Sociology and Science

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  • Sociology and Science
    • Positivism
      • Sociology CAN be a science
      • Objective knowledge can solve problems
      • Reality is patterned
      • Induction- gaining data & patterns through observation
      • Verification- developing a theory from inductions (make a law)
      • Quantitative date to form hypothesis
      • E.g. Durkheim and suicide
    • Interpretivism
      • Sociology CANNOT be a science
      • Society= meaningful social action
      • Need to interpret meanings and motives
      • Sociology studies people with consciousness and free will
      • Put ourselves in the shoes of social actor
      • Interactionalists- favour casual explanation
      • Phenomenology- society is not a real thing
    • Karl Popper
      • Sociology CAN be science
      • Fallacy of induction- need multiple observations to prove a theory true
      • Falsification- trying to prove a theory wrong, if no one can it is accepted
      • Theories must be falsified
    • Kuhn
      • Paradigm- shared values of scientific community
      • Science doesn't exist without paradigm
        • Society has no paradigm
        • Can only be science when shared paradigm exists
      • Counter paradigm changes values of community

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