Is Sociology a Science?

• Positivists


  Positivists believe human behaviour has a 'law-like' quality meaning it will happen again and again. They believe that these things can be proven and then observed repeatedly, called 'social facts'.

  • Durkheim's work on suicide

  Science is also on the basis of repeatedly testing and getting the same results, meaning that sociology is a science.
• Evaluating Positivism


  Atkinson studied suicides on the metro and underground and found that coroners had the power to decide if the death was a suicide, which they were aware of and took into account when making decisions. Science has observable facts whereas society only has interpretation.
• Falsification


  Popper argues that scientists have an obligation to perform 'good' research using the falsification method. A good 'science' would involve creating hypotheses that can be tested, and have the capacity to be proven wrong.
• Evaluating Falsification


  Postmodernists would view that it only reflects the researchers' ideas, not the reality of society, which is difficult to study.
• Kuhn


  Argues that sociology must be considered to be different to other sciences, due to the lack of a paradigm (a single world view or idea formed from prior knowledge). Social sciences have many world views meaning that sociology is not a science, and couldn't be as it would close down debate.
• Evaluating Kuhn


  Kaplan argues that scientists 'cheat' and make assumptions, and write up reports to reflect the scientific paradigm, leading to the 'social construction of science'.