Sociology as a science - Kuhn (1970) and Popper

The paradigm

• Defines each science and the framework of assumptions (norms) to work within, thus allowing science to exist

• Tells scientists what to think and how to behave

Reward for conforming to the paradigm

• Success

Relationship between sciences

• Rivalry

  • Due to lack of general consensus

Aim of normal sceince

• Obtain the known, not uncover the unknown

• I.e. problem-solving within the paradigm

Shift in paradigm?

• Needs a massive mindset shift

Scientific revolution

• Anomalies → waning confidence in paradigm → crisis during which scientists form rival paradigms

Rival paradigms

• Incommensurable — there’s one or the other, not both

Process of convincing someone of your paradigm

• Form of religious conversion!

Kuhn: is sociology a science and why?

• NO

• It is pre-paradigmatic due to the many competing theories

Kuhn: could sociology become a science?

• In theory: yes if it could create a paradigm

• In practice: no as there are too many political divisions within and between theories for a paradigm to be possible

PoMo — sociology and paradigms

• Not desirable as form of meta narrative

Popper — 3 features of science

1. Open

2. Critical

3. Rational

Fallacy of induction

• Induction = process by which an observation becomes a law

  • E.g. see lots of white Swans → assume all swans are white → no matter how many swans we see we cannot prove they are all white → 1 black Swan ruins the theory

Falsificationalism

• A valid scientific statement can be falsified

2 features of a good theory

1. Falsifiable but not falsified

2. Bold — tries to explain a lot so can be falsified

Science as a public activity

• Thrives in open liberal societies

  • Closed societies stifle science e.g. 17th C Rome with Galileo

• Science must be open to criticism from other scientists

  • Therefore, flaws can be rapidly exposed and better series developed

Truth and science

• Good theory not necessarily true but has withstood attempts to falsify it

  • All knowledge is provisional, temporary and capable of refutation at any moment

Popper: is sociology a science and why not?

• NO

• Theories are not falsifiable, e.g. Marx’s predictions are yet to take place

Popper: can sociology be scientific?

• YES

• Untestable ideas ≠ worthless as may later become testable and can be examined for logical thinking

• Sociology has not been around as long as other sciences

Watkins — difference between Kuhn and Popper

• Kuhn sees specialist of science as problem-solving within a paradigm

• Popper sees this as falsificationism