Sociology & Science – Core
study guide
A-Level Sociology
Theory & Methods
Learning outcomes
To be able to explain the differences in opinion between Positivists and Interpretivists with
regards to whether or not, sociology is a science
To be able to apply your knowledge of Postmodernism to the debate
To be able to evaluate sociological opinions with external theorists from other disciplines
Links to the specification
The nature of science and the extent to which sociology can be regarded as scientific
, Sociology & Science – Core study guide
Introduction
Much of our focus In Sociology so far, has been on the modernist theories that were influenced by the
‘Enlightenment project’, in which science replaced religion as the dominant belief system in the rationalised world.
Your knowledge of the theories that we have covered so far will help you considerably in this topic area. A good
reference point to help your understanding of this topic would be the suicide research that we studied at the
beginning of year 12.
As you already know from year 12, there is a debate surrounding the status of Sociology and whether it should be
regarded as a science or not. For this debate, we look at a different area of sociological theory which focusses more
on research methodology rather than views of society.
The first section of this guide will focus on this debate from views that exist within the field of sociology such as
Positivism, Interpretivism and Postmodernism. Once these ideas have been discussed we will then discuss the point
of view from theorists from other disciplines who have different opinions.
Positivism – Sociology is a Science
After being impressed by the way in which the natural sciences were developing, Auguste Comte developed the
theoretical perspective of Positivism with regards to conducting research. As you already know, Functionalists,
Marxists and a few others, are Positivists in the way in which they conduct research and this can be clearly seen
throughout their theories.
Basic Principles
Their belief was that society could be explained with scientific principles based on objectivity, reliability and
generalisation, which are obtained from quantitative data.
Positivists see sociology as a way of solving social problems to achieve progress. The aim was to establish a
‘Positive science of sociology’ – Hence the name ‘Positivism’.
They believe research should involve the principles of experimentation, finding evidence to test a hypothesis
in the most systematic and controlled way. From this, Positivists believe that you can acquire cause and
effect relationships – when one thing occurs or changes it always provides the same result.
The method of choice for many Positivists, in particular Durkheim, was ‘Induction’ (AKA inductive reasoning)
which is the process where a researcher would gather a large sample of statistics, with the aim of finding
trends and patterns that illustrate the impact of particular ‘social facts’ upon society.
Once these trends were found, Positivists can make generalised claims built on cause and effect
relationships within the data. Positivists believe that if these results can be ‘Verified’ (the process of
Verificationism) they can be then used to explain why things occur in the social world and therefore give us a
rational understanding.
The process of verificationism relies on the Hypothetico deductive model of research which involves setting a
hypothesis, testing it, re-testing it and then producing a theory from the results.
The other methods used by Positivists are questionnaires, structured interviews, experiments and the use of
official statistics.
The theme of cause and effect relationships in Positivist research is clear to see. Throughout Functionalism there are
generalised claims such as structural differentiation among many others, however Functionalists are not the only
theoretical perspective that values these Positivist principles. Marxists also follow the same guidelines when
discussing the exploitation of the proletariat. An example would be Marx’s suggestion that all societies will inevitably
end in communism. Although Functionalism and Marxism disagree on many aspects, they do agree with the
methods that they choose to research with.
1
study guide
A-Level Sociology
Theory & Methods
Learning outcomes
To be able to explain the differences in opinion between Positivists and Interpretivists with
regards to whether or not, sociology is a science
To be able to apply your knowledge of Postmodernism to the debate
To be able to evaluate sociological opinions with external theorists from other disciplines
Links to the specification
The nature of science and the extent to which sociology can be regarded as scientific
, Sociology & Science – Core study guide
Introduction
Much of our focus In Sociology so far, has been on the modernist theories that were influenced by the
‘Enlightenment project’, in which science replaced religion as the dominant belief system in the rationalised world.
Your knowledge of the theories that we have covered so far will help you considerably in this topic area. A good
reference point to help your understanding of this topic would be the suicide research that we studied at the
beginning of year 12.
As you already know from year 12, there is a debate surrounding the status of Sociology and whether it should be
regarded as a science or not. For this debate, we look at a different area of sociological theory which focusses more
on research methodology rather than views of society.
The first section of this guide will focus on this debate from views that exist within the field of sociology such as
Positivism, Interpretivism and Postmodernism. Once these ideas have been discussed we will then discuss the point
of view from theorists from other disciplines who have different opinions.
Positivism – Sociology is a Science
After being impressed by the way in which the natural sciences were developing, Auguste Comte developed the
theoretical perspective of Positivism with regards to conducting research. As you already know, Functionalists,
Marxists and a few others, are Positivists in the way in which they conduct research and this can be clearly seen
throughout their theories.
Basic Principles
Their belief was that society could be explained with scientific principles based on objectivity, reliability and
generalisation, which are obtained from quantitative data.
Positivists see sociology as a way of solving social problems to achieve progress. The aim was to establish a
‘Positive science of sociology’ – Hence the name ‘Positivism’.
They believe research should involve the principles of experimentation, finding evidence to test a hypothesis
in the most systematic and controlled way. From this, Positivists believe that you can acquire cause and
effect relationships – when one thing occurs or changes it always provides the same result.
The method of choice for many Positivists, in particular Durkheim, was ‘Induction’ (AKA inductive reasoning)
which is the process where a researcher would gather a large sample of statistics, with the aim of finding
trends and patterns that illustrate the impact of particular ‘social facts’ upon society.
Once these trends were found, Positivists can make generalised claims built on cause and effect
relationships within the data. Positivists believe that if these results can be ‘Verified’ (the process of
Verificationism) they can be then used to explain why things occur in the social world and therefore give us a
rational understanding.
The process of verificationism relies on the Hypothetico deductive model of research which involves setting a
hypothesis, testing it, re-testing it and then producing a theory from the results.
The other methods used by Positivists are questionnaires, structured interviews, experiments and the use of
official statistics.
The theme of cause and effect relationships in Positivist research is clear to see. Throughout Functionalism there are
generalised claims such as structural differentiation among many others, however Functionalists are not the only
theoretical perspective that values these Positivist principles. Marxists also follow the same guidelines when
discussing the exploitation of the proletariat. An example would be Marx’s suggestion that all societies will inevitably
end in communism. Although Functionalism and Marxism disagree on many aspects, they do agree with the
methods that they choose to research with.
1
