verificationism can establish observable patterns, the same as in natural
• Do Interpretivists believe sociology is a science?

  No - People are conscious so they are different from the natural world. Internal meanings govern people rather than external forces. We cannot see these internal forces, so sociology is not scientific
• Does Popper believe sociology is a science?

  We should use falsificationism rather than verificationism. Much of sociology is not scientific (some is however)
• Does Kuhn believe sociology is a science?

  Sociology is pre-paradigmatic, so cannot currently be considered a science
• Do Realists believe sociology is a science?

  They believe science and sociology are both open systems. Science is concerned with unobservable things (E.g., the black hole) so sociology can be scientific