BEGINNING LECTURE

I. The Nature of Scientific Theory

A. The Two Tasks of Science

1. Discovery -- The task of empirically verifying statements of
relationship between properties or events in nature. These
statements are called empirical propositions.

2. Explanation -- The task of describing why properties or events
are related to each other through the use of a deductive system
of inter-related empirical propositions.

B. Properties of a Scientific Body of Knowledge

1. Scientific Knowledge is a Body of Assertions or Propositions.

2. These Assertions are about relationships between properties
or events

3. These assertions have empirical referents.

4. These assertions have been verified by sensory observation.

5. The assertions are generalizations -- abstract statements which
transcend time and concrete situations (space).

6. The assertions deal with certain aspects of the world and not
with others. (There are limitations placed upon the generalizations.)
Ceteris Paribus -- All things being equal.

7. The body of knowledge has a deductive structure.

8. The body of knowledge allows for prediction of future events
and provides understanding of present situations.

C. Desirable Characteristics of Science

1. Abstractness -- Knowledge transcends time and concrete situation.

2. Empirical Relevance -- Knowledge is verifiable

3. Intersubjectivity -- Agreement within scientific community as
to that which is verified knowledge. Notice: not shared
objectivity but shared subjectivity -- Persons with different
values and assumptions agreeing concerning what is verified
knowledge.

D. Goals of Science

1. Provide Topologies which makes empirical observations possible.

2. Provide an understanding of the causal processes behind the
relationships between variables.

3. Provide an means for predicting future events.

E. The Nature of Causality

1. Zetterberg -- irreversible, sufficient, necessary, and
either deterministic or probabilistic.

2. Hagedorn and Labovitz -- factors that make designated phenomena
happen or change.

3. Deterministic vs Probabilistic Statements

4. Methods for determining causality

a. Association

b. Time Order

c. Non-Spuriousness (Spurious and Contingency Relationships)

d. Theoretical Justification

F. The Relationship Between Testable Propositions and Parsimonious Explanations.

Science aims at both discovering empirical regularities and explaining the why of their existence. Empirical research is capable of verifying testable propositions. Theoretical explanations enable one to understanding the meaning and significance of the findings of empirical research.

Science needs both empirically based propositions and abstract statements explaining the empirical world.

G. Problems Unique to the Social Sciences

1. Problems of empirical measurement of social phenomena.

2. Problem of the control of social variables.

3. Ethical Problems of conducting research on human subjects.

4. Problem of the intrusion of the values of the scientist.

5. Problem of the subject of the investigation -- the human subject.

Go back to Sociology 371 -- Research Methods

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