Author: Alexander L. George
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262262894
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
The use of case studies to build and test theories in political science and the other social sciences has increased in recent years. Many scholars have argued that the social sciences rely too heavily on quantitative research and formal models and have attempted to develop and refine rigorous methods for using case studies. This text presents a comprehensive analysis of research methods using case studies and examines the place of case studies in social science methodology. It argues that case studies, statistical methods, and formal models are complementary rather than competitive. The book explains how to design case study research that will produce results useful to policymakers and emphasizes the importance of developing policy-relevant theories. It offers three major contributions to case study methodology: an emphasis on the importance of within-case analysis, a detailed discussion of process tracing, and development of the concept of typological theories. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences will be particularly useful to graduate students and scholars in social science methodology and the philosophy of science, as well as to those designing new research projects, and will contribute greatly to the broader debate about scientific methods.
Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences
Author: Alexander L. George
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262262894
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
The use of case studies to build and test theories in political science and the other social sciences has increased in recent years. Many scholars have argued that the social sciences rely too heavily on quantitative research and formal models and have attempted to develop and refine rigorous methods for using case studies. This text presents a comprehensive analysis of research methods using case studies and examines the place of case studies in social science methodology. It argues that case studies, statistical methods, and formal models are complementary rather than competitive. The book explains how to design case study research that will produce results useful to policymakers and emphasizes the importance of developing policy-relevant theories. It offers three major contributions to case study methodology: an emphasis on the importance of within-case analysis, a detailed discussion of process tracing, and development of the concept of typological theories. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences will be particularly useful to graduate students and scholars in social science methodology and the philosophy of science, as well as to those designing new research projects, and will contribute greatly to the broader debate about scientific methods.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262262894
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
The use of case studies to build and test theories in political science and the other social sciences has increased in recent years. Many scholars have argued that the social sciences rely too heavily on quantitative research and formal models and have attempted to develop and refine rigorous methods for using case studies. This text presents a comprehensive analysis of research methods using case studies and examines the place of case studies in social science methodology. It argues that case studies, statistical methods, and formal models are complementary rather than competitive. The book explains how to design case study research that will produce results useful to policymakers and emphasizes the importance of developing policy-relevant theories. It offers three major contributions to case study methodology: an emphasis on the importance of within-case analysis, a detailed discussion of process tracing, and development of the concept of typological theories. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences will be particularly useful to graduate students and scholars in social science methodology and the philosophy of science, as well as to those designing new research projects, and will contribute greatly to the broader debate about scientific methods.
Developments in Sociology
Author: Robert Burgess
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317875923
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
Appropriate as a supplemental text to courses in Sociology. Providing an overview grounded in research. Developments in Sociology focuses on the major areas of theoretical, methodological and substantive developments in sociology. Each author takes a field of study in which they are an acknowledged expert and highlights the way in which the subject has developed over the last fifty years.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317875923
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
Appropriate as a supplemental text to courses in Sociology. Providing an overview grounded in research. Developments in Sociology focuses on the major areas of theoretical, methodological and substantive developments in sociology. Each author takes a field of study in which they are an acknowledged expert and highlights the way in which the subject has developed over the last fifty years.
Talcott Parsons and the Conceptual Dilemma (RLE Social Theory)
Author: Hans P.M. Adriaansens
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317650573
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
This systematic analysis of the nature and development of Talcott Parson’s theory of action offers first an introduction to the conceptual paradigm upon which this theory is based – an introduction, that is, which will make Parson’s writing more easily accessible. Second, the book gives an explanation of the development which the action theory has undergone during the half-century of Parson’s career. Using a scheme of four theory-levels, the author indicates the crucial premises that can be distilled from Parson’s early works. He argues that Parsons, from the very start of his career, was trying to translate abstract premises into a systematically constructed conceptual scheme. The first conceptual translation, however, turned out to be vague and inconsistent in many respects, and this study offers a very specific explanation of the inadequacy of this first (structural-functional) version of the theory of action. Dr Adriaansens argues that it was not until Parsons had found his way out of this ‘conceptual dilemma’ that the premises of the action theory could be adequately translated into a conceptual paradigm.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317650573
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
This systematic analysis of the nature and development of Talcott Parson’s theory of action offers first an introduction to the conceptual paradigm upon which this theory is based – an introduction, that is, which will make Parson’s writing more easily accessible. Second, the book gives an explanation of the development which the action theory has undergone during the half-century of Parson’s career. Using a scheme of four theory-levels, the author indicates the crucial premises that can be distilled from Parson’s early works. He argues that Parsons, from the very start of his career, was trying to translate abstract premises into a systematically constructed conceptual scheme. The first conceptual translation, however, turned out to be vague and inconsistent in many respects, and this study offers a very specific explanation of the inadequacy of this first (structural-functional) version of the theory of action. Dr Adriaansens argues that it was not until Parsons had found his way out of this ‘conceptual dilemma’ that the premises of the action theory could be adequately translated into a conceptual paradigm.
