SOC200H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: George Herbert Mead, Thomas Kuhn, Feminist Theory
Document Summary
Theories function three ways in research: first, they prevent our being taken in by flukes. I. e. if we can"t explain why polls like ma"s diner have been so successful in predicting elections, we run the risk of supporting a fluke. If we know why it has happened, we can anticipate whether or not it will be successful in the future: second, theories make sense of observed patterns in ways that can suggest other possibilities. Paradigm: a model or framework for observation and understanding, which shapes both what we see and how we understand it. The conflict paradigm causes us to see social behaviour one way; the interactionist paradigm causes us to see it differently. It opens our eyes to new ways of seeing and explaining things. That"s not possible if we mistake our paradigm for reality. Paradigms play a fundamental role in science. Thomas kuhn drew attention to the role of paradigms in the history of the natural sciences.
