Theory methods Lesson 1 How scientific should sociology

Theory & methods Lesson 1 How scientific should sociology be?

Starter • Read Getting you Thinking, p. 270 A • If you were suffering from a serious illness and you could choose between the treatment offered by your doctor (modern medicine) or that from an alternative practitioner, which would you choose?

Methodology Introduction

New words • Throughout the lesson, we will be using a lot of new vocabulary. • Take a sheet of coloured paper and write the title: ▫ Research methods: Key Terms

What is methodology? • All academic subjects must have a methodology ▫ Ways of producing and analysing data so that theories can be tested, accepted or rejected ▫ Otherwise, its just guesswork? ? ? ? ?

Is Sociology a science? • An area of disagreement in sociology is whether sociology should adopt the same methods (or similar methods to) those used in science. • Before we can think about this debate, we need to know: • WHAT IS A SCIENCE?

What is a science? • Write down all the words you can think of that you would associate with science.

Empirical • ‘knowable through our own senses’ • Information that can be counted or measured • 17 th Century – dominated by metaphysical explanations of the world (objects and powers exist beyond the physical world – magic, religion, astrology) • Locke argued against metaphysical explanations

Metaphysical • Is there any evidence that we are moving back towards a more metaphysical paradigm in modern society?

Testable • Empirical knowledge can be tested and revisited as many times as needed. • This means that the knowledge gained is open to verification or refutation by others. • Popper – once knowledge is put forward for scrutiny, it should be possible to engage in the process of falsification (tested with the aim of showing it to be false)

Popper • Argued that rather than looking for evidence to confirm their theories, scientists should do their best to disprove of falsify them. • This is a distinguishing characteristic of science • Saw no reason why the methodology of the natural sciences can not be applied to the social sciences.

‘All swans are white’ • is a scientific statement because it can be falsified. • However many times it is confirmed by observation, it cannot be accepted as true because the very next swan may be red, yellow or blue.

Theoretical • Science is based on theory construction. • A theory seeks to uncover causal relationships between phenomena rather than simply describing the phenomena. • What causal relationships have we studied so far in sociology?

Cumulative • Scientific theory builds on previous knowledge • There is an ever-growing, empirically testable body of knowledge that moves us forward in our understanding of the world.

Objective • Science blocks out personal prejudices and political views in its search for empirically testable propositions about the world

So, is sociology a science? • Using p. 272, look at how writers justify sociology as a science. • Use the following headings in your notes: ▫ ▫ ▫ Theoretical Empirical and testable Cumulative Objective The methodological process in sociology

Theoretical • Feedback from notes • In the following two situations, did society in general act in a predictable way? • Haiti example • Princess Diana example

Empirical and testable • Feedback from notes • What are ‘social facts’? • Examples of social facts:

Cumulative • Feedback from notes • Think of an area of sociology that has been studied over a long period of time. How has the thinking developed into the current-day sociology that you are studying?

Objective • Topics you feel strongly about: • Choose the topic/social issue you feel most strongly about. Could you research it without imposing your own values and beliefs?

The methodological process in sociology • What is the comparative method? • United States/Sudan • Think about the economies of the two countries. • What key differences exist between the two countries that may explain their economic differences?

SPLAT!

Homework • Use your handouts and notes from today’s lesson to complete your own piece of extended writing (1000 words): ▫ Is Sociology a Science? You have one week to complete this due. .