sociology is a science

• positivists

  • believe sociology is a science
  • it is possible to establish objective social facts by using scientific research methods
  • Doing so will bring us true, objective knowledge of the same type as that found in the natural sciences.
  • provide the basis for solving social problems and achieving progress.
  • patterns we observe can all be explained the same way as natural sciences
• positivist sociologists

  • comte
  • Durkheim
• positivists believe that reality exists outside and independently of the human mind:

  • Nature is made up of objective, observable, physical facts, such as rocks, cells, stars etc, which are external to our minds 
  • likewise, society is an objective factual reality – it is a real ‘thing’ made up of social facts that exists ‘out there’, independently of individuals,
• Durkheim - suicide rates

  • ‘real laws are discoverable’ that explain empirical (factual) patterns
  • discovered cause of suicide through official statistics - due to levels of integration and regulation of an individual
  • e.g suicide rates for protestants higher than Catholics - because Catholicism was more successful in integrating individuals.
  • claimed to have discovered a ‘real law’:
• induction/ inductive reasoning

  • involves accumulating data about the world through careful observation and measurement
  • trying to find evidence that supports a hypothesis
  • moves from specific observations to broad generalisations
• induction -> verificationism
• verificationism

  • proving theory to be true from all the observations we have accumulated (induction)
  • we can claim to have discovered the truth in the form of a general law
• induction

  1. observation
  2. observing a pattern
  3. developing a theory/ conclusion
• positivists and objectivity

  • believe we should be detached and objective
  • should not let subjective feelings, values, prejudices conduct their research
  • this is because in natural sciences, scientist's values and opinions make no difference to outcome of research
• positivists and research methods

  • employ quantitative methods that allow for maximum objectivity and detachment
  • e.g lab experiments, closed-ended questionnaires
  • also produce reliable data that can be peer reviewed by others
  • allow positivists to discover laws of cause and effect that determine behaviour
• keywords

  • objectivity
  • empirical evidence / patterns
  • social facts
  • quantitative data
  • value-free
  • inductive reasoning
  • verificationism
  • natural sciences
  • casual relationships
• Objective quantitative research

  • Positivists believe that as far as possible sociology should take the experimental method used in the natural sciences
  • this allows the investigator to test a hypothesis in the most systematic and controlled way. 
  • experiments involve examining each possible causal factor to observe its effect
• hypothesis

  a statement such as ‘A causes B’.
• induction / verification process

  observation -> finding patterns -> creating theory -> verifying theory
• criticism of Durkheim

  • had values in choosing topic of suicide - friend had died from suicide
  • difficult to operationalise concepts such as social cohesion and social control (difficult to measure)
• criticisms

  • scientists are actually influenced by values - allowing them to be influenced by external factors such as companies employing them to prove their product is effective
  • scientists may want to further their own careers and this may involve pursuing particular areas - therefore adding values and subsequently not always objective