What is a theory

1
What is a theory?

• A theory is a description of concepts and
  specification of the relationship between those
  concepts.
• Most theories incl
• A description of a social phenomenon
• An explanation of relationships among the
  phenomenon

2
What do theories do?

• Explain
• Predict
• Organize
• Solve practical problems

3
Research Paradigms

• How theorists see the world

4
Metatheoretical Considerations
How should we go about gathering knowledge for
theory?

• Metatheory theory about theory

What aspects of the social world can/should we
theorize about?
How should we go about theorizing?
How should we use theory to guide social action?
What should count as knowledge about the social
world?
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Ontology
What do we think constitutes the worlds
important features?

• Ideas about the nature of reality.
• What is the nature of our social world and the
  entities that populate it? ( ? what is the
  nature of what we study?)
• Gives us a certain vision of the world and on
  what constitutes its important features.

What counts as knowledge?
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Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
ONTOLOGY
(The nature of people and REALITY)
Realist
Our social world is real reality exists external
to us. There are tangible relatively
immutable structures.
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Scientific Objective
Humanistic Subjective
ONTOLOGY
(The nature of people and REALITY)
Realist
Nominalist
Our social world is real reality exists external
to us. There are hard, tangible, and relatively
immutable structures.
Reality Exists inside each of us differently. No
real world exists just names/ideas we create.
Something is true because we name it to be true
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Scientific Objective
Humanistic Subjective
ONTOLOGY
(The nature of people and REALITY)
Realist
Nominalist
Our social world is real reality exists external
to us. There are hard, tangible, and relatively
immutable structures.
Reality Exists inside each of us differently. No
real world exists just names/ideas we create.
Something is true because we name it to be true
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
ONTOLOGY
(The nature of people and REALITY)
Realist
Nominalist
Social Constructionist
Our social world is real reality exists external
to us. There are hard, tangible, and relatively
immutable structures.
Reality Exists inside each of us differently. No
real world exists just names/ideas we create.
Intersubjective. Reality exists, but weve
created it through words
Something is true because we name it to be true
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Scientific Objective
Humanistic Subjective
ONTOLOGY
Realist
Nominalist
(The nature of PEOPLE and reality)
Determinism
We are stimulus-response beings. There are laws
of human nature.
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Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
ONTOLOGY
Realist
Nominalist
(The nature of PEOPLE and reality)
Determinism
Free Will
We are stimulus-response beings. There are laws
of human nature.
Voluntaristic
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Social Constructionist
Scientific Objective
Humanistic Subjective
ONTOLOGY
Realist
Nominalist
(The nature of PEOPLE and reality)
Determinism
Free Will
Social Constructionist
We are stimulus-response beings. There are laws
of human nature.
Voluntaristic
Free will w/limits (constrained)
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
EPISTEMOLOGY
(knowledge about the social world)
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
EPISTEMOLOGY
(knowledge)
Positivism
Empirical verifiable by means of experiment
Systematically Again Again Again (etc.)
We can be positive about our knowledge.
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
EPISTEMOLOGY
(knowledge)
Subjectivism
Positivism
We cant be positive about knowledge because we
use words.
We can be positive about our knowledge.
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
AXIOLOGY
Value Free
(The role of researcher values in research)
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Values Incl.
AXIOLOGY
Value Free
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
AXIOLOGY
Values Incl.
Value Free
Values Mostly Removed
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Axiology
Values Incl.
Value Free
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Values Incl.
Axiology
Value Free
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Predict Find Causal Relationships Generalize Expla
in
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Values Incl.
Axiology
Value Free
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Predict Find Causal Relationships Generalize Expla
in
Provide a deep understanding Explanations Framewor
ks for understanding
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Values Incl.
Value Free
Axiology
Purpose of Research Methodology
Predict Find Causal Relationships Generalize Expla
in
Provide a deep understanding Explanations Framewor
ks for understanding
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Characteristics Value-free inquiry and blind
obedience to scientific method rejected
objectivity seen as a regulatory idea. Attempt to
be as value-free as possible reliance on
critical scrutiny of community of scholars to
safeguard objectivity.
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Social Constructionist
Post Positivist
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Characteristics Understanding must involve the
subjective and personal meanings of individuals.
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Social Constructionist
Post Positivist
Interpretive
25
CRITICAL THEORY
Social Change
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Status Quo
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CRITICAL THEORY
Social Change
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Underlying Assumption Various cultural messages
sent by the media, govt, family, educ., keep
those in power (white, heterosex., middle class,
males) in power. (Hegemony)
Status Quo
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CRITICAL THEORY
Social Change
Seeks to change the world.Rids us of isms
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Status Quo
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CRITICAL THEORY
Social Change
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Status Quo
Provides descriptions no change
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Critical Theory
Social Change
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Status Quo
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Social Constructionist
Humanistic Subjective
Scientific Objective
Ontology
Realist
Nominalist
Determinism
Free Will
Epistemology
Subjectivism
Positivism
Values Incl.
Axiology
Value Free
Predict Find Causal Relationships Generalize Expla
in
Provide a deep understanding Explanations Framewor
ks for understanding
Purpose of Research
Critical Theory Uncover ideological problems
that lead to oppression (and drive change).
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Debate 1 Laws/Rules/Systems

• Covering Law Approach Uncover laws of human
  behavior (generalizing)
• Rules Approach We are goal oriented
• Systems Approach Looking at human behavior as a
  system

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Debate 2 Scientific/Humanistic/Critical

• The only way to know anything is to through the
  use of scientific methods of measurement
• Generalizing doesnt explain communication nor
  identify differences among people
• There is oppression. We need to identify it and
  rectify it.

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What is a theory?

• A theory is a description of concepts and
  specification of the relationship between those
  concepts.

34
Theoretical Relationships

• Proposition A statement of relationships
  between / among concepts.
• Concept a single idea in a theory
• Types of theoretical relationships
• Temporal
• Causal
• Correlational

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Theoretical Relationships

• Temporal Certain concepts precede other concepts
  in time.
• Correlational Two concepts change together in
  similar ways.
• Causal One concept causes the other to be
  affected (necessarily temporal)