Preview

Sociological Theory: Positivistic, Interpretative, and Critical

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1973 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sociological Theory: Positivistic, Interpretative, and Critical
Sociological Theory: Positivistic, Interpretative, and Critical

Comment on the three types of sociological theories, explain and argue, based on your library or Internet research, which type of theory is the most appropriate theory for sociology to adopt.

The three general types of sociological theory are positivistic, interpretive and critical theory.In determining which theory is the most appropriate for sociology to adopt,a basic understanding of each theory's strengths and weaknesses is necessary.In defining each of these theories, it is important to determine the ontological basis orthe theory's basis for determining what is knowable; the epistemological basis or the theory's relationship between the knower and the knowable; and, finally, the methodological basis or the theory's method for gathering data and obtaining knowledge.

A.POSITIVISTIC

1.Ontology.

The positivistic theory is based on an ontology ofbeing a realist.The realistic slant of positivism is also known as determinism.The positivist knows that a reality is "out there" to be defined and categorized.The hard sciences from the time of Newton and Decartes have traditionally relied on the positivistic approach.The positivist hopes to be able to approximate "reality" in a detailed generalization or theory on how reality operates.The theories of a positivist generallytake the form of cause and effect laws describing the outside reality.Robert Merton defined these theorems as "clear verifiable statements of the relationships between specified variables."

2.Epistemology.

Positivism relies onan objective epistemology.The observer remains distant and does not interact with the observation or experiment.Values and any other factors that might lead to bias are to be carefully removed so that the cold, monological gaze of science can be used to analyze the data.The positivist is an objectivist. 3.Methodology.

The methodology of positivism is experimental and manipulative. The approach is the same as

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Sociological perspectives have contributed to the deepening of my understanding through giving me more and different perspectives to view the world, societies, cultures, and individuals. These sociological perspectives have given me more insight into how society functions and is connected, how conflict engineers social change, and how people interact and why they interact in this particular way.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Perspective

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The term “sociology” can be defined as the study of the “origin, development, organisation, and functioning of human society” (Dictionary.com). Within sociology, there are three main theoretical perspectives that help us to understand childhood. These are the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective and the interactionist perspective.…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sociological perspectives

    • 2269 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In this assignment the writer will understand and acknowledge the sociological perspectives and the approaches of sociology in the health and social care sector. The essayist will also consider the concepts of sociology within health and social care while exploring the dimensions of health and illness.…

    • 2269 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sociological Perspective

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As a group we decided to review the video clip “The Joy of Garbage” where several college campuses are now offering Liberal Arts courses such as “The Simpsons and Philosophy,” “The History of Shopping,” and “The Joy of Garbage.” These courses are being taught at major universities such as Cal State Berkeley, Yale, and Rutgers University. Universities are offering these popular courses with hopes of bringing life back into colleges. While many individuals would consider the classes to be pointless, students at Santa Clara University are learning there is more to garbage than sorting recyclables from regular trash. Students have experienced the meaning of science in garbage. For example, trash that rots breaks down, combustible, and has positive and negative effects on the environment (Stanek, 2012).…

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Perspectives

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The purpose of this assignment is to explore psychological and sociological perspectives and describe their application to clinical practice, assess own communication skills when working in practice, explore how psychological and sociological theory can assist when attempting to address a client’s needs, and finally demonstrate an understanding of health inequality and relate to own client group and AP (assistant practitioner) role. As the author is a TAP in busy North West Hospital clinical experiences will be used in addition to academic resources in order to explore the major psychological, sociological and social-economical influences on health and well being of the patient. An explanation of communication and barriers to communication…

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sociological Theories

    • 2226 Words
    • 9 Pages

    In Steven P. Dandaneau’s book, Taking it Big, Developing Sociological Consciousness in Postmodern Times, the analysis of chapter seven entitled, Religion and Society- Of Gods and Demons, created an assessment which viewed the nature of religion as a social institution. The arrangement of religion within a society creates a structural analysis of patterns and beliefs that are replicated through the development of social establishments and are maintained within a society by linking social institutions directly to a religious belief. “…Structural analysis, that is, systematic thinking about how patterns of life and belief are reproduced across time and space such that social institutions- composed of roles, positions, groups, norms, values, and rituals- are created and maintained, thereby building and rebuilding society…” (Dandaneau, 145). Therefore, we can conclude that social institutions…

