SOAN 2120 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Nomothetic, Verstehen, Social Theory
4 Nov 2012
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Social theories explain recurring patterns, not unique/one-time events. Theories are explanations for aggregates, not particular individuals: aggregates: collections of many individuals, cases or other units. Social theories state a probability, chance or tendency for events to occur, rather than state that one event must absolutely follow another (key words in this instant, tend to or are more likely to based on ) Social theory: a system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organizes knowledge about the social world. Blame analysis: a type of counterfeit argument presented as if it were a theoretical explanation (assumes there is a party/source to which a fixed amount of responsibility can be attached) Concepts: an idea expressed as a symbol or in words (has two parts: a symbol (word/term) and a definition. Concept cluster: a collection of interrelated ideas that share common assumptions, belong to the same larger social theory and refer to one another.
