1. Comment
17 October 2020 at 11:59:13
Intuition example: flipping a coin
and getting heads 3 times in a row
does not make it more likely the
fourth time
2. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:03:41
Defining scope of question, terms,
variables, etc
3. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:03:51
Translating the abstract into
something measurable Lecture 1 - Course Introduction and Overview
(description of how to do this)
Scientific research - overview:
4. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:04:27 • Goal: understand causes/outcome/processes of events/decisions/actions
Type of research (N, case • Theory: explain/predict
selection, etc) • Method: data collection
• Analysis: description, theory-testing
Should be guided by nature of
question, not discipline
Naive Science Scienti c Method
1
5. Comment • Personal experience (not universal) • Systematic process
17 October 2020 at 12:04:58 • Intuition (can be wrong) • Falsifiable theories
Data collection • Authority based on trust (not verification) • Replicable
• Appeals to tradition/faith/superstition (not • Reflective (self-critical)
6. Comment reliable) • Cumulative/cyclical
17 October 2020 at 12:05:09
Finding trends, etc Research process:
1. Research question
7. Comment
2 2. Conceptualization
17 October 2020 at 12:05:21
3 3. Operationalization
Answering research question
4 4. Research design
5 5. Observation
6 6. Data analysis
7 7. Interpretation
Importance of research methods:
• Naive science → scientific method
• Transparency/replicability
• Contribute to real world (problem-driven)
fi
,8. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:13:18
Sociology: scientific study of
social world
9. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:12:35
Key thinker: August Comte
10. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:30:17
Reality is objective
Social sciences equivalent to
natural sciences (objective)
8 Lecture 2 - Philosophy of Social Science
Laws (explanatory/predictive) can
be applied to the social world
Part 1 - Positivism, Scienti c Realism, and Interpretivism
11. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:29:59
Knowledge is limited to sensory Ontology: nature of social world (objective vs subjective reality)
observation
Epistemology: what can be known (objective vs subjective knowledge)
No causal mechanisms, only
Methodology: how knowledge can be obtained
constant conjunctions (laws)
12. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:19:08 9 11 Positivism: naturalism + empiricism
Observation → theory
• Approaches:
13. Comment 12 • Classical positivism: induction only
17 October 2020 at 12:21:08
Observation → theory (repeatedly 13 15 • Logical positivism: retroduction (induction + deduction) + verification
check one another) 16 18 • Critique: reject induction and verification
Induction is not sufficient • Models:
Avoid circular reasoning 19 20 • Deductive-nomological model: using laws to express necessary connection between
properties
14. Comment 21 • Hypothetico-deductive model: using hypotheses to test predictive capacity of laws
17 October 2020 at 12:22:01
Logical reasoning (existing theory
→ predictions about other
observations) 22 23 Scienti c realism: naturalism + observable and unobservable
• Holism: whole > sum of parts
15. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:05 • Coleman’s bathtub
Establishing truth claims
16. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:48
By Karl Popper
17. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:56
Particular experience ≠ general
knowledge
• Assumptions about unobservable, research on observable
E.g. only observing black swans • Types of causal mechanisms:
≠ all swans are black
24 • Environmental
18. Comment 25 • Cognitive
17 October 2020 at 12:24:40
Rather, falsification should be the
goal
Problem: how are theories
developed in the first place?
19. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:26:02
Carl Gustav Hempel
20. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:26:42
Rather than accidental
generalization
fi fi
,21. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:28:25
Laws → hypothesis → explicit
prediction
If incorrect, hypothesis is falsified
22. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:33:45
E.g. outcomes
23. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:32:08
Hence, causal mechanisms exist
- Remain assumptions! (hence
not laws)
24. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:34:48
E.g. infertile soil → weak
agricultural industry
25. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:35:06
Perceptions
E.g. racism → ethnic conflict
, 26. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:36:36
Connections/networks between
different groups
27. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:40:39
Social world ≠ natural world
(hence require different methods
Since social world is subjectively
created (based on individual
interpretation
28. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:42:16 26 • Relational
Text/behavior → interpretation
(including subjective and
common meanings) 27 Interpretivism: reality is subjective
29. Comment • Approaches:
17 October 2020 at 12:43:01
28 • Hermeneutics
Political power structures (e.g.
