SOC 103 Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Document Summary
Common-sense beliefs about society are often wrong. Tradition: everyone knows it to be t rue. Personal experience, tradition, authority, and religion are valid sources of understanding. But hard to resolve differences in these, because people believe in diff things. Science allows scientists to resolve differences in their understanding of the social and physical world. Empirical approach: scientific findings are based on the assumption that knowledge is best gained by direct, systematic observation. Normative approach: uses religion, tradition, or authority to answer important questions, based on strong beliefs about what is right and wrong, and what is desirable in society. Scientific knowledge has a built-in mechanism for self-correction, scientists never say their findings represent eternal t ruths www. notesolution. com. Hypothesis: tentative statements of the relationship between two or more concepts of variables. Objective: scientists try to ensure that their biases and values do not affect their research. Researchers must be careful of bias they have.