Suchergebnisse

Abstrcat

The classical approach in sociology, as much as in other scientific fields, consists in the use of hypotheses and hypothesis testing processes to determine what, if any, effects can be attributed to particular factors in the case being studied. Other scholars however propose another procedure that eliminates the presence of previous hypotheses and privileges an interpretive – as opposed to a hypothetic-deductive – approach to data analysis. However, in the latter approach crucial questions appear for the researcher: how does one approach the data and data analyses to ensure the credibility of findings? Blumer's suggestion of "sensitizing concepts" seems to be appropriate in order to reach not only reliable interpretations of data but also to retain the possibility of "building theory". This process could be supported by computer-assisted research.

Over the past half century, the scholarly literature on Middle Eastern economic history has grown substantially. By mining the surviving records of states and towns, scholars steeped in the region's languages have produced detailed studies of waqfs, guilds, taxation, government expenditures, monetary trends, production, land use, charity, and court systems, among many other topics. In carrying out their work, Middle Eastern historians can now draw on abundant publications that describe economic life in particular places and periods.