SOCPSY 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Deductive Reasoning, Social Reality, Verstehen
9 Feb 2018
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Inductive reasoning starts by observing something and is about building theories. Observation --> pattern --> tentative hypothesis --> theory. Each hypotheses will result in a different theory. The answers to the questions we ask become observations, which either confirms or disconfirms the theory disconfirms the theory. Where we start has an impact in how we approach the problem. The assumptions you make about the world will affect how you think knowledge should be gained. Objectivism: social world exists "out there" , "to be discovered, measured. The meaning is not the same for everyone. Critical: social reality is shaped by relationships of power. Economic power - material relationships that affect our interactions. Being able to quantify values to make predictions, generalizations, etc. An understanding of what the appropriate tools would be to obtain knowledge. What can be researched (ontology) --> what we can know about it (epistemology) --> how do we go about acquiring this knowledge (methodology)