    • 2226 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Sociology there are three different perspectives on the Environment. The Structural Functionalist perspective, Conflict Theory, and the Symbolic Interactionism, each theory being very different than each other. Each perspective representing different opinions of major sociologists. Structural Functionalism focuses on how changes on one aspect of the social system could affect the other aspects of society. Functionalist believe that by 2020, about 50 million people globally will become environmental refugees. People will be migrating because they can no longer secure an normal life as a result of all the environmental problems. The Functionalist perspective raises our personal awareness of latent dysfunctions. (CO 7-9) The negative consequences…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this blog I will be explaining the principal sociological perspectives (Marxism, Interactionism, Functionalism and collectivism). The open view in sociology can cause debates, disclosure and sometimes even controversy as we will see in the blog.…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Aed 200 Week 5 Appendix B

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages

    | Theory that rejects notions that can not be observed and measured. Based on facts that can be explained by laws of matter and motion.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Perspectives

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages

    All throughout society, the opinions of legalizing marijuana conflict with one another, placing people in the position to be on one side of the argument or the other. People either want to see the government legalizing it to the community or are totally against the subject; there is not really any ground in-between the matter. When I think of this topic I see it from two different perspectives, a symbolic interactionists point of view and Functionalism. To the symbolic interactionist’s perspective, people attach meaning to symbols and than they act according to their own interpretations of the meaning. In the case of legalizing marijuana half of people see the image of a cannabis leaf and they automatically jump to the conclusion that the location of this symbol represents something terrible and illegal, avoiding it so that they are not integrated with its stereotypes. On the other hand the other half of people interpret the symbol of a cannabis leaf as a refuge for others in need of medical assistance, providing a helpful treatment the relives multiple symptoms. They see a cure the will prevent pain instead of an illegal drug for teens. Another symbol that is often associated with marijuana is a pipe. There are glass, clay, and even wood pipes all of which are affiliated with the use of the “ganja.” The people who visualize a cannabis leaf as being a symbol of delinquent’s also see pipes as a negative and choose not to be associated with the stereotypical marijuana instrument for fear that others may judge. Others in everyday society don’t think anything of a pipe; they accept that there are many purposes of this instrument and most of the time it is used only for smoking tobacco. This fraction of people acknowledge that there is more that just one function of a pipe and to compare one to a million shows a lack of understanding among society and how one minded many can be.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To comprehend sociological approach we must understand social problems and our approach to social problems as a society. A social problem is a social condition or pattern of behavior which has negative consequences for individuals, our social world or our physical world. Social imagination factors into our concept of sociological understanding and integrates our personal life with our social experiences. Overall society struggles with personal troubles and public issues, and how we can resolve or create a resolution to the problems by keeping our values and beliefs intact. Social problems can either be objective or subjective and we have many influences surrounding us, such as social media and social networks.…

    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Positivists believe that only science can provide the objective ‘truth’ or facts about the world.Positivist sociologists believe that human behaviour is determined by social forces beyond the control of society’s members. These forces are generally referred to as ‘laws’ or ‘social facts’. Positivists…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    that is educating society on how to deal with and prevent any criminal activities. Fight…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. (2010). Youth Courts. Retrieved from http://www.promoteprevent.org/publications/prevention-briefs/youth-courts…

    • 635 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Question 1 First of all, Schlick and Neurath led two different wings in Vienna circle. Schlick and Waismann belong to the right wing which has the faith to Mach/Wittgenstein’s view: knowledge rests on basic statement describing experience. However, the left wing led by Neurath rejected that view. Second, Schlick was convinced of the correspondence between propositions and states. While Neurath opposed Schlick’s view, but he stated the existence of an agreement of statements with other statements (coherence). Next, Schlick sought physical objects cannot be said to exist in themselves, but only as perceptual phenomena or sensory stimuli. He concluded this theory as phenonalism. Protocol statements are immediately verified and referred to describe the sense data. According to Neurath’s theory about physicalism, one obtains the science by physical objects rather than mental objects, which guarantees the intersubjectivity. Intersubjectivity means two observers are able to discuss the objects which they can obviously see. Finally, subjective form is used as the Schlick’s phenomenal language, it mainly use ‘I’, ‘now’, ‘here’ as central terms. Inversely, the objective form is used for Neurath’s physicalism. The observers’ names, reference to time and place are included in the objective form.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays