Sociology 2206A/B Lecture Notes - Grounded Theory, Social Conflict Theory, Thomas Kuhn
Document Summary
Researchers combine a way of thinking about the operation of the social world (theory) with what they observe about it (data), research methods are what connect these two things. They explain recurring patterns, not unique or one time events. They are explanations for aggregates, not specific individuals. They state a probability, chance or tendency for something to occur, not an absolute (causal) relationship. A system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organizes knowledge throughout the social world . Social theorists create explanations about the workings of society and the interactions between members of social groups. The classical theorists (marx, durkheim, weber) provided the foundation for our understanding of the social world. Not whether you use theory, but how you use it. Even outside of research, many people use theories without making them explicit. However, often less systematic less well formulated and more difficult to test with empirical evidence. Concepts ideas expressed as symbols or in words.