Marxism) 29 • Critical theory
Key thinker: Robert Cox 30 • Constructivism
31 • Post-colonialism
30. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:43:22 32 • Feminism
How language creates/reinforces
political orders
Part 2 - Objectivity and Values
31. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:43:45 Can research be objective? (Epistemology)
How wester-centric biases 33 34 • Positivism: yes (distinction between normative and empirical)
create/reinforce political orders
• Interpretivism: no
32. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:44:02
35 • Robert Cox: all theory is normative
How gender biases create/ 36 • Max Weber: distinction is possible, but values are still present
reinforce political orders
33. Comment
Bias:
17 October 2020 at 12:45:34
What should be • Forms:
34. Comment • Expectation shapes perception
17 October 2020 at 12:45:39
37 • Expectation influences observation (placebo effect, Hawthorn/Heisenberg effect)
What actually is
• Minimization:
35. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:46:50 • Transparency
Reflect values of researcher 38 • Self-disclosure
36. Comment • Critical examination by larger scientific community
17 October 2020 at 12:49:16
Objectivity not guaranteed • Falsification (vs verification)
37. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:52:41 Views on scientific progress:
Participants change behavior
39 40 • Pessimistic: anything outside institutional paradigm is considered incorrect
when they know they are being
observed • Paradigm shift: paradigm is established → anomalies accumulate → crisis →
contestation → revolution (shift) → new paradigm
38. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:53:42
Researcher discloses which
values they subscribe to
39. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:55:52
Thomas Kuhn: Structure of
Scientific Revolutions
40. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:57:12
“Normal science” (norms,
methods, etc)
17 October 2020 at 11:59:13
Intuition example: flipping a coin
and getting heads 3 times in a row
does not make it more likely the
fourth time
2. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:03:41
Defining scope of question, terms,
variables, etc
3. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:03:51
Translating the abstract into
something measurable Lecture 1 - Course Introduction and Overview
(description of how to do this)
Scientific research - overview:
4. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:04:27 • Goal: understand causes/outcome/processes of events/decisions/actions
Type of research (N, case • Theory: explain/predict
selection, etc) • Method: data collection
• Analysis: description, theory-testing
Should be guided by nature of
question, not discipline
Naive Science Scienti c Method
1
5. Comment • Personal experience (not universal) • Systematic process
17 October 2020 at 12:04:58 • Intuition (can be wrong) • Falsifiable theories
Data collection • Authority based on trust (not verification) • Replicable
• Appeals to tradition/faith/superstition (not • Reflective (self-critical)
6. Comment reliable) • Cumulative/cyclical
17 October 2020 at 12:05:09
Finding trends, etc Research process:
1. Research question
7. Comment
2 2. Conceptualization
17 October 2020 at 12:05:21
3 3. Operationalization
Answering research question
4 4. Research design
5 5. Observation
6 6. Data analysis
7 7. Interpretation
Importance of research methods:
• Naive science → scientific method
• Transparency/replicability
• Contribute to real world (problem-driven)
fi
,8. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:13:18
Sociology: scientific study of
social world
9. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:12:35
Key thinker: August Comte
10. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:30:17
Reality is objective
Social sciences equivalent to
natural sciences (objective)
8 Lecture 2 - Philosophy of Social Science
Laws (explanatory/predictive) can
be applied to the social world
Part 1 - Positivism, Scienti c Realism, and Interpretivism
11. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:29:59
Knowledge is limited to sensory Ontology: nature of social world (objective vs subjective reality)
observation
Epistemology: what can be known (objective vs subjective knowledge)
No causal mechanisms, only
Methodology: how knowledge can be obtained
constant conjunctions (laws)
12. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:19:08 9 11 Positivism: naturalism + empiricism
Observation → theory
• Approaches:
13. Comment 12 • Classical positivism: induction only
