[SOC221H5] - Final Exam Guide - Everything you need to know! (42 pages long)
Document Summary
Researchers interweave a story about the operation of the social world (the theory) with what they observe when they examine it systematically (the data). Theory and methods are the backbone of the social sciences. To avoid frustration, it is wise to keep in mind three things about how social scientific theories work. Social theories explain recurring patterns, not unique or one-time events. Social theories are explanations for aggregates, not particular individuals. Aggregates are collections of many individuals, cases, or other units (businesses, schools, families, clubs, cities, nations). Social theories state a probability, chance, or tendency for events to occur, rather than stating that one event must absolutely follow another. Social theory: a system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organizes knowledge about the social world. The classical social theorists (marx, weber, durkheim) played an important role in generating innovative ideas about the workings of social life in particular.
