ECH3350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Hermeneutics, Thick Description, Deductive Reasoning
1 Nov 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Only 2-3 gaps *need to reach the gaps. Purpose of social sciences is to discover laws. Mimic natural science theory with deductive axioms, theorums, and casual laws (theories) Social world is simply causalities to be identified. Eliminating the subjective nature of human nature. Patterns and regularities can be identified through empirical observations. Every social phenomenon can be measured and evaluated. > just need to identify the right methods or tools. Scientific knowledge is seen as superior as others forms of knowledge. Explanations are verified using replication by other researchers. Knowledge should be value free and objective. Subject (researcher) can independently study the object (research topic) Research is not political; it is based on truth seeking. There is an objective reality and we can understand it through theories and laws. Social world is composed of systematic and predictable components. Knowledge is objective and observable with the scientific method. The purpose of social sciences is to understand social meaning in context.