Theoretical Sociology
Author: Seth Abrutyn
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000331423
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
Since Durkheim’s influential work a century ago, sociological theory has been among the most integrative and useful tools for social scientists across many disciplines. Sociological theory has nevertheless, due to its usefulness, expanded so very broadly that some wonder whether the concept of "general theory," or even the attempt to link middle-range theories, is still of any use. This book, a collection of top theorists reflecting on the present and future of the craft, addresses this most important question. Taking their lead from Jonathan Turner’s important recent work, and drawing on their own broad experience, Seth Abrutyn and Kevin McCaffree have organized the chapters in this book from the general, integrative and review-focused bookend chapters to more specific chapters on innovations in theory construction at the micro, meso and macro levels. Moreover, the book’s microsociological content on interpersonal violence, solidarity, identity and emotion coheres with chapters in mesosociological dynamics on class, education and networks, which in turn integrate with the chapters on inequality, justice, morality and cultural evolution found in the section on macrosociology. The distinguished contributors share a distinct commitment to the development, innovation and relevance of general sociological theory. This volume is an invaluable sourcebook for advanced students and social science faculty interested in understanding how sociological theory’s past and present are informing its future.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000331423
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
Since Durkheim’s influential work a century ago, sociological theory has been among the most integrative and useful tools for social scientists across many disciplines. Sociological theory has nevertheless, due to its usefulness, expanded so very broadly that some wonder whether the concept of "general theory," or even the attempt to link middle-range theories, is still of any use. This book, a collection of top theorists reflecting on the present and future of the craft, addresses this most important question. Taking their lead from Jonathan Turner’s important recent work, and drawing on their own broad experience, Seth Abrutyn and Kevin McCaffree have organized the chapters in this book from the general, integrative and review-focused bookend chapters to more specific chapters on innovations in theory construction at the micro, meso and macro levels. Moreover, the book’s microsociological content on interpersonal violence, solidarity, identity and emotion coheres with chapters in mesosociological dynamics on class, education and networks, which in turn integrate with the chapters on inequality, justice, morality and cultural evolution found in the section on macrosociology. The distinguished contributors share a distinct commitment to the development, innovation and relevance of general sociological theory. This volume is an invaluable sourcebook for advanced students and social science faculty interested in understanding how sociological theory’s past and present are informing its future.
Talcott Parsons and the Social Image of Man (RLE Social Theory)
Author: Ken Menzies
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317650557
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
This account of Talcott Parsons’s work clarifies his basic concepts and sets out their correlation. Dr Menzies believes that the philosophy of science working within the confines of the analytic-synthetic distinction tends to provide a rigid, static and sterile account of theories. He presents a more dynamic account of the scientific enterprise in order to come to grips with the amorphous nature of theory, and to provide the basic framework for his analysis of Parsons. Menzies argues that Parsons’s central problematic in The Structure of Social Action is utilitarianism in general and the classical economists’ account of the rise of capitalism in particular, and as such the book is not a reconciliation of positivistic and idealistic elements and these run throughout his subsequent work. Two major strands in Parsons’s work – the social action theory and the systems theory (structural-functionalism) – are separated and examined individually.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317650557
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
This account of Talcott Parsons’s work clarifies his basic concepts and sets out their correlation. Dr Menzies believes that the philosophy of science working within the confines of the analytic-synthetic distinction tends to provide a rigid, static and sterile account of theories. He presents a more dynamic account of the scientific enterprise in order to come to grips with the amorphous nature of theory, and to provide the basic framework for his analysis of Parsons. Menzies argues that Parsons’s central problematic in The Structure of Social Action is utilitarianism in general and the classical economists’ account of the rise of capitalism in particular, and as such the book is not a reconciliation of positivistic and idealistic elements and these run throughout his subsequent work. Two major strands in Parsons’s work – the social action theory and the systems theory (structural-functionalism) – are separated and examined individually.
