Chapter%202%20Paradigms,%20Theory,%20And%20Research

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Chapter 2Paradigms, Theory, And Research

• Some Social Science Paradigms
• Two Logical Systems Revisited
• Deductive Theory Construction
• Inductive Theory Construction
• The Links Between Theory and Research
• The Importance of Theory in the Real World

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Three Functions of Theory

• Prevents "flukes.
• Make sense of observed patterns in ways that
  suggest other possibilities.
• Shapes and directs research efforts.

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Social Science Paradigms

• Positivism - assumes we can scientifically
  discover the rules governing social life.
• Conflict - focuses on attempts of a person or
  group to dominate and avoid being dominated.

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Social Science Paradigms

• Symbolic interactionism - examines development
  of shared meanings and social patterns in the
  course of social interactions.
• Ethnomethodology - focuses on how people make
  sense of life while they are living it.

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Social Science Paradigms

• Structural functionalism - focuses on the
  functions the elements of society perform for the
  whole system of society.
• Feminist paradigms - examines how previous images
  of social reality have often come from and
  reinforced the experiences of men.

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Traditional Model of Science

• Theory
• Operationalization
• Observation

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Conducting a Deductive Theory

1. Specify the topic.
2. Specify the range of phenomena your theory
   addresses.
3. Identify and specify your major concerns and
   variables.

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Conducting a Deductive Theory

1. Find out what is known about the relationships
   among the variables.
2. Reason from those propositions to the topic you
   are interested in.

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Constructing an Inductive Theory

1. Observe aspects of social life.
2. Discover patterns that point to universal
   principles.

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Linking Theory and Research

• Deduction - deriving expectations or hypotheses
  from theories.
• Induction - developing generalizations from
  specific observations.