17 October 2020 at 12:21:08
Observation → theory (repeatedly 13 15 • Logical positivism: retroduction (induction + deduction) + verification
check one another) 16 18 • Critique: reject induction and verification
Induction is not sufficient • Models:
Avoid circular reasoning 19 20 • Deductive-nomological model: using laws to express necessary connection between
properties
14. Comment 21 • Hypothetico-deductive model: using hypotheses to test predictive capacity of laws
17 October 2020 at 12:22:01
Logical reasoning (existing theory
→ predictions about other
observations) 22 23 Scienti c realism: naturalism + observable and unobservable
• Holism: whole > sum of parts
15. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:05 • Coleman’s bathtub
Establishing truth claims
16. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:48
By Karl Popper
17. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:23:56
Particular experience ≠ general
knowledge
• Assumptions about unobservable, research on observable
E.g. only observing black swans • Types of causal mechanisms:
≠ all swans are black
24 • Environmental
18. Comment 25 • Cognitive
17 October 2020 at 12:24:40
Rather, falsification should be the
goal
Problem: how are theories
developed in the first place?
19. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:26:02
Carl Gustav Hempel
20. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:26:42
Rather than accidental
generalization
fi fi
,21. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:28:25
Laws → hypothesis → explicit
prediction
If incorrect, hypothesis is falsified
22. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:33:45
E.g. outcomes
23. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:32:08
Hence, causal mechanisms exist
- Remain assumptions! (hence
not laws)
24. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:34:48
E.g. infertile soil → weak
agricultural industry
25. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:35:06
Perceptions
E.g. racism → ethnic conflict
, 26. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:36:36
Connections/networks between
different groups
27. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:40:39
Social world ≠ natural world
(hence require different methods
Since social world is subjectively
created (based on individual
interpretation
28. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:42:16 26 • Relational
Text/behavior → interpretation
(including subjective and
common meanings) 27 Interpretivism: reality is subjective
29. Comment • Approaches:
17 October 2020 at 12:43:01
28 • Hermeneutics
Political power structures (e.g.
Marxism) 29 • Critical theory
Key thinker: Robert Cox 30 • Constructivism
31 • Post-colonialism
30. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:43:22 32 • Feminism
How language creates/reinforces
political orders
Part 2 - Objectivity and Values
31. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:43:45 Can research be objective? (Epistemology)
How wester-centric biases 33 34 • Positivism: yes (distinction between normative and empirical)
create/reinforce political orders
• Interpretivism: no
32. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:44:02
35 • Robert Cox: all theory is normative
How gender biases create/ 36 • Max Weber: distinction is possible, but values are still present
reinforce political orders
33. Comment
Bias:
17 October 2020 at 12:45:34
What should be • Forms:
34. Comment • Expectation shapes perception
17 October 2020 at 12:45:39
37 • Expectation influences observation (placebo effect, Hawthorn/Heisenberg effect)
What actually is
• Minimization:
35. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:46:50 • Transparency
Reflect values of researcher 38 • Self-disclosure
36. Comment • Critical examination by larger scientific community
17 October 2020 at 12:49:16
Objectivity not guaranteed • Falsification (vs verification)
37. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:52:41 Views on scientific progress:
Participants change behavior
39 40 • Pessimistic: anything outside institutional paradigm is considered incorrect
when they know they are being
observed • Paradigm shift: paradigm is established → anomalies accumulate → crisis →
contestation → revolution (shift) → new paradigm
38. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:53:42
Researcher discloses which
values they subscribe to
39. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:55:52
Thomas Kuhn: Structure of
Scientific Revolutions
40. Comment
17 October 2020 at 12:57:12
“Normal science” (norms,
methods, etc)