Contemporary Sociology
Author: M. Francis Abraham
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780199452781
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
Previously published: Oxford, UK; New York: Oxford University Press, c2006.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780199452781
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
Previously published: Oxford, UK; New York: Oxford University Press, c2006.
The Normative Structure of Sociology (RLE Social Theory)
Author: Hermann Strasser
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317652320
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In this provocative analysis of the central issues and developments in modern social theory, Dr Strasser contends that enquiry into the function, tasks and mission of sociology as a discipline can be understood only in relation to the subject's historical development. He believes that a discussion of the origin and intention of sociology, particularly in relation to the established social order, enables us to grasp fully the nature of sociological theory, both past and present. He maintains that a sociologist's own position in society, and consequently his views on its development and his way of expressing those views, will affect the theoretical position he takes up.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317652320
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In this provocative analysis of the central issues and developments in modern social theory, Dr Strasser contends that enquiry into the function, tasks and mission of sociology as a discipline can be understood only in relation to the subject's historical development. He believes that a discussion of the origin and intention of sociology, particularly in relation to the established social order, enables us to grasp fully the nature of sociological theory, both past and present. He maintains that a sociologist's own position in society, and consequently his views on its development and his way of expressing those views, will affect the theoretical position he takes up.
Advances in Identity Theory and Research
Author: Peter J. Burke
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780306478512
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
This volume is presented in four sections based on recent research in the field: the sources of identity, the tie between identity and the social structure, the non-cognitive outcomes - such as emotional - of identity processes, and the idea that individuals have multiple identities. This timely work will be of interest to social psychologists in sociology and psychology, behavioral scientists, and political scientists.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780306478512
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
This volume is presented in four sections based on recent research in the field: the sources of identity, the tie between identity and the social structure, the non-cognitive outcomes - such as emotional - of identity processes, and the idea that individuals have multiple identities. This timely work will be of interest to social psychologists in sociology and psychology, behavioral scientists, and political scientists.
Social Psychology
Author: Ralph Turner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351489720
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 750
Book Description
""A valuable compendium: broad In scope, rich In detail: It should be a most useful reference for students and teachers."" This is how Alex Inkeles of Stanford University described this text. It is made more so in this paperback edition aimed to reach a broad student population in sociology and psychology. The new Introduction written by Rosenberg and Turner brings the story of social psychology up to date by a rich and detailed examination of trends and tendencies of the 1980s.Although social psychology is a major area of specialization in sociology and psychology, this text Is the first comprehensive and authoritative work that looks at the subject from a sociological perspective. Edited by two of the foremost social psychologists in the United States, this book presents a synthesis of the major theoretical and empirical contributions of social psychology.They treat both traditional topics such as symbolic interaction, social exchange theory, small groups, social roles, and intergroup relations, and newer approaches such as socialization processes over the life cycle, sociology of the self, talk and social control, and the sociology of sentiments and emotions. The result is an absolutely Indispensable text for students and teachers who need a complete and ready reference to this burgeoning field.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351489720
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 750
Book Description
""A valuable compendium: broad In scope, rich In detail: It should be a most useful reference for students and teachers."" This is how Alex Inkeles of Stanford University described this text. It is made more so in this paperback edition aimed to reach a broad student population in sociology and psychology. The new Introduction written by Rosenberg and Turner brings the story of social psychology up to date by a rich and detailed examination of trends and tendencies of the 1980s.Although social psychology is a major area of specialization in sociology and psychology, this text Is the first comprehensive and authoritative work that looks at the subject from a sociological perspective. Edited by two of the foremost social psychologists in the United States, this book presents a synthesis of the major theoretical and empirical contributions of social psychology.They treat both traditional topics such as symbolic interaction, social exchange theory, small groups, social roles, and intergroup relations, and newer approaches such as socialization processes over the life cycle, sociology of the self, talk and social control, and the sociology of sentiments and emotions. The result is an absolutely Indispensable text for students and teachers who need a complete and ready reference to this burgeoning field.
Theory and Method in Higher Education Research
Author: Jeroen Huisman
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1802624430
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
This volume presents international perspectives on the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education. Topics discussed include critical race theory; the use of communities of practice theory; participant ethnography; and decolonization using indigenous principles.
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1802624430
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
This volume presents international perspectives on the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education. Topics discussed include critical race theory; the use of communities of practice theory; participant ethnography; and decolonization using indigenous principles.