SOC221H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-2: Operational Definition, Symbolic Interactionism, Ann Oakley
Document Summary
Soc221 sept 15 week 2 reading notes ch. 1 and 2. Cannot know everything from personal experience or observation all the time, sometimes discover and believe things that other people tell us (knowing things through agreement) When personal experience and other peoples in society conflict, we often agree with society. 2 types of reality: agreement reality- what we know that comes from our culture and what we share with those around us, experiential reality- what we know from personal discovery or experience. Social scientists only believe something they have not experienced if it has both logical and empirical support (must make sense and not contradict actual observation) People want to predict future circumstances, they do so using causal and probabilistic reasoning. Causal- see future circumstances as caused or conditioned by present ones. Probabilistic- effects occur more often when the causes occur then when the do not, but not always.
